Circuit of India: Days 6 and 7 in Khajuraho (All Photos Rated PG-13)

Asia » India » Madhya Pradesh » Khajuraho
October 15th 2007

Published: October 16th 2007

Edit Blog Post

NB in India

What Are You Looking At?

I flew from Delhi to Khajuraho today via Varanasi. My driver and a representative from the travel agency were there to meet me. We went directly to my hotel, The Grand Temple View, so I could check in. My plan for today was to see the Eastern and Southern Groups of temples and catch the evening sound and light show at the Western Group. Tomorrow, I want to see the Western Group of temples in the morning and then travel 20km to the Raneh Falls in the afternoon.

We got to the hotel and I was greeted by the entire staff! I received a vaijanti mala, a garland of love, peace, and inner strength. Built with 108 shiny grey and brown seeds from the forests of ‘Braj’, a land where the God (King Rama) and Goddess (Sita) eternally make love. The mala is alleged to endow the wearer with colossal strength of mind and body. I hope it works! There was also an oil lamp and ceremonial paint applied to my forehead. The manager escorted me to the check in desk where a very nice lady completed my paperwork. The manager then escorted me to my room and explained how

Jain Temple Towers

Jain Temple in the Eastern Group

everything worked.

The view from my room is pretty cool! I look out at the pool, palm trees, and one of the temples in the Western Group. The bed is very soft and the bathroom is awesome - there’s actually a glass partition in front of the shower and there’s shampoo and conditioner! The towels and the sheets are sparklingly white and the room is immaculate. There’s even a monster flat screen TV on the wall

I put my stuff away and went out to meet the driver and Mohit, the travel agency rep. Mohit wanted me to go see the Western temples today, but I said that I wanted to save that for tomorrow. He said I should go today and I said I wanted to go tomorrow. I thought to myself “here we go again”! He finally relented, but then said that I needed to pay for the car to go to the temples. I said that the use of the car at my request was included in what I had already paid and he disagreed. He asked for my voucher and I said that I didn’t have one. He said I did, I said I

Jain Diety

Inside the largest Jain temple in the Eastern Group

didn’t. I said I’d call my travel agent and he said he’d call his office. It was dueling mobile phones! I couldn’t get Ashutosh and he couldn’t get anyone in his office so he told me to go to the Eastern temples and he’d go check. When I got in the car, the driver said that I was correct. I wish he’d said something in front of Mohit, but I think it was his boss so he stayed quiet.

The Eastern group of temples was only a short drive from the hotel and is a small cluster of temples, mostly of Jain origin. There was a relatively modern temple containing statues from the 10th through 20th century. The largest and most impressive of the temples is the Parsvanatha Temple built in 950 AD. I went inside the temple, but didn’t stay log since there were quite a few bats. Their strange squeaking was freaking me out! They are supposed to sleep in the day, but a few were flying around. The next largest temple is the Adnith Temple built in the latter part of the 11th century AD. The carvings on the temples are amazing and most are well

Elephants in the Eastern Group of Temples

preserved.

On the way out, I stopped to check my guidebook to see if I had missed anything. Three people walked by me and one of the guys stopped to look at an elephant I was standing by. He then asked to see my guidebook so I showed him the page I was looking at. I said that the Parsvanatha Temple was beautiful and he replied that I was beautiful. I laughed and then he tried to put his arms around me and said that I was so beautiful, he had to kiss me. I was still holding the book out so I used it to push him away. I said NO NO NO NAHI NAHI NAHI! There were people around, although no one close by at the moment. I backed away and he turned around and went off after his friends. It was pretty creepy so I got out of there and went back to the car.

We stopped at one of the Southern Group of temples, the _________ Temple. I looked around the outside where I saw my first “erotic” sculpture panels for which Khajuraho is known. I went inside where a man was praying. I

Parsvanatha Temple

The Jain Parsvanatha Temple was built in 950 AD and is the most remarkable of the temples in the Eastern Group.

was quiet, but he looked up and saw me. He started explaining about the temple and when it was built. He said he’d show me around the outside as well so I went with him. He pointed out many of the sculptures, including the erotic ones. He said that he could explain anything that I needed him to, but I declined and said I needed to go. He then asked me to come visit his shop which I declined and he then asked for money for giving me information. I again declined and left.

