Khajuraho
Places of Interest in Khajuraho
The
Creators of Khajuraho claimed descent from the moon and the legend behind the
founding of this great dynasty and the temples is a fascinating one. Hemwati,
the lovely young daughter of a Brahmin priest, was seduced by the moon-god while
bathing in a forest pool. The child born of this union was Chandravarman, founder
of the Chandela dynasty. Brought up in the forests by his mother who sought
refuge from a sensorious society, Chandravarman, when established as a ruler,
had a dream-visitation from his mother. It is said that she implored him to
build temples that would reveal human passions, and in doing so, bring about
a realization of the emptiness of human desire. It is also possible that the
Chandelas were followers of the Tantric cult, which believes that gratification
of earthly desires is a step towards attaining the infinite liberation of nirvana.
Why they chose Khajuraho, even then a small village, as the site for their great
complex is also open to of their faith and the many beliefs represented in the
temples, the Chandelas conceived Khajuraho as a seat of religion and learning,
to bring together many sects.Southern Group of Temples
Chattarbhuj Temple: Three kilometers south of Khajuraho, in the village of Jatkari lie the two temples now in ruins. One of them is a Shiva temple enshrining a marble ligham. The other one enshries a 3.3 m (11 ft.) high image of Chatturbhuja (Vishnu) in the sanctum with an expression of transcendental calm and bliss on its face.
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Ghantai Temple: This Jain temple has a frieze which depicts the 16 dreams of Mahavira's mother, and a jain goddess on a winged Garuda
more details Western Group of Temples
Chaunsat Yogini: The only granite temple and the earliest surviving shrine of the group (900 A.D.), it is dedicated to Kali. Only 35 of the orginal 65 shrines remain. Another Kali temple (originally dedicated to Vishnu) is the Devi Jagdambe Temple.
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