Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Madhya Pradesh State (Khajurao and others) -5

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Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Madhya Prades State










Dhar, Madhya Pradesh

Dhār (Hindi/Marathi: धार) is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state in central India, and was a Maratha Princely state ruled by the Puars (or Pawars), entitled to 15 Gun Salute's. It is the administrative headquarters of Dhar District. The town is located 33 miles (53 km) west of Mhow, 559 m (1,834 ft) above sea level. It is picturesquely situated among lakes and trees surrounded by barren hills, and possesses, besides its old ramparts, many interesting buildings,   some of them containing records of cultural and historical importance.

Pilgrim Centres and Jatras

 There are many religious places scattered throughout the district where people congregate at annual fairs arranged on auspicious occasions.
Dhar district has 5 tahsils inclucing Dhar itself, namely Badnawar, Sardarpur, Dhar, Dharampuri and Manawar.
Koteshwar, Khakrol and Badnawar are located in Badnawar tahsil; Bhopawar, Sagwal and Amjhera are located in Sardarpur tahsil; Mandu, Kesur Dhar and Sagor are located in Dhar tahsil; Lingwa and Kotda in Kukshi tahsil, Dhamnod in Dharampuri tahsil, Manawar, Bakaner and Singhana in Manawar tahsil, are a few out of a total about 40 such pilgrim centres.
Hanuman jayanti and Shivratri respectively attract thousands of pilgrims from the interiors of the District and outside, to the places of worship where special worship is offered to the concerned deities.
Gal and Hazrat Biyabani Yatra, Shantinathji ka Mela, Tejaji ka Mela, Ambikaji ka Mela, Urs Kamal-ud-din and Gular Shah Urs attract thousands of followers.
Mother goddess in various forms is worshipped with special reverence. Ambika Devi (Dhar and Dhammod) Mangala Devi (Manawar) Shitalamata Devi (Bakaner) Harsiddhi Mata (Singhana) and Jagni Mata (Jhiriya pura), are a few examples.
Mandu is the place where Jehangir came and stayed with Nur Jehan. He was accompanied by Sir Thomas Roe, the English ambassador. Jehangir wrote "I know of no place so pleasant in climate and so pretty in scenery as Manu in the rainy season. Shah Jahan too spent the rainy season of the year 1622 in Mandu. The famous Ram Navami fair is organised here by the mahant of the temple on Chaitra Sudi (March/April), in which thousands of people participate.

 

Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

Gwalior (About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) is a city in Madhya Pradesh, India, lying 122 kilometres (76 mi) south of Agra, and 423 kilometres (263 mi) north of Bhopal, the state capital. Gwalior occupies a strategic location in the Gird region of India, and the city and its fortress have served as the center of several of historic northern Indian kingdoms. Gwalior is the administrative headquarters of Gwalior district and Gwalior division.
It is famous for Gwalior Fort, which has changed hands many times. From the Tomaras in the 8th century, it passed to the Mughals, then the Marathas under the Scindias (1754).
Gwalior is surrounded by industrial and commercial zones of neighboring districts (Malanpur - Bhind, Banmor - Morena) at all three main directions. Gwalior is the fourth largest city of Madhya Pradesh and is often referred to as the tourist capital of the state.

 Origin of name

According to local tradition, Gwalior owes its name to a sage of former times. Suraj Sen, a prince of the Kachhwaha clan of the eighth century, is said to have lost his way in the jungle. On a secluded hill, he met an old man, the sage Gwalipa, whose influence almost took him by surprise. Upon asking the sage for some drinking water, he was led to a pond; the waters not only quenched his thirst but cured him of leprosy. Out of gratefulness, the prince wished to offer the sage something in return, and the sage asked him to build a wall on the hill in order to protect the other sages from wild animals which often disturbed their yagnas (or pujas). Suraj Sen later built a palace inside the fort, which was named "Gwalior" after the sage; eventually the city that grew around the fort took the same name.

