Khajuraho

---

November 19th
We fly from Varanasi to Khajuraho after a stay of just two short days (I will return!)...
We land up at the warm and welcoming Harmony Hotel. Saturday sunset finds us at Duladeo Temple, dedicated to Shiva and dating from the early 12th Century CE, though it has been extensively repaired and restored. I'm blown away by the energy in this my first temple and am making connections between this and Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire, dating from the same time period. Could there be a link?
November 20th - Full Moon in the anaretic degree
Sunday morning early we meet the graceful, pleasant and charismatic Ganga who was Osho's guide back in the day. He gives a discourse on the history and symbolism of the main temple complex, explaining that Osho absorbed this information by osmosis in the time he spent in these temples he loved so well and discovered in his boyhood and youth. The words he speaks on tantra resonate with me and the time we spend in the temple precinct is magical.
Sunset finds us at the Chausath yogini temple for meditation, 17 of us plus the mosquitoes who want to banquet on our flesh. This is the oldest temple at Khajuraho, sacred to Kali and dating back to the end of the 9th Century.
November 21st We visit an exquisite Durga plaque, recovered some years ago, along with a number of other temples in the surrounding area in a fleet of rickshaws. We meet a girl with a winning smile who melts my already melted Durga heart under the banyan tree. India has my heart aflame with its love. Khajuraho is hustler central and boy are they serious - some truly ingenious angles they hustle from, some impressive yarns they spin - our shmoozer rickshaw driver this morning being a case in point. On our return from the trip there is a debate about how much we owe - two of our party having elected to walk back the last leg, leaving two of us to foot the bill due to a misunderstanding. As we conflab with him and the tour organisers he suddenly refuses to accept the higher amount and then of course I insist and agree to take chai with him while he continues to attempt to charm and impress - at such times the Indian psyche dazzles and fascinates.
That night a raucous and exuberant wedding cortege passes, pulling us out on to the streets for the boom boom, flash flash, dance dance, wow wow! Farewell Khajuraho. If you're remotely interested in the history of the temples see Osho's book on Gorakh, 'Die yogi die'. You may want to check http://www.osho.com/library/online-library-isness-gorakh-contribution-2b072ec2-67a.aspx

---