Khajuraho, the Temple of Love

New Delhi: The Khajuraho temples are one of the seven wonders of India, second only to the incredible Taj Mahal. While the brilliant architecture and symmetry remains a point of amazement, the Khajuraho temples mainly in the limelight because of the incredible erotic art and carvings. Although the erotic sculptures make for just 10% of the temples, the temples have become synonymous with love and erotica.The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravāhaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura, date palm and vāhaka, one who carries. Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments. In the 19th century, British engineer T.S. Burt arrived in the area, followed by General Alexander Cunningham. Cunningham put Khajuraho on the world map when he explored the site on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India and described what he found in glowing terms. But it is not just the erotic art that lends a touch of sensuality to Khajuraho. Besides they form barely one tenth of the entire lot of sculptures adorning the walls of the temples here.The story goes that a beautiful woman called Hemavathy was bathing in the dark under moonlight, when she was seduced by the moon himself. She ran into the forests for refuge and raised her son, Chandravarman alone. The moon however promised her that their son would one day rule over a kingdom.True to his word, Chandravarman grew up to establish the Chandela dynasty. It is believed that he was influenced by his mother's story and so he built temples with sculptures depicting human passions and probably, the futility of the same.Whatever the reason may be, Khajuraho's temples go beyond the Kamasutra. Located on the banks of a tributary of the Ken river, these medieval monuments are today one of the World Heritage Sites. Built by the Chandela Rajputs, these temples hidden amidst forests were not fully explored until the 19th century. Dedicated to deities and their various cults, these shrines go beyond religion and history.The sculptural embellishments include, besides the cult images; parivara, parsva, avarana devatas, dikpalas, the apsarases and sura-sundaris which win universal admiration for their delicate, youthful female forms of ravishing beauty. The attire and ornamentation embrace the winsome grace and charm.