History

Gwalior temple has the very first occurrence of zero as a written number in the world. Gwalior may have been held by the Guptas or some of their disciples, but the oldest historical evidence shows the fort was conquered by the Hunas in the early sixth century. The evidence for this is a stone inscription of the time of Mihirakula recording the construction of a temple to the sun god. It is now in India Museum, Calcutta.[1] Subsequently, Gwalior was taken by Gurjar Pratihars of Kannauj.[2] From inscription found such as Rakhetra stone inscription, scholars assert that Gwalior was under the possession of Gurjara Pratiharas until at least 942 AD.[3]
In the 10th century, after Gurjara Pratiharas, Gwalior was taken by the Kachwaha Rajputs. Qutb-ud-din Aybak captured the city in 1196. Shamsud-din Altamsh took control of the area in 1232. By the 15th century the city had a noted singing school which was attended by Tansen. Gwalior was ruled by the Mughals and then the Marathas.

Scindia state of Gwalior

 
Scindia is a Maratha clan in India. This clan included rulers of the Gwalior State in the 18th and 19th centuries, collaborators of the colonial British government during the 19th and the 20th centuries until India became independent, as well as politicians in independent India.
The Scindia state of Gwalior became a major regional power in the second half of the 18th century and figured prominently in the three Anglo-Maratha Wars. (Gwalior first fell to the British in 1780.) The Scindias held significant power over many of the Rajput states, and conquered the state of Ajmer. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the city was briefly held by rebel forces in 1858 until they were defeated by the British.  The Scindia family ruled Gwalior until India's independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, when the Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia acceded to the Government of India. Gwalior was merged with a number of other princely states to become the new Indian state of Madhya Bharat. Jivajirao Scindia served as the state's rajpramukh, or appointed governor, from 28 May 1948 to 31 October 1956, when Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh.

Gwalior Fort

At the heart of Gwalior is Gwalior Fort, improved by Raja Man Singh Tomar where a previous structure existed, of the Tomar dynasty. This formidable structure was reputed to be one of the most structurally sound forts of India. It occupies an isolated rock outcrop. The hill is steepened to make it virtually unscalable and is surrounded by high walls which enclose buildings from several periods. The old town of Gwalior lies at the eastern base of the fortress. Lashkar, formerly a separate town that originated as a military camp, lies to the south, and Morar, also a formerly separate town, lies to the east. Gwalior, Lashkar and Morar are presently part of the Gwalior Municipality.
The massive Gwalior Fort, popularly called "the Gibraltar of India", overlooks the city. The Emperor Babur reputedly described it as "the pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind". This fort's architecture is unique. It displays a Chinese influence on Indian architecture, as Chinese dragons have been crafted at the hilt of the pillars. This influence was due to trade between China and India during the fort's period of construction.
After the death of Sher Shah Suri in 1545, who was ruling North India at that time, his son Islam Shah shifted his capital from Delhi to Gwalior and constructed 'Sher Shah Mandir' or Palace/Fort in the memory of his father Sher Shah Suri. Islam Shah operated from Gwalior until his death in 1553. Islam Shah had appointed the Hindu warrior 'Hemu' or Hem Chandra Vikramaditya as his Prime Minister in Sher Shah Fort for the first time, who later on became the Hem Chandra Vikramaditya king at Delhi and established 'Hindu Raj' in North India, by virtue of winning 22 battles continuously from Punjab to Bengal and defeating Akbar's army in Agra and Delhi on 6 October 1556.
Rich in cultural heritage and architectural marvels, Gwalior has the added advantage of its proximity to Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal; Khajuraho, the city of great temples; and Delhi, the national capital.
Historically and architecturally, Gwalior is interesting first as a very ancient seat of Jain worship; second for its example of palace architecture of the best Hindu period (1486–1516); and third as an historic fortress. Many historical places are found near the Dabra-Bhitarwar Road. Prior to the founding of Gwalior, the region was also known by its ancient name of Gopasetra. The great Apabhramsha poet Pandit Raighu lived in Gwalior. Gwalior had an institutional seat of the Bhattarakas of Kashtha Sangh and later Mula Sangh.
 
