Khajuraho Temples hold a special place in the heart of Incredible India - Madhya Pradesh. Dignified as UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temples of Khajuraho are famous across the world for their erotic sculptures and finest Indian art. Over the years, Khajuraho has attracted a lot of travellers intrigued to find a relation between Kamasutra and temples of Khajuraho. Though the temples are one of the most sought after destinations of India for its display of erotism, only once I came up close & personal with them, I realised that the glamour of the temples of Khajuraho is way beyond the visual treats of beauty and erotism. The mysterious temples disappoint no one as they have a lot to offer to every curious soul through the concepts of Hinduism including philosophy, cosmology, psychology, spirituality, art, architecture, religious faith, mathematics and the absolute vibe!
Duladeo Temple, Khajuraho - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Story behind discovery of Khajuraho Temples famous for erotism
Khajuraho temples are beautifully located near Shiv Sagar Lake in a small medieval town surrounded by hills of Vindhya Range. Believed to be built in the 10th century by Chandela Rajputs who ruled the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples dedicated to Hinduism and Jainism. The Mughals attacked and ruled over the Chandela kingdom 13th century through 18th century, leading to destruction and abandonment of the temples during that period. India then fell in the hands of British rule and in 1830s, a British surveyor was persuaded by a local of Khajuraho to checkout the sexually explicit temples. The temples were overgrown by forests by then. But the rediscovery of the temples lead to intensive repair work of the surviving 25 temples. Identified as masterpieces of Indian art, the temples of Khajuraho gained global attention and ended up on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Lakshamana Vishnu Temple, Khajuraho - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Khajuraho Temples - masterpieces of Indian art and architecture
Erotic Sculptures on Khajuraho Temples
I won’t deny the fact that the temples of Khajuraho do leave a lasting impression of the erotic art on everybody’s mind, however, it is very suprising to know that the erotic sculptures occupy only 10% of the entire artwork represented on the walls of the temples.
Sexual pleasure has been considered an art and the erotic sculptures elaborate various sexual themes and different human expressions by showing men and women in intimate lovemaking and sexual positions.
What impressed me the most about the erotic art on Khajuraho Temples is the acceptance of sexual desire as an essential part of human life by Hindu tradition.
Sexual pleasure has been considered an art and the erotic sculptures elaborate various sexual themes and different human expressions by showing men and women in intimate lovemaking and sexual positions.
What impressed me the most about the erotic art on Khajuraho Temples is the acceptance of sexual desire as an essential part of human life by Hindu tradition.
Men and Women in different sexual positions - Khajuraho Temples
Men and Women in embracing love making positions - Khajuraho Temples
Secular Sculptures of Ancient Human Life on Khajuraho Temples
Beyond the erotic art, the temples of Khajuraho depict various aspects of human life from birth to death. The different sculptures that occupy the rest of the walls of the temples include:
- Daily Life: Statues of women absorbed in their daily life activities like dressing up, looking in the mirror, applying makeup, wearing ornaments, fixing hair, playing with her child, scratching her back, removing thorn from her foot.
Statues of nymphs/apsaras absorbed in daily life - Khajuraho Temples
- Economic Life: Storytelling about the daily life in the ancient kingdom through the scenes of hunting, using animals for transport, constructing temples, fighting wars, meeting of ministers and king in the royal court.
Secular Sculptures of Economic life - Khajuraho Temples
- Social & Cultural Life: Storytelling about the social life of people through statues of dancers, musicians, scenes of people playing music and drinking, brahmin imparting education and even funeral scenes.
Secular Sculptures of Social life - Khajuraho Temples
- Religious Life: The acceptance of different gods in human life is represented through statues of gods and goddesses, demigods, gods with their consorts, various avatars of Vishnu.
Statues of gods - Khajuraho Temples
- Nature: Treating nature as an essential part of human life is represented by carvings of floral prints, statues of animals and mythical animals.
