My personal belief is that a visit to
Khajuraho is a very unique and enriching
experience for all – historians, culture
lovers, artists, architects, students or even
someone in search of exciting and exotic
locales. Many texts give you the history
of these temples. But, for me, the details
of their time frame, incidentally from
the 9th to the 11th century, are of lesser
importance if you view them in context
of their contribution to the temple
architecture of India of the medieval
times. That they were built by the Chandela
Rajputs assumes lesser significance if you
view them as a spontaneous expression
of human emotions accompanied by
style and supreme creativity.
The temples with their sculptural heritage,
exquisite and intricate are a reflection of
a highly mature civilization – perfectly
executed, architecturally, and sublime in
its expression, artistically. These temples
are constructed sans the use of mortar.
A highly evolved method of construction
requiring very precise joints was utilised.
The builders’ expertise in using the
‘mortise and tenon’ joints to create this
architectural marvel is complimented in
equal measure by the creativity of the
sculptors and artists to present a unique
mélange of religion, patronage, vision,
creativity, aesthetics and genius.
As I entered the complex, I could not help
but feel a bit let down. The temples are set
in a parkland landscape. This setting has an
appearance of a public park in a European
setting. The temples remain surrounded
by perfectly manicured lawns lined with
flower beds and trees, which seem out of
place. They bear no connection with the
temples, originally 85 in number, of which
merely 22 remain in good condition. To me,
the placing and the setting of the temples
appeared ordinary and I started my tour,
with apprehension, with the imposing
Kandariya Mahadev temple, 31 m tall and
then….there was no looking back.
There was simply no time or leisure to
contemplate about anything else other
than the wonders unfolding before me.
The temples are richly carved internally
as well as externally, from top to bottom
and it is impossible to choose a favourite
embellishment or fenestration, let alone
an entire temple. The carvings are
without doubt sensual, at most times and
sometimes, clearly and sexually explicit.
As I moved around the entire complex,
the ingenuity of the builders came to
the fore. The temples are built on a high
platform without any wall enclosures.
The temples are lofty and sufficiently
separated from each other. Internally,
the rooms are connected and laid along
the East-West axis. The construction of
the temples follows a certain style with
a distinct elevation and plan treatment.
Each temple has a unified mandapa,
mukha mandapa, antarala and a garbha
griha or sanctum, aligned along this
axis. An interesting feature found is a
fabulously carved balcony window, which
improves the light and ventilation in the
inner parts of the temple. The roofs rise
in layers giving an obvious vertical thrust
to the entire structure creating a feeling of
lightness, generally.
The statues and carvings cover each
and every inch of the temples, literally!
Predominant themes include
women, battles, and hunting. The entrance
arches, the pillars, ceilings, walls, all
are lavishly carved. The ceilings bear
geometrical as well as floral patterns. The
massive pillars supporting the ceilings have
beautifully carved capitals. The carvings
appear to be an inspired burst of creativity.
The sculptures clearly depict the lives
and times of the people of the medieval
time. Erotic themes constitute only a small
portion of the entire sculpted volume, but
the thread of eroticism is all permeating
and manifests itself in all the sculptures of
the complex. Though Khajuraho’s fame
could be attributed to the portrayal of the
‘mithuna’ and the ‘maithuna’ sculptures,
one cannot disregard the presence of
sensual expression in many early Indian art.
The temples do not contain any erotic art
in the inner chambers, and it is restricted to
the exterior only. Women in various moods
– innocent as well as seductive- form the
major theme in the sculptures. However,
the sculptures also offer us a look into
the social conditions existing at the times
- existing social order, soldiers, masons,
hunters, dancers and musicians, courtesans,
processions, pageantry, entertainers, all
find a place in these elaborately designed
monuments, which could thus be
considered as a response or tribute to life
itself. Erotic or not, the sculpture detailing
has cemented a magnificent
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and an almost impossible to recreate
benchmark in temple architecture.
There are many interpretations of the
sculptural art at Khajuraho and like all
arts, it is subjective!! However, there is no
documented proof that could throw light
on the scope of these temples, which are
symbolic of the Hindu religion and culture.
The sculptural embellishments have won
universal acclaim, but their purpose
remains elusive. The various forms and
facets of the youthful feminine attract the
world, but the possible explanation for
the sculpted sensuality remains a mystery
for the historians. One assumption
promotes the ‘Yoga’ and ‘Bhoga’ theory
– the journey of man to attain ‘Nirvana’
through means of physical pleasures. The
placing of the erotic sculptures in the
outer perimeter of the temples suggests,
according to some, the necessity to leave
the basic desires outside the temple to be
one with God, or that the purity of the
soul or ‘Atma’ remains unaffected by the
carnal pleasures.
Yet another theory has a bearing on the
education of the young boys following
‘Brahmacharya’, who, through the study
of these sculptures, would prepare
themselves for assuming their role in
‘grihasthashram’. One strong theory of
Tantric sexual practices, prevalent during
those times, has also been propounded.
No wonder then that this veil of
mystery and intrigue accompanying
these fabulous structures in stone
adds to the allure!
The Khajuraho temple complex
also has on offer a light and sound
show, every evening in the lawns.
Though the show makes a sincere
effort to encapsulate the history
and the possible philosophy behind
these temples, the grandeur of the
monuments and their symbolism is
too great to be bound by our efforts.
The temples, a perfect amalgamation
of form and function, can easily be
included in that short list of things
beyond imagination and comparison.
One simply cannot do justice to the
possibilities it offers. Such a beautiful
rendering, without inhibitions, of the
various stages of life, prompts one to
revisit the monuments.
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