Places to Visit khajuraho

Places to Visit in Khajuraho is known for housing several Hindu and Jain temples. A popular UNESCO world heritage site, Khajuraho will simply astonish you with its unique temple carvings which are lined in symmetry including the finest sandstone carvings and erotic sculptures. A number of tourists from all across the world flock this place to ideate the immortal saga of Hindu art and culture etched in stone.

Khajuraho was earlier the cultural capital of Chandela Rajputs who ruled this part of India during 10th to 12th centuries. Built over a span of 200 years (950-1050 AD), there were around 85 temples during that time which reduced to 22 and now it's preserved by the State Government. Sprawled over an area of approx 20 sq.km in the northern eastern part of the state, Khajuraho is a popular tourist destination which are categorized into three sections including western, eastern and southern temples.

The temple is a perfect example of Indo-Aryan architecture as the sculptures highlights several facets of Indian life thousand years ago. Lovely stone friezes of gods, goddesses, heroes and kings, concubines, and many more would hail you as you journey to Khajuraho. The erotic sculptures of this place portraying Kama Sutra are completely unique in the world. Above all, it reflects a unique architectural talent which depicts royalty, courtship, marriage, spiritual teachings, meditation, kinship and intimate scenes of human emotions and relationships. You may also enjoy watching the folk dances, light and sound shows, organized in the temple premises and other art centers. So, be it the erotic carvings or the evening shows, you're adhered to be stunned by the grandeur of Khajuraho temples.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is the largest, tallest and most beautiful Hindu Temple of the Khajuraho Group of Temples. This medieval marvel dates back to 1050 BC and was built by Raja Dhandadeva, a strong Chandela ruler. The temple is embellished with ornate carvings and sculptures. Its main spire (Shikhara) depicts Mount Kailash and stands with a height of 31 meters. Surrounding this spire are other 84 miniature spires (Urushringas). This temple is dedicated to Hindu Lord Shiva, and has a Shiva Linga made of marbel, as its sanctum. About 646 statues are installed in its boundary that looks even more appealing. The façade of this temple is east facing.
The entrance has staircase and porch that is adorned with garlands chiseled out of a single stone. It is estimated that Kandariya Mahdeva has about 870 sculptures, with one meter height each. On the inside is the deity of Lord Shiva, holding a trident and snake, with the deities of Vishnu and Brahma. The whole plan of this temple is somewhat similar to Lakshman and Vishwanath Temple; with all rooms arrayed from east to west and balconies on the south and north.

Sanchi Stupa
One of the famous Bhuddhist shrines, Sanchi Stupa is known for its ancient art and architecture. It is located at the town of Sanchi in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the popular tourist attractions.
It was Emperor Ashoka who commissioned the design of Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh in the 3rd century B.C. The beautiful Stupa is surrounded by toranas which reflect love, peace, trust and courage. The central chamber of Stupa is made up of large hemispherical domes, which comprise of different relics of Lord Buddha. It is one of the well preserved ancient stupas in central India and is ranked among the world Heritage sites. Also, it is a great relic of Buddhist school of Architecture dating back to 3rd century B.C. During the Shunga period, the Sanchi Stupa was renovated and decorated with staircase, railings and a harmika. The entrance of the stupa is curved with beautiful sculptures which represent various Bhuddhist traits and adorned with grand sculptures which depicts incidents from the Life of Lord Buddha.

Lakshmana Temple
Lakshmana Temple is a huge stone temple which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The east facing temple is famous for housing more than 600 images of gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion. The temple is beautifully decorated with patterns of elephants and horsemen carrying out parade and there is a small idol in every corner.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple
The Kandariya Mahadev temple dedicated to lord Shiva is considered to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. This temple is the biggest of all the other temple on the western part of Khajuraho. The mesmerizing looks of the temple and 900 awesomely carved sculptures implies the rich culture of Madhya Pradesh to the visitors.