20th March 1985: KHAJURAHO

 Taken from Back To The East, India, Nepal, Kashmir  

20^th March: KHAJURAHO

After a whole day of sightseeing, we were of course well worn out, but nevertheless we were up and on our way to Agra airport and there by 7 AM. After about an hour of hassling, our seats were finally confirmed and we boarded the 737 for Khajuraho, a flight of just 40 minutes. We took a taxi to our five star hotel, which had a large double room with hot and cold water. We rested a while then had lunch of vegetable curry, dahl, rice and chapati with lassi drink and chai, for me and mutton biriani for Lesley. Then we walked across the road to see the Western group of temples.

Those temples were built in the tenth century and mostly in good condition with thousands of small statues. Some were damaged with bits that missing because they had been cut off and sold. Most were built between the tenth and twelfth centuries. Exactly why they were built here, nobody knows. The remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho probably helped preserve them.

The site seemed remarkably quiet and peaceful after the hustles and bustles of Delhi and Agra. We both loved it there and there were no hustlers at all.

Each temple had a three or five part plan. One enters a temple through a porch behind which was a hall which leads to the main hall. It was supported by columns. A vestibule leads to the inner sanctum or garbhagriha.

Outside each temple was layered with statues of people in various poses, many explicitly sexual, fighting, hunting, processions, an orgy scene and more, even a man having sex with a horse, going up to higher towers that top the inner sanctums.

The entrances face east so they catch the light inside.

The blocks were sculptured together with no use of mortar and made from sandstone carried from about 20 miles away.

“The Lakshmana Temple, built 930 to 950 AD, was dedicated to Vaikuntha Vishnu, an aspect of the god Vishnu. It is the best preserved of the temples in this complex. “The wall portion is studded with balconied windows with ornate ballastrades. It had two rows of sculptures (refer images of temple's outer wall) including divine figures, couples and erotic scenes. The sanctum doorway is of seven sakhas (vertical panels). The central one being decorated with the ten incarnations of Vishnu. The Lintel depicts goddess Lakshmi in the centre flanked by the gods Brahma and Vishnu. The sanctum contains four-armed sculpture of Vishnu. One of the niches hadsthe image of the sculptor and his disciples at work. The Main image is of tri-headed and four-armed sculpture of Vaikuntha Vishnu, The central head is of human and two sides of boar.

“Behind the temples is a beautiful flowered garden, quiet and serene with the temples built on one base. The largest and most ornate is the Kandariya Mahadeu, built 1025 to 1050 AD, 100 feet high with 226 statues inside and 646 statues outside, mostly about three feet in height.”

An incredible amount of work and admirable skills. They are in three bands, goddesses, women and erotic scenes. Some of the positions depicted would surely win prizes in the sex Olympics.

“In the interior space from the entrance there are three mandapas or halls, which successively rise in height and width, which was inclusive of a small chamber dedicated to Shiva, a chamber where the Shiva linga, the phallic emblem of Shiva was deified. The sanctum was surrounded by interlinked passages which also have side and front balconies. Due to inadequate natural light in the balconies the sanctum had very little light thus creating a "cave like atmosphere" which was in total contrast to the external parts of the temple. Women walk round that and sit on it and say a prayer for pregnancy. In the interior halls of the temple and on its exterior faces there are elaborately carved sculptures of gods and goddesses, musicians and nymphs. The huge pillars of the halls have architectural features of the "vine or scroll motif". In the corners of the halls there are insets which are carved on the surface with incised patterns. There was a main tower above the sanctum and there are two other towers above the other mantapas also in the shape of "semi-rounded, stepped, pyramidal form with progressively greater height". The main tower was encircled by a series of interlinked towers and spires of smaller size. These are in the form of a repeated subset of miniature spires that abut a central core which gives the temple an unevenly cut contour similar to the shape of a mountain range of mount Kailasa where the god Shiva resides, which was appropriate to the theme of the temples here.

“The exterior surfaces of the temples are entirely covered with sculptures in three vertical layers. Here, there are horizontal ribbons carved with images, which shine bright in the sun light, providing rhythmic architectural features. Among the images of gods and heavenly beings, Agri, the god of fire was prominent. They are niches where erotic sculptures are fitted all round which are a major attraction among visitors. Some of these erotic sculptures are very finely carved and are in mithuna (coitus) postures with maidens flanking the couple, which was a frequently noted motif. There was also a "male figure suspended upside" in coitus posture, a kind of yogic pose, down on his head. The seven fearful protector goddesses include: Brahmi seated on a swan of Brahma ; Maheshwari with three eyes seated on Shiva's bull, Nandi; Kumari; Vaishnavi mounted on Garuda, the boar-headed Varahi, Narasimhi; the lion-headed and Chamunda, the slayer of demons Chanda and Munda. The image of Sardula, a mythical creature with lion face and human limbs in lower panel was a unique figure seen in the temple.

“Next to this temple is Mahadeva temple which was largely defaced, and the smaller Jagadamba. They were originally dedicated to Vishnu, but now to Kali or Parvati. Inside was the blackened female goddess.

“Nearby is the Chitagupta temple, lighter in colour, dedicated to Surya, the Sun God. Here we saw statues of dancing girls, processions and elephant fighting. In the southern wall was a statue of the eleven-headed Vishnu. Inside was Surya with his seven-headed horse.

“The Parvati Temple is in front of the others and mainly ruined. It was dedicated to Vishnu and had sculptures of Ganga, the river god, riding a crocodile, and Yamuna, a river god, riding a turtle.

“The Vishnu and Nandi Temple was built about 1000 AD. A five part design with a statue of Shiva’s bull, Nandi facing it outside. There are high steps flanked by lions and elephant statues. Also we see sculptures of a woman holding a baby, another combing her hair, another putting on makeup with a mirror and some in Playboy-like poses.”

We visited the nearby museum which contains fine images of gods, Vishnu, Buddha and an elephant god with six arms.

That was enough for us. There are two other groups of temples which we did not see,