The Khajuraho Monument Group is a group of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometers (109 mi) southeast of Jhansi. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 by Chandela Rajput dynasty. Historical records note that the site of Khajuraho temple has 85 temples in the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers. Of these, only about 25 surviving temples are spread over 6 square kilometers. From the various surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is adorned with sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressive ancient Indian art.
The Khajuraho temple group was built together but dedicated to two religions, Hinduism and Jainism, showing the tradition of acceptance and respect for various religious views among Hindus and Jains in the region.
Video Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Location
Khajuraho monument is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in Chhatarpur district, about 620 kilometers (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi. The temples are located near a small town also known as Khajuraho, with a population of about 20,000 people (Census 2001).
Khajuraho is served by Civil Aerodrome Khajuraho (IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai. The site is also linked by India Railway service, with a railway station located about six kilometers from the entrance to the monument.
The monuments are about 10 kilometers east-west of National Highway 75, and about 50 kilometers from Chhatarpur town, which is connected to the state capital of Bhopal by SW-NE running National Highway 86.
The 10th century Bhand Deva Temple in Rajasthan is built in the style of Khajuraho monument and is often referred to as 'Little Khajuraho'.
Maps Khajuraho Group of Monuments
History
The group of Khajuraho monuments was built during the reign of the Chandela dynasty. Development activities began soon after the emergence of their power, throughout their empire to become known as the Bundelkhand. Most temples were built during the reign of the Hindu kings of Yashovarman and Dhanga. Yashovarman's legacy is best exhibited by The Lakshmana Temple. Vishvanatha's finest temple highlights the reign of King Dhanga. The largest and most famous temple is Kandariya Mahadeva built during the reign of King Vidyadhara. The temple inscriptions show that many surviving temples are currently finished between 970 and 1030 CE, with further temples being completed over the next decade.
Khajuraho temples were built about 35 miles from the medieval town of Mahoba, capital of the Chandela dynasty, in the region of Kalinjar. In ancient and medieval literature, their kingdoms have been referred to as Jijhoti, Jejahoti, Chih-chi-to and Jejakabhukti.
Khajuraho is mentioned by Abu Rihan-al-Biruni, a Persian historian who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in his raid on Kalinjar in 1022 AD; he called Khajuraho as the capital of Jajahuti. The attack was unsuccessful, and a peace deal was reached when the Hindu monarch agreed to pay a ransom to Mahmud from Ghazni to end the attack and leave.
The Khajuraho temple was used actively until the end of the 12th century. This changed in the 13th century; after the Sultanate of Delhi, under the command of the Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak, attacked and seized Chandela's kingdom. About a century later, Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveler in his memoirs of his stay in India from 1335 to 1342 AD, mentions visiting the Khajuraho temple, calling them "Kajarra" as follows:
... near (Khajuraho) temples, which contain idols that have been mutilated by Muslims, live a number of yogis whose crumpled locks have grown over their bodies. And because of their extreme hermitage they are all yellow. Many Muslims attend these people to take lessons (yoga) from them.
The Central Indian region, where the Khajuraho temples are located, remained in control of various Muslim dynasties from the 13th century to the 18th century. In this period, several temples were tainted, followed by a long period when they were abandoned in neglect. In 1495 AD, for example, the Sikandar Lodi temple destruction campaign included Khajuraho. The isolation and isolation of Khajuraho protect Hindu and Jain temples from continued destruction by Muslims. Over the centuries, plants and forests have multiplied, taking over temples.
In the 1830s, local Hindus guided a British surveyor, T.S. Burt, to the temples and they are rediscovered by global audiences. Alexander Cunningham later reported, several years after his rediscovery, that the temples were secretly used by yogis and thousands of Hindus would come for pilgrimage as long as Shivaratri celebrates every year in February or March based on the lunar calendar. In 1852, Maisey prepared an early picture of the Khajuraho temple.
- Nomenclature
Khajuraho's name, or Kharjurav? Haka , is derived from the ancient Sanskrit ( kharjura , meaning 'date', and v? Haka , 'meaning' carry "or carrier). The local legend states that the temples have two golden date palms as their gates (lost when they are rediscovered). Desai states that Kharjurav? Haka also means the scorpion carrier, which is another symbolic name for Lord Shiva (who wears serpents and scorpion scorpions in his fierce form).
