Khajuraho Temples Of Central India

The temples of Khajuraho are located in the state of Madhya Pradesh which is called the heart of India. Khajuraho is actually a quaint little village which has a lovely rural ambience to it and adds to the rich cultural heritage of the country. The Khajuraho temples can be considered as a unique Indian gift of love to the rest of the world. Moreover, it provides for some insights into the existence of a civilization that was far more matured the ones that live here today.

When it comes to the temple architecture that you’d find at other places in India, these temples stand apart. They were built almost a thousand years ago, under the commissioning of the Chandela Rajput kings. There were 85 temples built within a span of about 100 years. Of the original 85, today only 22 remain. But these are being preserved as they symbolize the ultimate fusion of man and his creator.

Why Did The Kings Choose Khajuraho?

Khajuraho means ‘garden of dates’. There isn’t much known about why the kings of that time chose this particular village to be their location for these temples, but there are theories that deliberate over the topic. Even during the times of the Chandelas, Khajuraho was a simple village. It is possible, states one theory; that the Chandelas wanted to form this region as a seat of learning and religion.

Another theory suggests that the Chandelas could have been believers of Tantrism. The whole concept of Tantrism is that you could get closer to attaining the infinite if you gratify your earthly desires.

Yet another theory maintains that the erotica of the sculptures of the Khajuraho temples have another purpose. In those days, the young boys lived as a hermit, which was called the Hindu law of ‘brahmacharya’. Once they hit puberty, they had to begin preparing themselves for the role of ‘householder’, which would mean that they’d have to start a family of their own. The only way to really prepare these boys was through the study of sculptures such as the ones seen at Khajuraho.

The Legends About Khajuraho Temples:

The creators of Khajuraho, the Chandelas, claim that they’re descendants of the moon. According to the legend, there was a beautiful woman called Hemavati, who was the daughter of a Brahmin priest. One day as she was bathing alone, she was seduced by the moon god; and their subsequent union gave birth to a son, who was considered half man and half god. He was named Chandravarman.

Given the fact that society was never good to unmarried mothers, even Hemavati was harassed by the people around her. So she sought refuge in the dense forests of Madhya Pradesh, in Central India. She was both, mother and guru to her son. Once the boy grew up, he was the one to found the dynasty of Chandela.

One day, the newfound king of the region, Chandravarman was visited by his mother in a dream. She implored him to build temples around his kingdom in order to reveal the inner human passion. This is why Chandravarman began the construction of the first of the 85 Khajuraho temples, while other rulers were said to follow suit.