Khajraho
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Khajraho
Village in Chhatarpur State, Central India, famous for its magnificent collection of mediaeval temples, and situated in 24 degree 51' N. and 79 degree 56' E., 25 miles from the town of Chhatarpur. Population (1901), 1,242.
The old name as given in inscriptions was Khajjuravahaka. By the bard Chand it is called Khajurapuraor Khajjinpura. Tradition ascribes the origin of the name to two golden khajurtress (date-palms) with which the city gates were ornamented, but it was more probably due to the prevalence of this tree in the neighbourhood. The place was in early days of some importance, being the capital of the kingdom of Jijhoti, which practically corresponded with modern Bundelkhand.
The earliest supposed reference to Khajraho is in the account of the travels of Hiuen Tsiang, who visited the country of Chi-ki-to, which has been identified with Jijhoti. The Chinese pilgrim does not men- tion any chief town by name, but notes that there were in the country a number of sangharamas (monasteries) with but few priests, and also about ten temples.
There are no Buddhist remains on the spot, except a colossal Buddha inscribed with the usual creed in characters of the seventh or eighth century. Abu Rihan, who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in his campaign against Kalinjar in 102 1, notices ' Kajuraha ' as the capital of Jijhoti. Ibn Batuta, who visited the place about 1335, calls it ' Kajura,' and describes the lake, about a mile long, round which there were idol temples frequented by a tribe of jogis, with long and matted hair, to whom even Muhammadans resorted in order to learn magic. The place must, therefore, at this time have still been in the possession of the Hindus, and important as a religious centre. It seems probable that the partial demolition of its temples and consequent loss of impor- tance dates from 1494-5, when Sikandar LodI, after his expedition into Panna and Baghelkhand, retreated through this region and sacked the country as far as Banda.
Its present importance lies solely in its magnificent series of temples, which, with two exceptions, were all built between 950 and 1050. The epigraphical records contained in them are of great historical value. The temples fall into three main groups : the western, northern, and south-eastern, each group containing a principal shrine or cathedral and several smaller temples. The western group consists entirely of Brah- manical temples, both Saiva and Vaishnava. The northern group contains one large and some small temples, all Vaishnava, and several heaps of ruins. The south-eastern group consists entirely of Jain temples. All the temples, with the exception of the Chaunsat Jogini and Ghantai, are constructed of sandstone, and are in the same style. Even the Jain temples in the south-eastern group show none of the peculiarities commonly found in the temples of this religion, and externally they are similar in appearance to the Hindu edifices. The spire is here of more importance than the porch, there are no court- yards with circumambient cells, and no prominent domes.
The oldest temple in the western group is that known as the Chaun- sat Jogini. All that now remains is a celled courtyard, the cells being of very simple design. Fergusson was of opinion that there had originally been a central shrine of wood which has disappeared. Unlike the other temples, this is built entirely of gneiss. It is assigned to the end of the eighth or early part of the ninth century. Of the remaining temples, the Kandarya Mahadeo is by far the finest. Its construction is curious, as the sanctuary does not occupy the full breadth of the building, a passage being left round the sanctuary for the circumambulation of the image, and the outer wall pierced by three porticoes to admit light to the passage. This gives the temple the unusual form of a double instead of a single cross. The carving is exceedingly rich and covers every available inch of space, but many of the figures are highly indecent, not a usual defect in Saiva temples. The other large temple in this group is the Ramaehandra or Laksh- manji, dedicated to Vishnu, which in plan and decoration is similar to the Kandarya Mahadeo. It contains an inscription of the Chandel dynasty, dated in 954. Tire Vishvanath temple, also in this group, contains Chandel inscriptions of 1001 and 1 1 1 7, and one of a feudatory, dated 1000.
The northern group includes one large temple dedicated to the Vamana or dwarf incarnation of Vishnu. It is, however, very inferior in decoration to the best in the western group, and the remaining temples in this group are small. The heaps of ruins or mounds in this portion, which General Cunningham considered to be the remains of the sangharamas mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang, are situated near the large temple.
The south-eastern group contains Jain remains only. The oldest temple in this group is the Ghantai, now a mere skeleton, consisting of a set of exquisitely delicate pillars still bearing the architraves. The pillars are of sandstone, but the walls were of gneiss and quite plain. The remains of this temple, which is assigned to the sixth or seventh century, are very similar to those at Gyaraspur. The cathedral of this group is the temple to Jinanath. Its design is unusual, consist- ing of a simple oblong with an open pillared vestibule and sanctuary, and the interior decoration is very fine. A Chandel inscription of 954 exists in it.
On the Kurar Nala, not far from the village of Khajraho, stands the magnificent temple known as the Kunwar Nath, which, though inferior in size to some of those in the three groups, is quite equal to them in design and the profuseness of its decoration. At the village of Jatkari, 1 1 miles away, stands another temple which is traditionally said to have been built by Suja, sister of the famous Banaphar hero, Alha, who figures so prominently in popular traditions of the wars between the Chandels and Prithwi Raj of Delhi.
[A. Cunningham, Archaeological Survey Reports, vol. ii, p. 412 ; vol. \ ii, p. 5 ; vol. x, p. 16 ; vol. xxi, p. 55 ; Epigraphia I/idica, vol. i, p. 121 ; Archaeological Sui-vey of Western India Progress Report to June, 1904.]
