KHAJURAHO – A PHOTO-LOG – Let's Go Sightseeing!

Can’t help falling in love…
Nandi – the gate-guardian deity of Kailasa

Madhya Pradesh must be the most underrated tourist destination in India. The centrally-located state has nature, heritage, & art. Yet, we neither hear much about it nor see family & friends visiting MP. We ourselves were oblivious of all that the state has to offer till we made our way there.

temple, story — Each of the temples has a story behind it.

On our maiden trip, we spent a little less than a week exploring three destinations – Khajuraho, Panna Tiger Reserve & Orchha. Here, we take you through Khajuraho with our photo-blog.

wonder, temple, construct, modern technology — We wonder how the temples were constructed then, when no modern technological marvel was available…

Khajuraho was a seat of the Chandela rulers’ authority. They built numerous temples in the town in the 9th and 10th centuries. Today, the group of temples is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The logo made by UNESCO for the Group of Temples

scene, battle, daily life, shringar, meditation — Scenes from battles, from daily life, from shringar, from meditation to many more…

temple, back, craftsmen — Make it a point to go around the temple to the back; you will realize the craftsmen did not neglect the backside either!

khajuraho, erotica, hype — Khajuraho being only about erotica is a hype!

Erotic sculptures do not make up even 5% of the total. The guides will ask you if you are okay seeing & knowing more about them before they point them out to you.

temple, visit, sunrise, sunset — The temples are best visited at the time of sunrise/ sunset.

The golden hour is a good time for photography too.

excavation, old temple, unearth — There are excavations still going on & new old temples (!) are being unearthed.

Since the Jain Temples were built around the same time, their architecture is strikingly similar to that of the Hindu temples.

The standalone Chaturbhuj Temple has a well – preserved idol of Lord Vishnu.

sun rays, temple, light, ethereal glow — When the sun rays fall on the temples, they light up with an ethereal glow.

Western Group of Temples

This is the main temple group.
You need to spend time to explore this big complex.

lord ganesha, sculpture, mesmerize, eye for detail, craftsmanship — Look for a Lord Ganesha sculpture to be mesmerized with the eye for detail & the craftsmanship.

Even the roll of His tummy fat has been sculpted with precision!

lakshmana temple, well preserved, exquisite sculpture — The Lakshmana Temple is well-preserved & has exquisite sculptures.

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Lord Shiva, grand — The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is easily the grandest!

It is built in the shape of Mount Meru, the source of creation of the world.

parvati temple, relatively new — The Parvati Temple (in the foreground) is a relatively new one.

It was built by one of the last Bundelkhand kings when the British were instigating religions against each other. To promote harmony, the king built this temple adopting the styles of architecture from Hinduism, Islam & Buddhism. The leftmost is a Hindu ‘shikhar’, the middle one is a Buddhist style pagoda, & the rightmost is an Islamic style dome.

temple, unique — Each of the temples has a uniqueness about it.

A light & sound show takes place in the evening at the Western Group of Temples. You can opt to see that to understand the regional history better.

temple, architecture, beauty, awe — Each of the temples has an architectural beauty that left us in awe.

Tips:

love, silhouette, sculpture — We loved the silhouettes the external sculptures made.

Khajuraho is best visited in the winter months – October to March. The weather is salubrious to walk around the temples. The temples become even more radiant when the winter sun rays fall on them!
Khajuraho has air connectivity. Delhi – Khajuraho – Varanasi is a preferred route by tourists. We, however, opted for a train to Jhansi – road to Orchha – road to Khajuraho – flight to Delhi.
Khajuraho is a paradise for architecture/ art/ history/ photography enthusiasts. However, if you are someone who yawns at heritage, pass!

khajuraho, paradise, architecture, art, history, photography, enthuse — Khajuraho is a paradise for architecture/ art/ history/ photography enthusiasts.

Khajuraho left an indelible mark on us…

Note: Apart from one temple, worship is not permitted in any of the others.

KHAJURAHO – A PHOTO-LOG

Western Group of Temples

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