We set out on our journey to Khajuraho in the Bundelkhand region of central India on Dec 25, 2009 from Delhi. There are many ways of getting to Khajuraho by train, bus or flight since its a popular tourist destination especially among international tourists.
Khajuraho got its name, some say, because it used to be surrounded by Khajur (dates in Hindi) trees in olden days. We, however, would like to go with the explanation our tourist guide provided -
Khajuraho is the "search of the path to the higher power" [KHOJO RAHA]
Khajuraho, in Madhya Pradesh, is a small "sleepy" town with a population of approx 15,000; main sources of income for the locals are tourism and agriculture. There is an in-flux of foreign nationals who visit and live here and you shouldn't be surprised if your tourist guide starts speaking in fluent French or Japanese. There are many options for lodging including a few star hotels and quite a few economy hotels.
The easiest mode of local transport is auto-rickshaws - they are available in plenty, come with a driver cum agent cum guide, and most importantly provide the spirit of adventure to maneuver thru the small by-lanes. An auto-rickshaw ride can show you the glimpses of Khajuraho that are more real and present than the sculptures it is famous for.
We started our "khoj" of this wonderland with an auto-ride to Pandav caves and waterfalls which is ~30 kms from Khajuraho. On the way to the Pandav falls, we crossed the Panna river and also had to ride across the winding roads uphill through the Panna forest. Panna National Park is situated right here and stretches across a large area extending to Bandhavgarh wild life reserve.
Pandav caves is an exquisite location that dates back to the era when Pandavas spent some time of their exile in these caves. What remains of these caves now are only a few halls that are carved out of mud and rock. It is the falls and the volcanic layered rock formations that make this green picturesque setting a unique place.
On the way back from Pandav caves, we took a little detour of 20 kms to another picturesque destination - the Raneh Falls. This is, by all means, India's answer (although small) to the Grand Canyon. Raneh falls, on the Ken River, is a canyon with some amazing rock formations that are almost 100 ft deep and stretch over 5 kms. This canyon is full of crystalline granite found in many colours - pink, red, amber and grey.
You could also stop over at the Ken Gharial (crocodile) sanctuary if you have some time on hand.
On the second day, we set out on our search of the true Khajuraho. Khajuraho is popular for its many temples. There were almost 85 temples built during the reign of the Chandela kings in the 9th and 10th century AD. Since then natural calamities, wars and invasions have taken toll and only 22 of these temples survive which are now preserved by the Archeological Society of India. There are on-going excavations to find and recreate some of the other temples that have suffered the brunt of time. The splendour of those temples that still stand tall is a proclamation of the richness of culture and wealth of an era long gone.
The temples are spread across the south, east and the western side of the town. We decided to start with the southern and eastern temples - covering Chaturbhuja temple, Dula Deo temple, Jain temple, Parsvanath and Adinath temples.
Although the basic style of each temple is similar, we were amazed by the variety of sculptures and stories depicted in these sculptures. Although the common theme of all temples appears to be eroticism, every element of the daily life is depicted in these sculptures. Each row and column of every temple has carvings of Gods and Godesses, apsaras, kings, queens and commoners.
On the second day, we also got a chance to watch a Bundeli dance performance and the light and sound show both of which were quite informative about the rich and less known (at least to us) culture of this region.
The third and last day of our short trip was reserved for the Western group of temples. Here we hired the services of a professional guide. If you wish to understand the nuances and the true meaning of the art, we will recommend that you hire a guide at least for some part of the temple site-seeing.
The western group of temples is a complex with a cluster of temples all in one premises and in walkable distance from the main market area of Khajuraho. The group includes magnificent temples like Kandariya Mahadeo Temple, Chaunsat Yogini Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Lakshamana Temple, Matangeswara Temple, and Varaha Temple.You must have on hand at least 5-6 hours to walk around if you want to really absorb the true essence of these temples.
The mystique of Khajuraho plays on your mind as you walk from temple to temple, from one superiorly sculpted column to another. The life that is poured into these otherwise lifeless sand-stone figures make you want to wonder about the hands that created these temples; thousands of atisans who toiled to put one stone over another. Our guide presented to us a very different view of the meaning of the mystique that is Khajuraho. The premise of many carvings on the outer walls of the temples is to depict the four ashramas that every human must go thru and it is only by fully completing the roles of one ashrama can one move to the next one. The outer walls depict episodes from each of these stages and also scenes from daily life of Gods and Goddess, kings and queens, the learned and the commoners. There is an obvious emphasis on the art of love-making (Kama-sutra). However, in our opinion it is over-stated than it should be. The main message that seems to come out of these temples is to let go of all forms of worldly desires before you surrender to the almighty. This is exactly why even in olden times, the priests would advice the temple-goers to first walk around the circumference of the temple mandapa and only then enter the inner halls to offer prayers.
Whatever you perceive of these temples, you will not help but wonder at the architectural grandeur of this place and the richness of thought and art depited in these temples that stand immortalized.
The whole experience of Khajuraho just feels majestic! The trip left us with mixed thoughts - that of the real and surreal, physical and spiritual, human and divine.
Other information about Khajuraho - The town has all basic facilities that you may need including internet cafes and multi-cuisine restaurants. You can shop for artifacts and souveniers like decorative metal statues. These are best bought at art shops that provide you with a decent price based on weight - be ready for a little haggling and make sure it has the right finish quality. There are also options to buy expensive sculptures that are actually carved out rather than moulded.
For more information on Khajuraho: http://www.mptourism.com/dest/khajuraho.html