The nomenclature of Cunningham and the systematic documentation worked in the 1850s and 1860s have been widely adopted and continue to be used. He grouped the temple into Western groups around Lakshmana, the Eastern group around Javeri, and the Southern group around Duladeva.
Khajuraho is one of the four sacred sites associated with the god Shiva (the other three are Kedarnath, Kashi and Gaya). Its origin and design is the subject of scientific study. Shobita Punja has proposed that the origin of the temple reflects Hindu mythology in which Khajuraho is the place where Shiva is married; with Raghuvamsha verse 5.53, Matangeshvara respects '' Matanga '', or the god of love.
Description
The temple site is in the Vindhya mountains of central India. An ancient local legend states that the Hindu god Shiva and other gods enjoyed visiting dramatic hill formations in the Kalinjar region. The center of this area is Khajuraho, located in the middle of the hills and the local river. The temple complex reflects the ancient Hindu tradition of building a temple in which the gods love to play.
The temples are clustered near the water, characteristic of other Hindu temples. The current water bodies include Siri Sagar, Khajur Sagar (also called Ninora Tal) and Khudar Nadi (river). The local legend states that the temple complex has 64 bodies of water, of which 56 have been physically identified by archaeologists so far.
All temples, except one (Chaturbhuja) face the rising sun - another symbolic feature dominant in Hindu temples. The relative layout of the temples integrates the gods and masculine and feminine symbols highlighting interdependence. Symbolic works of art highlight the four objectives of life considered necessary and appropriate in Hinduism - dharma, kama, artha and moksha.
From the surviving temple, 6 is dedicated to Shiva and his queen, 8 to Vishnu and his proximity, 1 to Ganesha, 1 to the sun god, 3 to Jain Tirthankars. For some ruins, there is no sufficient evidence to assign a temple to a certain deity with conviction.
The overall examination of the site shows that the design principle of symbolic Hindu mandala square and circle present every plan and design of the temple. Furthermore, the area is arranged in three triangles that meet to form a pentagon. Scholars suggest that this reflects Hindu symbolism for three realms or
The temples have a rich display of intricately carved statues. While they are famous for their erotic sculptures, the sexual theme covers less than 10% of the temple statues. Furthermore, erotic scene panels are least prominent or stressed at the expense of the rest, but rather they are in proportionate balance with non-sexual images. Viewers should take a closer look to find them, or be guided by a guide. Art covers many aspects of human life and values ​​that are considered important in the Hindu pantheon. Furthermore, the drawings are arranged in a configuration to express the central ideas of Hinduism. The three ideas from? This gamas is widely expressed in the Khajuraho temples - Avyakta, Vyaktavyakta and Vyakta.
Beejamandal Temple is in excavation. It has been identified with the Vaidyanath temple mentioned in the Grahpati Kokalla inscription.
Of all the temples, Matangeshvara temple remains an active place of worship. It is a square box temple, with a height of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) and 1.1 meters (3.6Ã, ft) diameter lingam, placed at 7.6 meters (25Ã, ft) diameter platform.
The most visited temple, Kandariya Mahadev, has an area of ​​about 6,500 square feet and a towering shikhara (peak tower) as high as 116 feet.
- the Jain temple
Jain Temple is located in the east-southeast region of Khajuraho monument. The Chausath jogini temple has 64 joginis, while the Ghantai temple features bells carved on its poles.
Architecture of temples
The Khajuraho temple, like almost all Hindu temple designs, follows a geometric design of a box called vastu-purusha-mandala . This design plan has three important components - Mandala means circle, Purusha is the universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means residential structure.
The design lays out a Hindu temple in a symmetrical, concentrated layered structure, and repeats itself around the core of the temple called garbhagriya, where the abstract principle of Purusha and the main deity of the temple is lived. Shikhara, or the top of the tower, from the temple rises above the garbhagriya. The symmetry and structure in this design comes from central beliefs, myths, cardinality and mathematical principles.
The mandala circle limits the square. The square is considered divine to perfection and as a symbolic product of human knowledge and thought, while the circle is considered earthly, human and observed in everyday life (moon, sun, horizon, water droplets, rainbows). Each supports the other. The square is divided into 64 sub-squares called padas.
