the
Khajuraho temples remain a celebration of life in totality.
From
the erotic to the divine. From the mortal to the eternal
The
creators of Khajuraho claimed descent from the moon.
The
legend that describes the origin of this great dynasty is a fascinating
one : Hemavati, the
beautiful
young daughter of a Brahmin priest was seduced by the moon god while bathing
in
the Rati one evening. The child born of this union between a mortal and
a god was a son,
Chandravarman.
Harassed by society, the unwed mother sought refuge in the dense forest
of Central
India
where she was both mother and guru to her young son. The boy grew up to
found the
great
Chandela dynasty. When he was established as a ruler, he had a dream-visitation
from
his
mother, who implored him to build temples that would reveal human passions,
and in doing so
bring
about a realization of the emptiness of human desire. Chandravarman began
the construction
of
the first of the temples, successive rulers added to the fast growing complex
The
sculptors of Khajuraho have illustrated immense virtuosity in expressing
myriad
aspects of Indian life - gods and goddesses, warriors and musicians, hunters
and mythical animals.
And
the famed images of sexual union which have intrigued visitors through
the ages. Stone figures of
celestial
maidens and nubile beauties appear on every temple as do erotic figures
of men and women.
Some
of the temples of Khajuraho like the Chaunsat Yogini and the Lakshmana
are already more
than
a thousand years old. Between 1999 and 2000, several others will reach
this status.
From
an inscription found on the Vishwanath temple, some scholars believe that
it was completed in 999, others differ by a couple of years.The Chitragupta,
Devi Jagdamba, Parvati, Ghantai and Nandi are all believed to have been
built circa 1000 AD. Exact dates will always remain a matter of debate
but the fact remains that the 10th century was a time-frame in history
when Khajuraho art was at its zenith, which is also why its temples