I really hope tomorrow that I can just look at the temples in peace! There will be more tourists at the Western Group so that should help.

On the way back to the hotel, the driver wanted to show me the village of Khajuraho where 12-15,000 people live. I just wanted to go back to the hotel, but he said it would only take 10 minutes so I agreed. The town is indeed small and many of the people live in houses made of mud and bricks. At one end of town, there was a group of men making pottery jars by hand. The

Lattice Windows on the Parsvanatha Temple

The lattice windows are a dstinctive feature of the Parsvanatha Temple.

driver said that these were the “untouchables” and that I could take a photo if I wanted to. I declined and said I was ready to go back to the hotel. He tried to get me to go into several shops owned by his friends, but I again declined and said I wanted to go back to the hotel.

I went back to the hotel to relax and get something to eat. I got a call at 6:15pm saying that there was a prayer ceremony starting at the hotel’s Krishna Temple. I went to it and it was very loud, but peaceful. There was a priest on the altar, several hotel employees, and me. There were gongs and bells and chanting. There were lots of candles and an oil lamp. At one point, we waved our hands over the flames and then touched our foreheads. At the end, we received some nuts, raisins, and sugar to eat.

After that ceremony, I headed to the Sound and Light show at the Western Temples. The show

Bats!

If you look closely, you'll see the bats hanging from the ceiling inside the temple.

done every night, first in English and then in Hindi, and tells the story of how and why the temples were built, abandoned, and then rediscovered. It was very well done! When I first got there and sat in a plastic chair in the middle of an empty field, I was concerned, but when they turned off the lights and the show started, I realized that we were in the middle of the temples! During the hour long show, different temples were lit up with different as the story progressed. It was very well done and I enjoyed it.

I am now back at my hotel, freshly showered, and laying in bed watching “E.T.” on the monster TV. It’s 9:32pm as I write this and I’m going to sleep in until at least 8:00am tomorrow. The last two days have been early mornings so a bit of a lie-in is well deserved. The driver is coming at 9:30am so that’s not too bad. More after tomorrow…

After a good night’s sleep and a nice continental breakfast poolside, I headed out to the Western Group of temples. These temples, as well as many of the Eastern and Southern Group

Altar Inside the Parsvanatha Temple

temples represent the brilliant burst of artistic flowering that took place under the generous patronage of the powerful Chandela rulers who made Khajuraho their peacetime capital. The remoteness of the location saved the temples from Islamic invaders, but also led to their abandonment after the decline of the Chandelas in the 13th century. Hidden in the dense forest for 700 years, they were “rediscovered” in 1838 by TS Burt of the Bengal Engineers. There are now 25 temples standing, although local tradition holds that there were 85 temples. Excavations are ongoing and extensive ruins have been recovered. Only one temple, the Mantangeshwar Temple built in 900 AD, is still in everyday use, although people leave offerings at many of the altars in the temples and in front of some sculptures, especially those of Ganesha.

I started my circuit at a Nandi temple and worked my way counterclockwise so that I would end at the Lakshman Temple, the most impressive of the temples. The temples are a mix of Hindu and Jain temples and vary in size from quite small to quite large. The grounds are nicely landscaped and well maintained. I was left alone for the most part, although

Happy Lizard!

in some temples there were uniformed security guards who pointed out the main features and then asked for money. I didn’t give anyone anything today! I’m becoming a cranky American tourist who is tired of being hot up for rupees at every turn!

The sculptures on the outsides and insides of the temples are quite impressive. My favorites were the bull Nandi, parades of elephants, camels, and horses, the Ganeshs, and Varaha, Vishnu’s boar incarnation. The majority of the carvings are religious in nature with many apsaras or dancers. Additionally and perhaps most often associated with Khajuraho, there are depictions of scenes from the Kama Sutra. They are interesting and, in some cases, quite acrobatic! I wandered around for almost three hours and then headed for the car. I had to walk the gauntlet of postcards, books, and “come look in my shop” in order to get a cold soda, but my driver was waiting for me and help fend everyone off. I did break one guy’s heart because I would spend five minutes in his store, but hopefully he will recover quickly.

I went back to