According to history, the original fort of Gwalior was founded by the Bargujar Kings during the 34th/35th century of Kali yuga as per puranas available with them. His palace is the most interesting example of early Hindu work of its class in India. Another palace of even greater extent was added to this in 1516. The Mughal emperors, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, added palaces to these two, the whole making a group of edifices unequaled for picturesqueness and interest by anything of their class in central India. Among the apartments in the palace was the celebrated chamber, named the Baradari, supported on 12 columns, and 45 ft (15 m) square, with a stone roof, forming one of the most beautiful palace-halls in the world. It was, besides, singularly interesting from the expedients to which the Hindu architect was forced to resort to imitate the vaults of the Muslims. Of the buildings, however, which so excited the admiration of the first Mughal emperor Babur, probably little now remains.
Jai Vilas Palace in Lashkar is a marvelous palace museum, part of which is open to the public and gives a glimpse into the life of the royal family. The fort area is also home of the Scindia School, a well-regarded institution founded by the late Maratha Maharaja Madhavraoji Shinde of Gwalior in 1897

 Transportation infrastructure

The city is well connected by railway, road, and air methods of transportation.

Roads

Gwalior is fairly well-connected to other parts of Madhya Pradesh and India with national and state highways. The proposed North-south-Corridor of the Golden-Quadrilateral Highway project passes through the city. The Agra-Bombay national highway (NH3) passes through Gwalior, connecting it to Shivpuri on one end and Agra on the other. The city is connected to the Jhansi by the National Highway 75, towards the south of the city. In the Northern, the city is connected to the holy city of Mathura via National Highway 3. There are bus services to and from all major and minor cities near Gwalior, including Bhopal, Agra, Delhi, Jabalpur, Jhansi, Bhind, Morena,Dholpur, Etawah, Datia, Jaipur and Indore.
Air  
Gwalior Airport (IATA: GWL, ICAO: VIGR), also called Rajmata Vijya Raje Scindia Vimantal, is the airport of Gwalior. It has an Indian Air Force Base which stations Mirage bombers.

Local transport

Gwalior's public transport system mainly consists of Tempos, auto rickshaw taxis, and micro-buses. Municipal corporation's "Gwalior City Bus" covers some routes in the city. Radio taxis are also available in Gwalior. The Tempos and auto-rickshaws are often cited as a cause of pollution and road congestion, and the local government has plans to replace the Tempos with vans that will run on liquefied petroleum gas. However, taken in itself, this solution ignores the congestion and pollution caused by private cars, which is far more significant, especially considering that the impact of private cars is actually caused for the benefit of a very small section of the city's population.

Main festivals

All national festivals, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Holi, Makara Sankranti,  Christmas, Rakhi, Mahavir jayanti, and other local ones such as Nag-Panchmi, Shreenath Mahadji Maharaj Punyatithi, Ganesh Utsav, Gangaur, Teej, Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year), Navratri, Dussehara, Durga Puja are celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Last decade has seen a rise in the celebration of events like Valentine's Day, Rose Day and New Year's Eve.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in a unique way in Gwalior City. People of Gwalior arrange a carnival of floats (known as "Jhanki" in the local Hindi language) in various places of the city.
Gwalior also celebrates Rang Panchami quite differently. This festival is celebrated five days after Dulendi or Holi. This is also celebrated like Dulendi, but colors are mixed with water and then either sprinkled or poured on others.
Makar Sankranti is a 'Kite Festival' on 14 January each year; people fly kites and compete to cut each other's kites in the sky.

Famous personalities from Gwalior

 

Indore, MP

Indore   is the largest city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the most populous metropolitan area in central India. It serves the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. A central power city, Indore exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment and has been described as the commercial capital of the state.
Located on the southern edge of Malwa Plateau, the city is located 190 km west of the state capital of Bhopal. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 1,960,631  distributed over a land area of just (526 km2), Indore is the most densely populated major city in the central province. With more than 13 languages spoken there, Indore is the most linguistically diverse city in central India The Indore Metropolitan Area's population is the state's largest, with 2.2 million people living there. It is the 14th largest city in India and 147th  largest city in the world.
Indore traces its roots to its 16th century founding as a trading hub between the Deccan and Delhi. The city and its surroundings came under Maratha Empire on 18 May 1724 after Maratha Peshwa assumed the full control of Malwa. During the days of the British Raj it was a 19 Gun Salute (21 locally) princely state (a rare high rank) ruled by the Maratha Holkar dynasty, until they acceded to the Union of India.  Indore served as the capital of the Madhya Bharat from 1950 until 1956.
Indore's financial district, anchored by central Indore, functions as the financial capital of the Madhya Pradesh and is home to the Madhya Pradesh Stock Exchange, India's third oldest stock exchange. Indore's real estate market is among the most expensive in the state and its Lokmanya Nagar incorporates the highest concentration of Marathi People in the Western part of the city. . Numerous colleges and universities are located in Indore, including IIM Indore and IIT Indore.