Statues of nature - Khajuraho Temples
Goals of Human Life based on Hinduism on Khajuraho Temples
The artwork on the temples of Khajuraho symbolically highlight the four goals and necessary pursuits and goals of human life as per Hinduism:
- Dharma (righteousness) - represented by the duties of a human in their daily life
- Kama (desire) - represented by erotic sculptures and sensual fulfilment in human life
- Artha (purpose) - represented by the economic activities to make a living
- Moksha (liberation) - represented by the diety inside the temple. Only after passing through the above stages (dharma, Kama and Artha) and leaving them behind, a human is eligible for attaining self-realisation or moksha. The temple symbolically represents dharma, kama, Artha on the outer walls. Only after a circular walk around the temple can one enter inside the temple to worship the god.
Adinatha Temple, Khajuraho
Finest of Indian Art and Architecture on Khajuraho Temples
Khajuraho Temples are built according to Nagara-style Hindu Temple Architecture focusing on the tall tapering tower (Shikhara) resembling a mountain peak. The structure is built on a raised platform (Jagati). The entrance porch (Ardha Mandapa) leads to a hall (Mandapa) and a great hall (Maha Mandapa) which is used for public rituals like religious dancing and music. The symmetric repeating structures of Mandapas leading to a foyer (Antarala) which finally connects to the main sanctum (garbhagriha - womb room) symbolising God’s presence looks absolutely remarkable. The spire (Shikhara) topped with a cherry (Kalash) rises above the shrine and looks splendid in its own way.
It felt like the temples were building a connect with me as an observer through its detailed architecture.
It felt like the temples were building a connect with me as an observer through its detailed architecture.
Vishwanatha Shiva Temple, Khajuraho
The entire temple structure is lavishly adorned with intricate carvings and finely chiseled sculptures. Each part of the temple - entrance, spire, walls, pillars, ceiling is decorated with a unique concept related to Hinduism.
Vamana Vishnu Temple, Khajuraho
And it is not just the visual beauty of the carvings that brags about the finest art of these temples. The beauty of the of Khajuraho Temples actually lies in the idea of translating the entire theological concepts into symbolic art. I was awed with how effectively art can be used to make a human eye perceive concepts and interpret it in their own way, satisfying every individual's intellect.
Parshvanatha Temple, Khajuraho
Geometric Wonders of Khajuraho Temples
The glamorous appearance of the Khajuraho Temples that pleases the human eye is literally the outcome of complex mathematical and geometrical calculations. The temple architecture follows certain rules and proportions to be in sync with the cosmic philosophy. Every symbolic structure is given space on the temple according to its importance in the universe. When observed closely, the sky-soaring Shikhara is a repetition of smaller shikharas arranged proportionately to make a colossal tapering structure.
Duladeo Shiva Temple, Khajuraho
The shapes on the walls of the temple are aligned in such a way that it gives different images from different angles. The idols aligned on a horizontal line, appear like a stairway from a different angle.
Intricate carvings of Khajuraho Temples
The ceiling of the temples displays Mandalas with concentric floral patterns.
Every detail on the temple can be seen as a rhythmic progression of shapes from small scale to large scale, establishing an aesthetic appeal for the observer.
The most wondrous geometrical significance of the temples is that the median of the collective structures of a temple is precisely at the centre point of the innermost sanctum where the deity resides, where all the energies are concentrated, wonderfully representing the centre of universe, considering the temple as a representation of the universe.
Mandala on the ceiling of Khajuraho Temples
Religious Acceptance of Khajuraho Temples
The 25 surviving temples of Khajuraho highlighting different deities of Hinduism and Jainism represent the concepts of life through religion. The temples dedicated to Shiva, avatars of Vishnu, Ganesha, Sun god and Jain Tirthankars illustrate different religious stories through sculptures. The most iconic religious sculpture is the monolithic statue of the boar (Varaha Avatar of Lord Vishnu) who rescued Mother Earth from cosmic ocean and restored her place in the universe by picking her up between his tusks.
