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Khajuraho
Sightseeing
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The
temples built by the Chandela dynasty is
undeniably the main sightseeing
attractions. The temples are split into
three groups: the western group, the
eastern group and the southern group. Of
these, the western group is perhaps the
most notable.
Archaeological Museum
Situated in a building adjacent to the
Matangeshwar Temple, the Archaeological
Museum was established by government
officer WA Jardine in 1910 as a place to
house the loose statues and sculptures
found lying on the grounds of the ruined
ancient temples. The facility was
initially known as the Jardine Museum
until 1952 when the Archaeological
Survey of India took it over and changed
its name to the Archaeological Museum.
Chaunsath Yogini Temple
Also featuring a fairly extensive
collection of erotic stone carvings is
the Chaunsath Yogini Temple, a structure
dedicated to the goddess Kali and
notable for being the only temple in the
entire range to have been made from
granite. The oldest shrine of any of the
temples in the western group can be
found at Chaunsath Yogini.
Hindu Temples
Brahman, Vamana and Javari comprise the
three Hindu temples within the eastern
group. All three temples feature the
same style of erotic carvings as the
others; while Braham is known for its
four-faced lingam statue, Vamana for its
sculptures of nymphs, and Javari for its
magnificent gateway.
Jain Temples
Parsvanath which is dedicated to Jain
Tirthankara Parshvanatha, is the largest
of the Jain Temples and, like the
somewhat smaller Adinath (dedicated to
the Jain Tirthankara Adinath), features
a selection of erotic carvings as well
as other stone works telling less
sexually explicit stories. Ghantai
Temple, meanwhile, features stone
carvings that tell the stories of the 16
dreams of Mahavira's mother. The Jain
temples are all a part of the eastern
group of temples.
Kandariya Mahadev Temple
This is the tallest of the temples, not
only in the western group but in the
entire collection, and is believed to
have been built around 1025 in honour of
Lord Shiva. This 30-metre-high structure
features erotic carvings along its
northern and southern faces but also a
variety of others depicting women
engaged in non-sexual activity. Notable
also, is the large lingam inside of the
temple which is commonly held to be a
representation of Shiva.
Lakshmana Temple
Lakshmana is a part of the western group
of temples and among the most famous in
this category on account of its erotic
sculpture collection. While all of the
temples in the town feature stone works
of this nature, Lakshmana’s collection
is especially extensive and the carving
particularly sexually graphic, depicting
a large number of coital scenarios. |
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Tel: 91-11-44112200
Fax: 91-11-23721731
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