Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
30FOCUS-AUGUST2014TheTemplesatKhajurahoMysticalIndiaholdsmanyinterestsformanypeopleincludingexoticfoodsculptedarchi-tectureavarietyofwildlifeandarcheologicalwonders.OnesuchancientsiteisthetemplesatKhajuraholocatedatwohourtrainridefromAgraora30minuteightfromVaranasi.ThetownofKhajurahowithapopulationof19000wouldberelativelyinsignicantwereitnotfortheamazingdiscoveryof25templesandmonumentsinthelate1800s.Originallythesiteheld85shrinesbutmanyhavecrumbledandlackofmoneyhasprevent-edadditionalrestoration.Thesiteasitstandsnowhoweverisnothingshortofamazing.Itiseasilyatwoorthreedayvisitwhereyouaremagicallywhiskedbackinhistory.Thetempleswereoriginallybuiltbetween950and1150CEatatimewhenthepopula-tionofIndiawasdeclining.Therulersofthedaydevisedaconcepttoincreasethenumberofinhabitantsbybuildingtemplesandcommis-sioningartiststodecoratethem.Itwouldnotbeanordinaryformofdecorationfortherulersaskedtheartiststocreateimagesdepictedinthe4thcenturyKamaSutraa4pagebookofIndianeroticism.OnlytenpercentofthetemplesweretobecoveredthiswaytherestbeingfestoonedwithdeitiesoftheHindureligion.Theywereverycarefulnottooffendanyonewhovisitedthetemples.Theartistsdidtheirbestandadornedeachtemplewithstatuesrelatingtotheancientmanuscript.Aspredictedbytherulerspeoplewhovisitedthetemplesandsawthecarvingswereremindedoftheirdutyandthepopulationbegantoincrease.TodaythetemplesserveasneexamplesofIndianarchitecturalstylesthathavegainedpopularityduetotheirexplicitdepictionofsexuallifeduringmedievaltimes.OvertimewiththeriseoftheMuslimpopu-lationtheHindutemplesbecameneglectedeventuallybeingoverrunbythejunglesofthearea.Thelocalpopulationwasawareofthesacredmonumentsbutlittlewasrememberedandnooneshowedanyinterestuntilthelatenineteenthcentury.BritishEngineerT.S.BurtwasinterestedinthelegendsaboutthetemplesanddecidedtomentionittoGeneralAlexanderCun-ninghamawell-knownEnglisharmyengineerwiththeBengalEngineeringCorps.HebegantoexploretheareaandwasresponsibleforputtingthetemplesonthemaponbehalfoftheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndia.ThesanctuaryisnowaUnescoArtisticstatuesdecorateallthetemplesatKhajurahoIndia.