Varaha Vishnu Temple - Khajuraho
Matangeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is the only temple in Khajuraho that is still actively used for worship. Pilgrims from across the country gather at Khajuraho to celebrate Shivaratri every year.
Matangeshwar Shiva Temple, Khajuraho
Khajuraho Group of Temples: Symbolism of a Cosmos
The Western Group of Temples highlighting three major Shiva Temples - Kandariya Mahadev, Matangeshwar and Vishwanath are considered to be a symbolic representation of a cosmic design.
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple dedicated to Shiva is the grandest and the largest temple of Khajuraho. It is believed to be in shape of Mount Meru, which is considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.
Spending intimate time with the temples of Khajuraho was enough for me to be convinced that there are zillions of ways in which these temples symbolically represent the fundamentals of the entire cosmos. The architecture imagery of each temple, the resemblance of the temple with a mountain, the group of temples considered as cosmos, involvement of human life in the universe - everything that exists in the universe can be related to the temples, and vice versa.
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple dedicated to Shiva is the grandest and the largest temple of Khajuraho. It is believed to be in shape of Mount Meru, which is considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.
Spending intimate time with the temples of Khajuraho was enough for me to be convinced that there are zillions of ways in which these temples symbolically represent the fundamentals of the entire cosmos. The architecture imagery of each temple, the resemblance of the temple with a mountain, the group of temples considered as cosmos, involvement of human life in the universe - everything that exists in the universe can be related to the temples, and vice versa.
Kandariya Mahadev, the largest temple of Khajuraho
Sacred Union of The Divine: The Ultimate Truth
Khajuraho is considered a holy site of Shiva, the supreme master of spirituality and yoga (defined as Union in Hinduism).
Shiva and Shakti together feed the principles of cosmos.
Shiva is the universal cosmic male, Shakti is the mother nature.
Shiva is the creative consciousness, Shakti is the pure energy.
Shiva is the supreme inner soul, Shakti is the supreme body.
The divine union of Shiva and Shakti (Ultimate Yoga) maintains the cosmic balance.
Shiva in absolute union with Shakti destroys and recycles life at the highest level of evolution.
At an individual level, the human being is considered to contain the entire cosmos within self. When the human can implement the principles of cosmic union to himself by the way of self realisation, he attains the ultimate balance within himself and a state of peace. This ultimate truth about life is called enlightenment.
The temples of Khajuraho flamboyantly display this cosmic principle through ample concepts enough to arouse a human mind. But it only arouses the seekers!
Shiva and Shakti together feed the principles of cosmos.
Shiva is the universal cosmic male, Shakti is the mother nature.
Shiva is the creative consciousness, Shakti is the pure energy.
Shiva is the supreme inner soul, Shakti is the supreme body.
The divine union of Shiva and Shakti (Ultimate Yoga) maintains the cosmic balance.
Shiva in absolute union with Shakti destroys and recycles life at the highest level of evolution.
At an individual level, the human being is considered to contain the entire cosmos within self. When the human can implement the principles of cosmic union to himself by the way of self realisation, he attains the ultimate balance within himself and a state of peace. This ultimate truth about life is called enlightenment.
The temples of Khajuraho flamboyantly display this cosmic principle through ample concepts enough to arouse a human mind. But it only arouses the seekers!
Temples of Shiva and Shakti in Khajuraho - maintaining cosmic balance in union
The mysterious temples unfailingly built an intimate relationship with the curious soul in me by talking about Hinduism as the way of life, and not a religion. No wonder Khajuraho Temples have time and again proved to be a great learning ground for scientists, archeologists, mathematicians, historians, architects, artists, yogis, spiritualists, psychologists, philosophers, devotees, sexualists, naturalists, thinkers, photographers, daydreamers or the story tellers!!
My trip to Khajuraho felt like a journey of the universe, a blessing that can be received only by open minds ready to perceive everything this place has to offer.
Khajuraho Temples
P.S. I had visited Khajuraho as part of Culture and Heritage Trail curated by Times Passion Trails in collaboration with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board
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