Most Khajuraho temples deploy an 8x8 (64) Mandarat Vastupurushamandala network, with a pitha mandala square box incorporated in tower design. The main deity or lingas is located on the Brahma grid.
The architecture is symbolic and reflects the central Hindu belief through the form, structure and arrangement of its parts. Mandapa and art are arranged in Khajuraho temples in a symmetrical repetitive pattern, although each image or statue is different in its own way. The relative placement of the images is not random but together they express the idea, as the words that are linked form sentences and paragraphs to compose ideas. This fractal pattern is common in Hindu temples. Various sculptures and panels have inscriptions. Many of the inscriptions on the temple wall are poems with double meanings, something that Sanskrit's complex structure allows in its creative composition.
All Khajuraho temples, except one, face the sunrise, and the entrance for worshipers is this east side.
Above vastu-purusha-mandalas of each temple is a superstructure with a dome called Shikhara (or Vimana , Spire). Variations in the design of the spire of the tower come from variations in degrees altered to squares. The Shikhara Temple, in some literature, is linked to Mount Kailash or Meru, the abode of the gods.
In each temple, the central hall is usually surrounded by an ambulatory for pilgrims to wander around and ritually circumnavigate Purusa and the main deity. Pillars, walls and ceilings around the room, as well as outside have carved or very carved images of the four fair and necessary pursuits of life - kama, artha, dharma and moksa. This clockwise movement is called pradakshina .
The larger Khajuraho temple also has a pillared space called mandapa. One near the entrance, on the east side, serves as a waiting room for pilgrims and worshipers. Mandapa is also governed by the principles of symmetry, lattice and mathematical precision. The use of this same underlying architectural principle is common in Hindu temples found throughout India. Each Khajuraho temple is clearly carved but also repeats the central general principles in almost all Hindu temples, which Susan Lewandowski calls the "repeating organisms".
Construction
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: west, east and south.
The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone, with granite foundations almost hidden from view. The builders do not use mortars: the stones are united with mortar joints and thorns and they are held back by gravity. This form of construction requires a very precise connection. Columns and architraves are built with megaliths that weigh up to 20 tons. Some remedial work in the 19th century was done with bricks and mortar; But this has aged faster than the original and dark material with time, so it looks out of place.
The Khajuraho and Kalinjar regions are home to the superior quality of sandstone, which can be carved properly. The surviving statue reflects fine details like hair strands, preserved nails and intricate jewelry.
While recording the Lost Worlds (History Channel) show in Khajuraho, Alex Evans re-created a stone statue under 4 feet that took about 60 days to engrave in an effort to develop a rough idea of ​​how much work it should have. involved. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted an experiment to mine limestone that took 12 quarrymen 22 days to mine about 400 tons of rock. They concluded that these temples would require hundreds of highly trained sculptors.
Chronology
The Khajuraho temple group belongs to the Hindu Vaishnavism school, the Hindu Saivism school and Jainism - almost one-third each. Archaeological studies show all three types of temples being built around the same time at the end of the 10th century, and are being used simultaneously. Will Durant states that this aspect of the Khajuraho temple depicts tolerance and respect for different religious perspectives in the Hindu and Jain traditions. In every group of Khajuraho shrines, there are large temples surrounded by small temples - grid styles observed at various levels in Hindu temples at Angkor Wat, Parambaran and South India.
The largest surviving temple of Saiva is Khandarya Mahadeva, while the largest surviving Vaishnava group includes Chaturbhuja and Ramachandra.
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple plan is 109Ã, ft length by 60Ã, ft, and up 116Ã, ft above ground and 88Ã, ft above its own floor. The center pad is surrounded by three rows of sculptured figures, with over 870 statues, most of which are half the size of life (2.5 to 3 feet). The spire is a fractal structure that repeats itself.
