Khajuraho
Khajuraho at a Glance
Today,
apart from the temples, Khajuraho is a small village but a thousand years ago
it was a large city of the Chandelas, medieval Rajput kings who ruled over Central
India. Khajuraho is 595 km (370 miles) south-east of Delhi and can be visited
by air, rail or road. An overnight train journey from Delhi takes the visitor
to Jhansi, from where another morning train takes him to Harpalpur 85 km (53
miles) to the east.
The temples lay forgotten for many centuries, covered by the encroaching forests,
victim to the ravages of the elements. Re-discovered only in this century, restored
and claned, the temples of Khajuraho once again testify to a past glory. 
Architecturally too, they are unique, being very different from the temple prototype of their period. Each stands on a high masonry platform with a marked upward direction in the structure, further enhanced by vertical projections to create the effect of grace and lightness.
Each of the chief compartments is mounted by its own roof, grouped so that the highest is in the centre, the lowest over the portico; a highly imaginative recreation of the rising peaks of the Himalayas, abode of the gods.
The three main compartments are the entrance (ardha-mandapa), assembly hall (mandapa) and sanctum (garbha griha), with further additions in the more developed temples.
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