Khajuraho
| Khajuraho | |||
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 India
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| State : | Madhya Pradesh | ||
| District : | Chhatarpur | ||
| Sub-district : | Rajnagar | ||
| Location : | 24 ° 51 ′ N , 79 ° 56 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 257 m | ||
| Residents : | 24,481 (2011) | ||
Khajuraho ( Hindi : खजुराहो Khajurāho [ kʰʌdʒʊˈrɑːhoː ]) is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh with around 24,500 inhabitants.
It is known for the temple area of Khajuraho . The group of temples with erotic images from the 10th to 12th centuries is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and makes the otherwise rather insignificant place a popular tourist destination.
etymology
The name Khajuraho, originally "Kharjuravāhaka", is possibly derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura ('palm') and vāhaka ('bearer').
location
Khajuraho is located in the Chhatarpur district in northern Madhya Pradesh, not far from the border with the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh . The next largest town is the district capital Chhatarpur about 44 kilometers (driving distance) to the west, Delhi is about 650 kilometers to the northwest.
Transport links
Khajuraho is off the main traffic routes. There are numerous bus connections to the nearby cities of Satna (115 kilometers southeast) and Jhansi (175 kilometers northwest), but these take a long time due to poor road conditions. Since 2008, Khajuraho has also been connected to the Indian Railways network by a branch line from Mahoba . However, there are better travel options via Jhansi and Satna, which are on the more frequented main routes.
In spite of its modest size, Khajuraho also has its own airport ( IATA code : HJR). This is about 3 km south of the village. There are connections to Delhi , Agra , Varanasi and Kathmandu .
history
Khajuraho was the religious and cultural capital of the Chandella Empire from the 9th to the 16th century . Politically and militarily, the Chandellas ruled from Kanauj or the Kalinjar fortress , which - in contrast to Khajuraho - was besieged several times and partially destroyed during the time of the Islamic advance in northern India . But with the decline of the Chandellas in the 12th century, Khajuraho also lost its importance. However, due to its remote location, the place and its temples were spared from destructive attacks by Islamic armies. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the village of Khajuraho only had about 300 inhabitants.
Culture and sights
Mud houses
On the outskirts and in the rural surroundings of Khajuraho there are still many simple mud houses whose residents live according to the principles of self-sufficiency and self-responsibility. Most of the houses that still exist today were mostly built in the 20th century and already have tile roofs instead of the former reed roofing. Overall, however, they are largely based on tradition: the first floor has an open roof and a large, windowless room that is not separated by walls. The house was lit and ventilated exclusively through the door; Window openings were extremely rare and indicated the wealth of the owner. The outer door area used to be painted with geometric or curvilinear motifs, all of which had an apotropaic (disaster) meaning. Because of the smoke and the risk of fire, the food was often not prepared inside the house, but in the courtyard area over an open fire made with sticks and dried cow dung; However, most families now have a gas or kerosene stove.
temple
Most of the imposing temples in the temple district of Khajuraho were built by the rulers of the Chandella dynasty between 950 and 1120 AD. Today they are one of the most important tourist attractions in India. The early temples of Khajuraho (Lalguan Mahadeva temple, Brahma temple) are built of stone, but - like the mud houses - have smooth and unstructured outer walls, only one entrance and no windows. These simple early temples developed over the centuries into increasingly complex structures with high Shikhara towers ( Lakshmana Temple , Kandariya Mahadeva Temple ).
Dance festival
The one-week dance festival, which takes place every February or March, attracts many well-known dancers from all over India. Theaters also offer evening dance performances outside of the festival period. Here dances from the different states are performed and the audience is taken on a dance journey through India.
Panna National Park
Near Khajuraho (approx. 45 minutes by car) is the Panna National Park with the so-called Panna Tiger Reserve , where many endangered animal species, such as the gharial , live. In addition, the reserve is a habitat for over 200 different species of birds, as well as many mammals and reptiles. In 2003 there were still around 40 examples of the Indian tiger ; however, due to poaching , the population declined sharply in the following years, and since June 2009 the tiger has been considered extinct in the protected area.
