|
 Of
the 85 original temples, 22 have survived till today to
constitute one of the world's greatest artistic wonders.
The creators of Khajuraho claimed descent from the moon
and the legend behind creation of this great dynasty and the
temples is a fascinating one. Hemwati, the lovely young
daughter of a Brahmin priest, was seduced by the moon-god
while bathing in a forest pool. The child born of this union
was Chandravarman, founder of the Chandela dynasty.
Brought up in the forests by his mother who sought refuge from
a censorious society, Chandraverman, when established
as a ruler, had a dream-visit from his mother. It is said that
she implored him to built temples that would reveal human
passions. Why they chose Khajuraho, even then but a
small village, as the site of the great complex is open to
speculation.
With the decline of the dynasty, the temples lay forgotten for
many centuries, covered by the encroaching forests, victim to
the ravages of the elements. Re-discovered only in this
century, restored and cleaned, these temples once again
testify to a past glory.
Architecturally too, they are unique, being very different
from the temple prototype of their period. Each stands on a
high masonry platform with a marked upward direction in the
structure, further enhanced by vertical projections to create
the effect of grace and lightness. Each of the chief
compartments is mounted by its own roof, grouped so that the
highest is in the centre, the lowest over the portico; a
highly imaginative recreation of the rising peaks of the
Himalayas, the abode of Gods. Three geographical divisions
group the temples The temples are superb examples of
IndoAiyan architecture, but it's the decorations krith which
they are so liberally embellished Sat has made Khajuraho
famous. Around the temples are bands of exceedingly fine tad
artistic stonework. The sculptors have shown many aspects of
Indian life 1000 years ago - gods and goddesses, warriors and
musicians, real and mythological animals. But two elements
appear over and over again and in greater detail than anything
else - women and sex. Stone figures of apsiirus or 'celestial
maidens' appear on every temple. They pout and pose for all
the world like pin-up models posing for the camera.
In between are the mithunu, erotic figures, running through a
whole Kamasutra of positions and possibilities. These temples
were built during the Chandela period, a dynasty which
survived
for five centuries before falling to the Mughal onslaught.
Khajuraho's temples almost all date from one century-long
burst of creative genius from 950 to 1050 AD. Almost as
intriguing as the sheer beauty and size of the temples is the
question of why and how they were built here. Khajuraho
is a long way from anywhere and was probably just as far off
the beaten track 1000 years ago as it is today. There is
nothing of great interest or beauty to recommend it as a
building site, there is no great population center here and
during the hot season Khajuraho is very hot, dry, dusty and
uncomfortable. Having chosen such a strange site, how did the
Chandelas manage to recruit the labour to turn their awesome
dreams into stone? To build so many temples of such monumental
size in just 100 years must have required a huge amount of
human labour. Whatever their reasons, we can be thankful they
built Khajuraho where they did, because its very remoteness
helped preserve it from the desecration Muslim invaders were
only too ready to inflict on 'idolatrous' temples elsewhere in
India.
Large numbers of visitors come to Khajuraho in March for the
dance festival. This lasts 10 days and draws some of the best
classical dancers in the country who perform by the western
enclosure, with the floodlit temples providing a spectacular
backdrop.
|