 

 

Tourism

Religious places

Citizens of Indore city and other nearby cities have great faith in the Khajrana Temple. This temple is made by Ahilyabai Holkar. This is an important place of Hindus.
  • Gurudwara
Indore is historically attached to Sikhism. It has numerous Gurudwaras. Gurdwara Imli Sahib is Sikh shrine situated in Indore. In the year, 1568 Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the way of his itinerary diverted from southern states to the north-west and reached Indore. It is centrally located and innumerable devotees assure spiritual knowledge, peace and bliss here.
Gurdwara Charan Paduka Betma Sahib is situated in the small village of Betma. Betma is a town and a nagar panchayat in Indore district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Betma Sahib is one of the pious gurudwaras of historical significance for Sikhs, as it is believed that Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited this place during his southern Udasi.
  • Annapurna Temple

Annapurna is a very beautiful and one of the oldest temples in Indore. Dedicated to the goddess Annapoorna, this temple is one among the famous pilgrimage centres in Indore. Not only devotees, but also tourists come to see this majestic shrine. This temple bears a resemblance to the famous Madurai Meenakshi Temple of Madurai. Inside the temple premises there exist shrines of Sivan, Hanuman, and Kalabhairava. The Pravachan Hall of the temple is also very famous. Four full sized elephants embrace this temple’s highly ornamented gate. An architectural splendor, the outer wall of the temple is brightly decorated with beautiful images of legendary characters. An architectural marvel, Annapoorna Temple in Indore is a worthy for a short visit. This temple is situated Near DashaHara Maidan, Annapurna Road, Indore.
  • Bada Ganpati
 
The Bada Ganpati temple is a very ancient temple and widely known for the size of the Ganesh idol. This temple was built in 1875 by Shri Dadhich. The idol is said to be the size of 25 Foot from head to crown. This temple is located near the heart of the city Rajwada also known as Holkar Palace.
  • Gommat Giri
This is an excellent set of Jain temples built on the top of Gommatesher Hill. The main attraction is 24 feet tall statue of Lord Bahubali, and 24 others temples for each of the 24 jain tirthankars.
The Kanch Mandir also known as Glass Temple is an exquisite example of a marvel in glass. This Jain Temple also known as Jain Mandir was built by Sir Seth Hukum Chand Jain (Kasliwal) in the early 20th century.It is located in the Itwaria Market. The speciality of this temple is that its doors, pillars, ceilings and walls are entirely inlaid with glass with minute detailing. It is one of the most famous tourist attraction of the city. The temple also has paintings which are depicting stories from the Jain scriptures. The top of the temple multiplies the three statues of Lord Mahavir which makes this temple more beautiful place.

Indore is well connected by Air, Road and Rail from every major part of India.


Maheshwar, Madhya Prades

Maheshwar is a town in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located 13 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) and 91 km from Indore, the commercial capital of the state. The town lies on the north bank of the Narmada River. It was the capital of the Malwa during Holkar reign till 6th January 1818, when the capital was shifted to Indore by Malhar Rao Holkar III..
 The name Maheshwar comes from Mahesh, a name for Lord Shiva. The word Maheshwar in Hindi means abode of Lord Mahesh.

