Exotic & Erotic Destination
By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
Khajuraho, the world’s masterpiece in erotic art in stone unarguably stands as one of the major foreign exchange earning towns or place in the country .It offers exotic charm & tremendous aesthetic appeal & is quite irresistible to the connoisseurs of arts & history. Rarely does a foreign visitor leave this country without paying a visit to this place. It is next only to Taj in architectural and sculptural beauty.
The name Khajuraho is said to have originated from two golden date palm trees and a large number of Khajoor trees growing around the place. Believed to have been built between 950- 1050 A.D. the place is internationally famous for is erotic and amorous sculptures, elegant frescoes and unbelievably erotic stone carvings. Originally there were 85 temples, though most of them have been reduced to ruins, some still are in an excellent condition , silhouetted against the sky, telling story of their past glory & grandeur.
Among all temples , Kendariya Mahadeo is the grandest and finest of Chandela architecture. Every squareinch of this temple is gorgeously embellished with figures of coquettish damsels ,alluring nymphs, and couples in various positions ( Mithuna ) of sexual congress. There are also sculptures depicting plural intercourse ( Kendariya Mahadev) , animal cohabitation & reversed union (Lakshmana). Lakshmana is the largest monument and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu & has the credit of having the most richly ornamented entrance depicting various Hindu gods & godesses. “The Churning of the Mlky Ocean by Gods & Demons ” is another noteworthy feature of it.
Khajuraho can be reached by train, road or by Air. It is situated at a distance of about 630 km from New Delhi, 178 km from Jhansi & 220 km from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Deluxe Buses also ply to and from outside the Railway station Varanasi early in the morning reaching Khajuraho in the evening at 5 pm . Panna ,famous for its gold mines and National Park, where Tigers & many rare wildlife are found, is 44 km away. Jain Museum & Ajaygarh Fort are other attractions for tourists.
The market though relatively small, has souvenir shops, book shops, photographers, general merchandise besides clothing & restaurants . Khajuraho boasts of many 3 & 5 star hotels, guest houses and Inns to suit each family .The park remains open from 6 AM to 5 PM every day of the week. Entry fee is Indian rupee 15 per head. Khajuraho received the thinnest inflow of tourists in recent times due to many reasons. In 2015 more than 2.79 lakh tourists visited Khajuraho. On the other hand, the number of foreign tourists declined from 73600 in 2006 to 63400 in 2015. In 2011 & 2012 more than one lakh foreign tourists visited the place with a population of 30000 in district Chattarpur, MP.
The Chandela artists and sculptures seem to have taken the whole range of female activities for their depiction .Even the minutest aspect of life has not been overlooked: young maidens, writing letters, combing hair, applying vermillion on the forehead and even dancing playfully.
It is, however, a much debated topic as to where the sculptors who chiselled the excellent images at Khajuraho, got their inspiration from. Was it social life of their time or was it merely the conversion of their wildest dreams into cold stone. Some believe that Kama Sutra could have been the indirect influence as is often referred to as Kama Sutra in stone.
The erotic temples of Khajuraho also give us an indication that the people people of ancient India were bolder & broader in their outlook. What civilized world is discovering today, India knew centuries ago, although there were no printing presses, text books on sexology. It would,however,be too prepostrous to characterise the monuments as sheer symbol of erotica and indicative of the orgiastic and bacchanal lives lead by the ancient Chandela Rulers.
“Beauty is said to lie in the eyes of the beholders and no two individuals look at things & objects from the same angles. The nature of the work is though too erotically conceived, yet the general pattern of the mosaic gives a vivid & clear impression of artistic merit & architectural versatility, achieved during that time.
The article originally published in Adam & Eve ,published from Madras ,in its October 1976 issue.
