Khajuraho (
Hindi: खजुराहो) is a village in the
Indian state of
Madhya Pradesh, located in
Chhatarpur District, about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of
Delhi, the capital city of
India.
The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One of the most popular
tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of
medieval Hindu and
Jain temples, famous for their
erotic sculpture. The name Khajuraho is derived from the
Hindi word khajur meaning
date palm.
History
The city was once the original capital of the
Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of a hundred years, from
950 to
1050. The Chandela capital was moved to
Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time.
The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 8 square miles (21 km²).
Unlike other cultural centers of North India, the temples of Khajuraho never underwent massive destruction by early Muslim invaders between c. 1100-1400 AD. Due to overgrowth following their abandonment, a number of them survived to be discovered by the British in the 19th century. Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Northern Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of the traditional way of sexual life during medieval times. They were rediscovered during the late 19th century and the jungles had taken a toll on some of the monuments.
Khajuraho is located at
24°51′N 79°56′E / 24.85, 79.93[1]. It has an average elevation of 283
metres (928
feet).
Khajuraho Coordinates:
24°51′N 79°56′E / 24.85, 79.93Time zone IST (
UTC+5:30)
Area•
Elevation • 283 m (928 ft)
District(s) ChhatarpurPopulation 19,282 (2001
[update])
Coordinates:
24°51′N 79°56′E / 24.85, 79.93As of 2001 India
census[2], Khajuraho had a population of 19,282. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Khajuraho has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 62%, and female literacy is 43%. In Khajuraho, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Architecture
The Khajuraho temples, constructed with spiral superstructures, adhere to a northern Indian
shikhara temple style and often to a
Panchayatana plan or layout. A few of the temples are dedicated to the
Jain pantheon and the rest to Hindu deities - to God's Trio,
Brahma,
Vishnu and
Shiva, and various
Devi forms, such as the
Devi Jagadambi temple. A Panchayatana temple had four subordinate shrines on four corners and the main shrine in the center of the podium, which comprises their base. The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.
With a graded rise secondary shikharas (spires) cluster to create an appropriate base for the main shikhara over the sanctum.
Kandariya Mahadeva, one of the most accomplished temples of the Western group, comprises eighty-four shikharas, the main being 116 feet from the ground level.
These shikharas -- subordinate and main -- attribute to the Khajuraho temples their unique splendor and special character. With a graded rise of these shikharas from over the
ardhamandapa, porch, to
mandapa, assembly hall,
mahamandapa, principal assembly hall,
antarala, vestibule, and
garbhagriha,
sanctum sanctorum, the Khajuraho temples attain the form and glory of gradually rising
Himalayan peaks. These temples of Khajuraho have sculptures that look very realistic and are studied even today.
The
Saraswathi temple on the campus of
Birla Institute of Technology and Science,
Pilani, India is modeled after the Khajuraho temple.
A View of Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho
Khujraho the place of Kamasutra-The Kama Sutra (
Sanskrit: कामसूत्र), (alternative spellings: Kamasutram or simply Kamasutra), is an ancient
Indian text widely considered to be the standard work on
love in
Sanskrit literature written by the Indian intellectual
Vatsyayana. A portion of the work deals with
human sexual behavior.
[1]The Kama Sutra is mostly notable of a group of texts known generically as
Kama Shastra (Sanskrit: Kāma Śhāstra).
[2] Traditionally, the first transmission of Kama Shastra or "Discipline of Kama" is attributed to Nandi the sacred bull,
Shiva's doorkeeper, who was moved to sacred utterance by overhearing the lovemaking of the god and his wife
Parvati and later recorded his utterances for the benefit of mankind
Historian
John Keay says that the Kama Sutra is a compendium that was collected into its present form in the second century
Regarding how the composition became known to the Western world, Burton's translation says the following in its introduction:
It may be interesting to some persons to learn how it came about that Vatsyayana was first brought to light and translated into the English language. It happened thus. While translating with the pundits the `Anunga Runga, or the stage of love', reference was frequently found to be made to one Vatsya. The sage Vatsya was of this opinion, or of that opinion. The sage Vatsya said this, and so on. Naturally questions were asked who the sage was, and the pundits replied that Vatsya was the author of the standard work on love in Sanskrit literature, that no Sanscrit library was complete without his work, and that it was most difficult now to obtain in its entire state. The copy of the manuscript obtained in Bombay was defective, and so the pundits wrote to Benares, Calcutta and Jaipur for copies of the manuscript from Sanskrit libraries in those places. Copies having been obtained, they were then compared with each other, and with the aid of a Commentary called `Jayamangla' a revised copy of the entire manuscript was prepared, and from this copy the English translation was made. The following is the certificate of the chief pundit:
`The accompanying manuscript is corrected by me after comparing four different copies of the work. I had the assistance of a Commentary called "Jayamangla" for correcting the portion in the first five parts, but found great difficulty in correcting the remaining portion, because, with the exception of one copy thereof which was tolerably correct, all the other copies I had were far too incorrect. However, I took that portion as correct in which the majority of the copies agreed with each other.'
Variously known as "Pearl of the Orient" and a "Tourist Paradise", the state of Goa is located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan. The magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendours of its temples, churches and old houses have made Goa a firm favourite with travellers around the world.The to
urist season in Goa begins in late September and carries on through early March. The weather in these months is usually dry and pleasantly cool. Then the weather gets fairly hot around May and by end of June, Goa receives the full blast of the Indian monsoon with sudden downpours and tropical thunder storms.
However it is also during the monsoon that Goa is probably at its most beautiful, with greenery sprouting all around.Besides the natural beauty,the fabulous beaches and sunshine, travellers to Goa love the laid-back,peaceful, warm and friendly nature of the Goan people. After all, more than anywhere else on planet earth, this is a place where people really know how to relax.
and get complete information on your 
If You are desirous to visit Darjeeling click on following link to know more-
Posts