- Temple, religious affiliation and consecration year
Art and sculpture
Khajuraho temples display a variety of works of art, of which 10% are sexual or erotic art outside and inside the temple. Some temples that have two layers of wall have a small erotic engraving on the outside of the inner wall. Some experts suggest this to be a tantric sexual practice. Other scholars claim that erotic art is part of the Hindu tradition of treating kama as an important and precise part of human life, and its symbolic or explicit display is common in Hindu temples. James McConnachie, in his history Kamasutra , described the sexually-themed Khajuraho statues as "the apogee of erotic art":
"Twisted, high-necked, high-breasted nymphs display their contoured bodies and adorned with their large diamonds on exterior wall panels that work very well." This trade runs rioting on the rock surface, wearing makeup, washing their hair, playing, dancing, and endlessly tying and not tying their girdles.... Besides the heavenly nymphs are the griffin ranks, the guardian god and, most famously, the interlocked mantra maithunas , or the couple making love. "
The temples have several thousand statues and works of art, with the Kandarya Mahadeva Temple alone decorated with over 870. About 10% of these iconographic engravings contain sexual themes and various sexual poses. A common misconception is that, since the old structure with carvings in Khajuraho is a temple, the carvings depict sex between the gods; But the art of kama represents the different sexual expressions of different human beings. Much of the art depicts aspects of everyday life, mystical stories and the symbolic display of important secular and spiritual values ​​that are important in the Hindu tradition. For example, depictions show women wearing makeup, musicians who make music, pottery, peasants, and others in their daily lives during the medieval era. This scene is in the outer pad as is typical in Hindu temples.
There is iconographic symbolism attached to the art displayed in the Khajuraho temples. The core value of Hinduism is expressed in many ways. Even the Kama scene, when seen in a combination of statues that precede and follow, depicts a spiritual theme like moksha. In the words of Stella Kramrisch,
This situation that "as man and woman in a tight embrace" is a symbol of moksa, the final release or the reunification of two principles, essence (Purusha) and nature (Prakriti).
The Khajuraho temples represent an expression of the many forms of art that developed in the Rajput kingdom of India from the 8th to 10th centuries. For example, contemporary Khajuraho is a publication of poetry and dramas such as Prabodhacandrodaya , Karpuramanjari , Viddhasalabhanjika and Kavyamimansa . Some of the themes expressed in this literary work are carved as statues in the Khajuraho temple. Some of the statues in Khajuraho monument dedicated to Vishnu include Vyalas, which is a hybrid fantasy animal with a lion's body, and is found in other Indian temples. Some of these hybrid myths include Vyala Vyala (wolf and lion hybrids) and Gaja Vyala (elephant and lion hybrids). This Vyalas can represent a syncretic, creative combination of innate strengths in both.
Tourism and cultural events
The temples in Khajuraho are broadly divided into three parts: the Eastern group, the Southern Group and the Western temple groups where the Western group alone has an Audio-guided tour facility, where travelers are guided through seven eight temples. There is also an audio guided tour developed by the Indian Archaeological Survey that includes a historical history of temples and architecture.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held annually in February. It features a variety of classical Indian dances set against the background of the Chitragupta Temple or Vishwanath.
Khajuraho temple complex offers light and sound show every night. The first show is in English and the second is in Hindi. It's held in an open courtyard at the temple complex, and has received mixed reviews.
Tourism Development Madhya Pradesh has set up kiosks at Khajuraho railway station, with tourism officers to provide information for Khajuraho visitors.
See also
- List of megalithic sites
- The Jain Temple of Khajuraho
- Ajanta Cave
- Badami Chalukya Architecture
- Western Chalukya Architecture
- Hindu temple
- Madan Kamdev
- Hemvati
- Kama Sutra
- Kamashastra
- Khajuraho travel guide from Wikivoyage
References
Further reading
- M.R. Anand and Stella Kramrisch, Respect for Khajuraho , OCLCÃ, 562891704
- Alain DaniÃÆ'Â © lou, Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism , ISBNÃ, 978-0892818549
- Prasenjet Dasgupta, Khajuraho , Patralekha, Kolkata, 2014
- Devangana Desai, Khajuraho Religious Image , Franco-Indian Research P. Ltd. (1996) ISBNÃ, 81-900184-1-8
- Devangana Desai (2005). Khajuraho (Sixth Impression ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-565391-5.
- Phani Kant Mishra, Khajuraho: With Recent Discovery, Sundeep Prakashan (2001) ISBNÃ, 81-7574-101-5
- L. A. Narain, Khajuraho: The Temple of Ecstasy . New Delhi: Lustre Press (1986)
External links
Travel guide Khajuraho from Wikivoyage
- The UNESCO Khajuraho Monument Group
- Indian Archaeological Survey, Bhopal Division
- R. Architecture Image Collection Nath Mughal, Picture Khajuraho - University of Washington Digital Collection
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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