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Ashwini Abhyankar

KHAJURAHO: Unearthed

My personal belief is that a visit to

Khajuraho is a very unique and enriching

experience for all – historians, culture

lovers, artists, architects, students or even

someone in search of exciting and exotic

locales. Many texts give you the history

of these temples. But, for me, the details

of their time frame, incidentally from

the 9th to the 11th century, are of lesser

importance if you view them in context

of their contribution to the temple

architecture of India of the medieval

times. That they were built by the Chandela

Rajputs assumes lesser significance if you

view them as a spontaneous expression

of human emotions accompanied by

style and supreme creativity.

The temples with their sculptural heritage,

exquisite and intricate are a reflection of

a highly mature civilization – perfectly

executed, architecturally, and sublime in

its expression, artistically. These temples

are constructed sans the use of mortar.

A highly evolved method of construction

requiring very precise joints was utilised.

The builders’ expertise in using the

‘mortise and tenon’ joints to create this

architectural marvel is complimented in

equal measure by the creativity of the

sculptors and artists to present a unique

mélange of religion, patronage, vision,

creativity, aesthetics and genius.

As I entered the complex, I could not help

but feel a bit let down. The temples are set

in a parkland landscape. This setting has an

appearance of a public park in a European

setting. The temples remain surrounded

by perfectly manicured lawns lined with

flower beds and trees, which seem out of

place. They bear no connection with the

temples, originally 85 in number, of which

merely 22 remain in good condition. To me,

the placing and the setting of the temples

appeared ordinary and I started my tour,

with apprehension, with the imposing

Kandariya Mahadev temple, 31 m tall and

then….there was no looking back.

There was simply no time or leisure to

contemplate about anything else other

than the wonders unfolding before me.

The temples are richly carved internally

as well as externally, from top to bottom

and it is impossible to choose a favourite

embellishment or fenestration, let alone

an entire temple. The carvings are

without doubt sensual, at most times and

sometimes, clearly and sexually explicit.

As I moved around the entire complex,

the ingenuity of the builders came to

the fore. The temples are built on a high

platform without any wall enclosures.

The temples are lofty and sufficiently

separated from each other. Internally,

the rooms are connected and laid along

the East-West axis. The construction of

the temples follows a certain style with

a distinct elevation and plan treatment.

Each temple has a unified mandapa,

mukha mandapa, antarala and a garbha

griha or sanctum, aligned along this

axis. An interesting feature found is a

fabulously carved balcony window, which

improves the light and ventilation in the

inner parts of the temple. The roofs rise

in layers giving an obvious vertical thrust

to the entire structure creating a feeling of

lightness, generally.

The statues and carvings cover each

and every inch of the temples, literally!

Predominant themes include

women, battles, and hunting. The entrance

arches, the pillars, ceilings, walls, all

are lavishly carved. The ceilings bear

geometrical as well as floral patterns. The

massive pillars supporting the ceilings have

beautifully carved capitals. The carvings

appear to be an inspired burst of creativity.

The sculptures clearly depict the lives

and times of the people of the medieval

time. Erotic themes constitute only a small

portion of the entire sculpted volume, but

the thread of eroticism is all permeating

and manifests itself in all the sculptures of

the complex. Though Khajuraho’s fame

could be attributed to the portrayal of the

‘mithuna’ and the ‘maithuna’ sculptures,

one cannot disregard the presence of

sensual expression in many early Indian art.

The temples do not contain any erotic art

in the inner chambers, and it is restricted to

the exterior only. Women in various moods

– innocent as well as seductive- form the

major theme in the sculptures. However,

the sculptures also offer us a look into

the social conditions existing at the times

- existing social order, soldiers, masons,

hunters, dancers and musicians, courtesans,

processions, pageantry, entertainers, all

find a place in these elaborately designed

monuments, which could thus be

considered as a response or tribute to life

itself. Erotic or not, the sculpture detailing

has cemented a magnificent

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and an almost impossible to recreate

benchmark in temple architecture.

There are many interpretations of the

sculptural art at Khajuraho and like all

arts, it is subjective!! However, there is no

documented proof that could throw light

on the scope of these temples, which are

symbolic of the Hindu religion and culture.

The sculptural embellishments have won

universal acclaim, but their purpose

remains elusive. The various forms and

facets of the youthful feminine attract the

world, but the possible explanation for

the sculpted sensuality remains a mystery

for the historians. One assumption

promotes the ‘Yoga’ and ‘Bhoga’ theory

– the journey of man to attain ‘Nirvana’

through means of physical pleasures. The

placing of the erotic sculptures in the

outer perimeter of the temples suggests,

according to some, the necessity to leave

the basic desires outside the temple to be

one with God, or that the purity of the

soul or ‘Atma’ remains unaffected by the

carnal pleasures.

Yet another theory has a bearing on the

education of the young boys following

‘Brahmacharya’, who, through the study

of these sculptures, would prepare

themselves for assuming their role in

‘grihasthashram’. One strong theory of

Tantric sexual practices, prevalent during

those times, has also been propounded.

No wonder then that this veil of

mystery and intrigue accompanying

these fabulous structures in stone

adds to the allure!

The Khajuraho temple complex

also has on offer a light and sound

show, every evening in the lawns.

Though the show makes a sincere

effort to encapsulate the history

and the possible philosophy behind

these temples, the grandeur of the

monuments and their symbolism is

too great to be bound by our efforts.

The temples, a perfect amalgamation

of form and function, can easily be

included in that short list of things

beyond imagination and comparison.

One simply cannot do justice to the

possibilities it offers. Such a beautiful

rendering, without inhibitions, of the

various stages of life, prompts one to

revisit the monuments.


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