Most travellers come to gaze upon the famous ‘love temples’ of Madhya Pradesh with nary a clue about why they are there and what was the inspiration behind them. British rule from Queen Victoria’s days left its prudish impact on India as well, sadly blotting out the country’s centuries old wholesome approach to the aesthetics of all things sensual in the arts.
The purdah arrived here with the Islamists and the Victorians would have had us covering the legs of our tables! And so, you have this strange mix of strangers to India gawping at the sensual figures of Khajuraho’s temples with an unashamed voyeuristic attitude. Yet not all visitors are garbed in the same hue. There are those amongst them who have done their homework and are swept away by the sheer magnificence of the stone carvings of the romancing couples and their aesthetic depiction by the artisans who created them with such impeccable finesse back in the 11th century. As you look on you cannot underestimate the beauty and the aesthetic depiction of such a sensitive subject or their startling craftsmanship and architecture of the shrines.
The temples of Khajuraho, made of granite and sandstone, have depicted the game of love in the most aesthetic yet highly sensuous form, in those life size sculptures. It was never meant to be a vulgar display of sex play in public view. Rather each statute transfixes the viewer with its eye for detail and artistic perfection. The mighty Chandelas, the Rajput rulers who built these splendid temples dedicated to Hindu and Jain ideologies, didn’t commission the carvings as an overt display of erotic naughtiness— something to give people a few cheap thrills. It was just the opposite. The exquisitely wrought sculptures, in fact, celebrate the length and breadth of a relationship between a man and woman in all its warmth and sensuous frankness.
Love in the times of the Chandelas was a celebration of the highest form of physical, mental and spiritual unity between the two partners. As your gazes passes over the panels exhibiting what some secretly thrill to as erotica, you cannot but marvel at the manner in which the artisan has caught in stone a woman’s many moods— sensual, playful, vain, and vivacious, during some of the most private moments between a man and woman in the game of love/love-making. These were never meant to serve as porn.; they aimed to visually translate an understanding of the Hindu theory that when all the senses are allowed to give rein to their feelings, there is a total union, physically and mentally, arrived at through love making.
To do full justice to the sheer magnificence of the sculpted works, as an aesthete or culture buff it makes total sense to pace your time here. Spread over two days your visit is bound to be more rewarding than just a rushed couple of hours wandering around the site.
You should look out for cult images, devtas, apsaras and the surasundaris, secular sculptures including dancers, musicians, disciples and domestic scenes and mythical creatures such as vyalas, sardula and sundry animals. The famous erotic sculptures of Khajuraho account for only 10% of all sculptures
The site is split up into three distinct groups so it makes it easier to pick and choose where to go. Your best bet would be the Western Group and the Eastern group of temples. The 85 temples (depicting creative records of almost a century dating from 950- 1050 AD) are remarkable for their stature for having attained the highest form of perfection in temple architecture. Hidden under a dense canopy of jungle for centuries these remote structures were saved from the zealous Islamic invaders. The temples, encompassing a celebration of life, love and divinity in a diverting range of moods and expressions—all captured by a master hand in stone, were discovered by chance by the British in 1838. Only 20 remain of the original 85 temples, spread over an area of 6km in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh.
The Western Group The principal shrine here is the Kandariya Mahadeo, which is dedicated to Shiva; 31m in height is the largest and most representative of Khajuraho temples. It has over 870 statues of gods, goddesses, musicians and erotic visuals on both the interior and exterior surfaces. These are some of the most sublime depictions of architecture and sculpture.
The Chaunsath Yogini shrine dates back to 900 CE; it’s the oldest and only granite temple here. The god Surya reigns supreme at the Chitragupta Temple. Check out the exquisite carvings of royal processions, hunting scenes and group dances. A 3-headed Lord Brahma can be seen at the Vishwanath Temple. The Hindu trinity is featured at the Lakshmana/Chaturbhuj Temple. The only living temple here is Matangeswara Temple; it is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
At the Eastern Group are located the Parsvanath Jain Temple, the Adinath Temple and the Ghantai Jain Temple. The sculptured panels at the three Hindu shrines here are rich in detail.
The Southern Group is home to Lord Shiva’s Duladeo Temple and Vishnu’s Chaturbhuj Temple
An unmissable experience here is the annual Khajuraho Festival of Dances held in the month of February/March, with India’s top-flight classical dancers and musicians performing against the backdrop of the Western Group. There’s also a nightly Sound and Light Show which you will enjoy. This is one UNESCO World Heritage Site in India you should not miss.