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India
Khajuraho / Attractions / The Temples / The Western Group
The Varaha
Temple dates back to the 10th Century and is dedicated to
the, third incarnation of Vishnu, the preserver in the form of
a boar (Varaha Mythology relates that the Rat-Demon Hiranyaksha
stole the earth, pulled it under the waters to his Abode and created
1000 replicas of himself to confuse his persuer. Vishnu, on the
request of the other Gods, incarnated himself as a boar, and retrieved
the earth from the clutches of the Demon and saved the world.
The huge sand stone polished Vahara is shown, along with hundreds
of deities flanked about him and the three worlds-water, earth
and heaven, perched on the serpent Shesha, with the broken
figure of Prithvi on his feet.
Opposite this,
is one of the best-preserved Lakshmana Temple, which is
the earliest of them (950) AD). The exterior is richly carved
and a platform has frenzies of hunting and battle scenes showing,
both man and animal apart from daily life and erotic depictions.
The basements also have intricate carvings on the same lines.
Two rows of sculptures have gods and goddesses With the Apsaras-in-waiting.
All Figures have a relaxed expression and the rest on one leg.
Inside, one enters through a simple Makara-Toran flanked
on either side by gladiators. The circular ceiling of a Lotus
in four or concentric circle. The raised platforms in the hall
is used as a dance floor or for Tantric rituals. The pillars on
each corner depict Apsaras on carved brackets. Among the finest
of sculptures, these eight figures, on each column, represent
each sect of the Tantras. The Panch-Ratha has three
headed and four armed Vishnu as Vaikuntha, and four armed
incarnations and 14 forms of Vishnu.
Dedicated
to Shiva, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is the largest
and Tallest of all. The inner sanctum has a marble Linga and the
roof rises in a series of seven bands, to a summit of the central
31 meters high Shikara. There are over 800 statues of god's goddesses,
musicians and erotic poses carved onto its internal and external
surfaces. Towards the North of these is the Devi Jagdambe Temple
built around the early 11th Century. It has a standing Parvati
image and is decorated with some of the best carvings of deities,
especially Yama.
The Chitragupta
Temple of early 11th Century is the only one dedicated to
the Sun God, Surya. A lot of restoration work has been done here.
The Garbha-Griha has Surya driving his chariot of seven horses
and a statue of Vishnu with 11 heads showing 10 of his incarnations.
Matangesvara
Temple stands next to the Laxmana Temple, outside the main
complex. Even today it is visited which suggests that it is one
of the oldest in Khajuraho. It has a statue of Ganesha just outside
the temple where where people offer flower garlands in the mornings
and inside is a 2.5 mtr. High polished linga of Lord Shiva.
Beyond the
tank at some distance from the ruins of the Western Group of temples
of Khajuraho, known as the Chausath (sixth four) Yogini,
believed to have been built entirely of Granite, and is the only
one not aligned East to West. Now in ruins, it once had sixty-five
cells of which sixty-four belonged to each attendant of the goddess
herself.
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