History

Maheshwar town is built on the site of the ancient city of Somvanshya Shastrarjun Kshatriya, and was the capital of king Kartavirya Arjuna,(Shree Shastrarjun) who is mentioned in the Sanskrit epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Maheshwar was known as Mahissati (Mahishamati in Sanskrit) in ancient times and was the capital of Southern Avanti. Maheshwar on the banks of the Narmada was capital of King Sahasrarjun. One day the King and his 500 wives went to the river for a picnic. When the wives wanted a vast play area, the King stopped the mighty river Narmada with his 1000 arms. While they were all enjoying themselves, Ravana flew by in his Pushpak Vimana. Downstream, when he saw the dry river bed, he thought it was an ideal place to pray to Lord Shiva. He made a shivalinga out of sand and began to pray. When Sahasrajuna’s wives were done and they stepped out of the river bed, he let the waters flow. The voluminous river flowed down sweeping Ravana’s shivalinga along, messing up his prayers. Furious, Ravana tracked Sahasrajuna and challenged him. Armed to the hilt the mighty Ravana was in for a huge surprise. The mighty Sahasrarjuna with the 1000 arms pinned Ravana to the ground. Then he placed 10 lamps on his heads and one on his hand. After tying up Ravana, Sahasrarjuna dragged him home and tied him up to the cradle pole of his son. A humiliated Ravana stayed prisoner until his release was secured.

Culture

Maheshwar is a culturally prosperous town and its importance is described in Puranas and through history. It is a religious town and people here are simple and pleasing.

Temples of Maheshwar

 It is said that there are more than 100 temples are telling the long history of Maheshwar. Main temples good to visit for visitors are SAHASTARARJUN Temple near the holy river Narmada,Rajrajeshwar Mandir,Kashi Vishwanath Mandir,Chaturbhuj Narayan Mandir,Ahilya Mata's Chhatris,Chintamani Ganpati Mandir, Pandharinath Mandir,Bhawani Mata Mandir, Gobar Ganesh Mandir,Banke Bihari, Anant Narayan Mandir, Khedapati Hanuman. Ram and Krishna Mandir. Baneshwar temple,Kaleshwar,Jwaleshwar and Narsingh Mandir are very good for nature lovers.
  • Ek Mukhi Datta Temple is newly constructed temple in Sahastradhara,Jalkoti,Maheshwar.It's also called "Shiva Datta Dham".This temple is constructed in 30 acres of area.Temple area is approx 10000 sq. feet. The temple is situated at the bank of historical Narmada River in its most serious,calm,adventured and horrible form.The main attraction in this temple is The very beautiful idol's of Lord Ek Mukhi Datta,Maa Narmada and Lord Ganesha.

Festivals

  Maheshwar is full of festivals and celebrations, some are: Nag Panchami, Gudi Padava, Teez (New year celebrations according to the Hindu calendar), All Mondays of Shravan month, (DOLA of Kashivishwnath on last Monday, bhang is served as prasad of Shiva), Mahashivratri, Samoti Amavas, and all other Indian festivals. There are many visiting places like gold swing is also their and it is situated at Rajwada. Maheshwar also has the temple of Goddess Vindhyavasini Bhavani, one of the 24Shaktipeeths of Goddess Parvati.
Every year on the immediately preceding Sunday of Makar Sankranti (i.e. the Sunday just before the date when the Sun is about to enter the sign of Capricorn as per Indian Astrological / Sidereal calendar), Swaadhyaaya Bhavan Ashram (based at Mahalaxmi Nagar, Maheshwar) organizes Mahaamrityunjaya Rath Yaatraa in the town of Maheshwar. This Mahaamrityunjaya Rath Yaatraa was initiated by Shri Harvilas Aasopaa for the welfare of humanity, and is known to be the first of its kind in the world. The yaatraa intends to invoke blessings of Ayurved Murti Bhagwaan Sadaashiv Mahaamrityunjaya (who is regarded as the primordial and supreme doctor), and it starts from Swaadhyaaya Bhawan Ashram and culminates at the banks of the holy river Narmada. 

 

Orchha Temples and Palace, Madhya Pradesh

Orchha (or Urchha) is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River, 80 km from Tikamgarh & 15 km from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

History

Orchha was founded in the 15th century AD, by the Bundela chief, Rudra Pratap Singh, who became the first King of Orchha, (r. 1501-1531) and also built the Fort of Orchha. The Chaturbhuj Temple was built, during the time of Akbar, by the Queen of Orchha ganeshi bai,  while Raj Mandir was built by 'Madhukar Shah' during his reign, 1554 to 1591.

Places of tourist interest

On a seasonal island on the bank of the Betwa River, which has been surrounded by a battlement wall, stands a huge palace-fort. The fort consists of several connected buildings erected at different times, the most noteworthy of which are the Raja Mahal  and the Jahangir Mahal.
The Ram Raja Temple is built on a square base and has an almost entirely plain exterior, relieved by projecting windows and a line of delicate domes along the summit. The roof is crowned by eight large fluted domes, with smaller domes between them, connected by an ornamental balustrade  Chaturbhuj Temple is an old temple from the 9th century.
Chaturbhuj Temple (Devanagri: चतुर्भुज मंदिर), dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is situated at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, India. The name Chaturbhuj (Devanagri: चतुर्भुज) is a derived from Sanskrit words चतु: = four and भुजा = arms, which literally means one who has four arms; and refers to Lord Vishnu
Built in 875, during the reign of imperial Gurjara Pratihara dynasty, it is constructed within a later colonnade.  The temple consists of a sanctum with pancharatha Sikhara, a vestibule and a porch. The temple also has a curved tower with a small porch.

Accessibility

Orchha Railway station is Jhansi-Manikpur section of the North Central Railways. 15 km from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Orchha also lies close to another popular tourist destination, Khajuraho.

Sonagiri, Madhya Pradesh

Sonagiri (Hindi: सोनागिरी) about 60 km from Gwalior, has scores of Jain temples of 9th & 10th century on little hills. This sacred place is popular among devotees & ascetic saints to practice for self-discipline, austerity and to attain Nirvana since the time of Chandraprabhu (the 8th Teerthankar), five & half crores of ascetic saints have achieved Moksa from here.

Etymology

In Hindi, Sonagiri means a palace of gold.

Location

Bus of Sonagiri Kshetra is available at Sonagiri Railway Station. Road – On Dabra-Datia Road Sonagiri stands, Kshetra is 5 km ahead from here. This also lies on Gwalior-Jhansi Road. Tempo & Tongaes are available here for Kshetra. Train – Sonagiri Railway Station lies on Agra-Jhansi line. Kshetra is 3 km ahead from here. Airport – Gwalior & Jhansi

 

Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh


The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculptures.
The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravāhaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura = date palm and vāhaka = "one who carries". Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments.In the 19th century, British engineer T.S. Burt arrived in the area, followed by General Alexander Cunningham. Cunningham put Khajuraho on the world map when he explored the site on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India and described what he found in glowing terms. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India.

Town

Khajuraho is a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi, the capital city of India. According to the 2001 India census,[2] Khajuraho has a population of 19,282. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. The town has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 62%, and female literacy is 43%. In Khajuraho, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age. Khajuraho is located at 24.85°N 79.93°E[3] and has an average elevation of 283 metres (928 feet).
Khajuraho is served by Khajuraho Airport and there is a railway station in the centre of the town.

History

Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments.
Some Bargujar Rajputs moved eastward to central India; they ruled over the Northeastern region of Rajasthan, called Dhundhar, and were referred to as Dhundhel or Dhundhela in ancient times, for the region they governed. Later on they called themselves Chandelas; those who were in the ruling class having gotra Kashyap were definitely all Bargujars; they were vassals of Gurjara - Pratihara empire of North India, which lasted from 500 C.E. to 1300 C.E. and at its peak the major monuments were built. The Bargujars also built the Kalinjar fort and Neelkanth Mahadev temple, similar to one at Sariska National Park, and Baroli, being Shiva
The city was the cultural capital of Chandel Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10-12th centuries. The political capital of the Chandelas was Kalinjar. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time. Khajuraho has no forts because the Chandel Kings never lived in their cultural capital.
The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight originates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 25 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 20 square kilometres (8 sq mi). Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of sexual life during medieval times.

Architecture

The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.
The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.
The Saraswati temple on the campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, is modeled after the Khajuraho temples.

Chronology

The temples have been assigned the following historical sequence by Dr. Kanhaiyalal Agrawal.[5]
Sequence
Modern name
Original Deity
Note
1
Chausath Yogini
64 Yoginis
Est 9th c.
2
Brahma
Brahma
Eastern group
3
Lalgun Mahadev
Shiva
Contemp to 2
4
Matangeshwar
Shiva
In active worship
5
Varaha
Varaha

6
Lakshmana
Vaikuntha Vishnu
Lakshavarma Inscription
7
Parshvanath
Adinath
Pahil inscription 954 AD, Jain Compound
8
Vishvanath
Shiva
Dhanga inscription Sam 1059
9
Devi Jagadambi
Initially Vishnu but today Parvati

10
Chitragupta
Surya

11
Kandariya Mahadeva
Shiva
Largest
12
Vamana
Vamana
Eastern Group
13
Adinath
Jina
Jain compound
14
Jawari
Vishnu
Eastern group
15
Chaturbhuja
Vishnu
Southern
16
Dulhadeo
Shiva
South end
17
Ghantai
Jina
Only some columns remaining

Statues and carvings

The Khajuraho temples contain some sexual outside the temple or near the deities. Also, some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. There are many interpretations of the erotic carvings. It has been suggested that these suggest tantric sexual practices. Meanwhile, the external curvature and carvings of the temples depict humans, human bodies, and the changes that occur in bodies, as well as facts of life. Some 10% of the carvings contain sexual themes; those reportedly do not show deities: They show sexual activities between people. The rest depict the everyday life of the common Indian when the carvings were made and activities of other beings. For example, those depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians, potters, farmers, and other folk. The mundane scenes are all at some distance from the temple deities. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities. 
Another perspective of these carvings is presented by James McConnachie. In his history of the Kamasutra, McConnachie describes the zesty 10% of the Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":
"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."
 As "a strange union of Tantrism and fertility motifs, with a heavy dose of magic" they belief a document which focuses on pleasure rather than procreation. That is, fertility is moot]
The strategically placed sculptures are "symbolical-magical diagrams, or yantras" designed to appease malevolent spirits. This alamkara (ornamentation) expresses sophisticated artistic transcendence over the natural; sexual images imply a virile, thus powerful, ruler.
Between 950 and 1150, the Chandela monarchs built these temples when the Tantric tradition may have been accepted. In the days before the Mughal conquests, when boys lived in hermitages, following brahmacharya until they became men, they could learn about the world and prepare themselves to become householders through examining these sculptures and the worldly desires they depicted.
While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a contemporary stonemason and sculptor gave his expert opinion and forensically examined the tool marks and construction techniques involved in creating the stunning stonework at the sites. He also recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone.  These temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.

Landscape

The Khajuraho temples are now set in a parkland landscape. When India gained independence from Britain in 1947 the landscape setting was semi-desert and scrub. The archaeological park now has something of the character of a public park, with mowed grass, rose beds and ornamental trees. This design is aimed for tourists comfort but has no relationship with the historic landscape at the time the temples were built.
The development of landscape archaeology as an academic discipline raises questions concerning the earlier landscape of Khajuraho and the original relationship between the temple complex and the surrounding area. There are no records of what the original landscape might have been, but it is known that a large community of priests used the temple complex and that Indian gardens in the tenth century predominantly had fragrant trees, shady gardens, pools, climbing vines, birds and animals and nikunj houses. They did not have lawns.

Tourism and cultural events


The Khajuraho temple complex offers a professional light and sound show every evening. The first show is in English language and the second one in Hindi The show is about an hour long and covers the history, philosophy and the art of sculpting of these temples. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival, held every year in the first week of February (1st to 7th), is an opportunity for visitors to experience various classical Indian dances set against the backdrop of the Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples.

Recent discovery

The Archaeological Survey of India has recently  started digging on a mound where perhaps the largest underground temple in Khajuraho has been unearthed. The dig will take at least a couple of years to conclude.  The M P Tourism Development has set up kiosks at the Railway Station itself, (which is 9kms away from the city) with helpful tourist officers to guide the travellers. The temples in Khajuraho are broadly divided into three parts : the Eastern group, the Southern Group and the Western group of temples of which the Western group alone has the facility of an Audio guided tour wherein the tourists are guided through the seven eight temples. There is also an audio guided tour developed by the Archaelogical Survey of India which includes a narration of the historical data related to the temples.

 









Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Posted by gopalakrishna Friday, February 1, 2013
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