Khajuraho Dance Festival 2015

•     Start Date -   February 2015
•     End Date -   February 2015
•     Organized by  -  Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad
•     Live Performances by  -  Indian Classical Dancers from all over India.
•     Venue -   Chitragupta Temple and Vishwanatha Temple, Khajuraho.
•     Location  -  Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho Festival of Dances - The famous temples of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh are famous for its archaeological excellence. The temples were built during the Chandela Dynasty between 250 and 1050 AD. The Temples of Khajuraho strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. In the year 1986, UNESCO designated this group of temples as a world heritage site. Khajuraho Temples are very famous among tourist coming to India on cultural Tours. Every year in the month of February - March, Khajuraho Dance Festival is organized by the Kala Parishad under the Madhya Pradesh government. Famous Classical Dancers from all over India performs during this Dance festival at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. The aim of organizing this event is to promote cultural heritage and traditional dances of India.

Dancers from abroad also perform during this week long festival in Madhya Pardesh. Live performances of classical dances like Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Manipuri and Mohniattam are the major attractions of these dance festival. The Khajuraho Dance Festival is internationally recognized by international dancers and academies. A large number of foreign tourists come to India for a culturally enriched show of classical dances like Khajuraho Festival of Dances

Khajuraho Festival of Dances is celebrated at a time when the hardness of winter begins to fade and the king of all seasons, spring, takes over. The most colourful and brilliant classical dance forms of india with their roots in the ling and rich cultural traditions across the country, offer a feast for the eyes during a weeklong extravaganza here. Since times immemorial, myriad forms of dance have been adsorbed into the classical dance styles. Watching these performances reveal the age-old trends, trits and nuances that are firmly established in dance in various regions of India.

The aura of these masterpieces has not dimmed over many centuries; nor have the living traditions of these styles lost their fluidity and charm over the long passage of time. Indian traditions of dance have been considered to be divine in origin. In Indian mythodilogy, the gods and goddesses are great lovers of music that comprises vocal singing, instrumental music and dance.

Some of the gods are great dancers themselves. Shiva's cosmic dance, the Tandava, Lord Krishna's Rass Leela with the Gopis (female partners), and the legendry beautiful and most skilled dancers known as apsaras, such as Menaka, Urvashi and Rambha, in the celestial court of Lord Indra, the King of Gods, are well versed in the heavenly art of music and dance. These dances of the mind and soul pervade all aspects of life and bring color, joy and gaiety to the festivals and ceremonies of this country.

For ages this ethos has continued in the realm of art and culture of India and embedded into the diverse dance styles prevalent in various parts of the country. These dances materialize against the backdrop of the glorious temples of Khajuraho, which stand a testimony to the glorious past of India's cultural richness. This temple complex glows with the warmth of sandstone which is ornamented with the sinuous curves of sculpture unparalleled in their beauty.

The past of Khajuraho is shrouded with mystery and conjecture. In the midst of the wilderness full of ferocious animals, there is the small town of Khajuraho standing alone in its solitude with its ancient temples. With hardly any written records and rare references to its origin, the history of Khajuraho has become trapped in the mythical folklore of the region. The beautiful artwork of these temples have gained the attention of the art lovers all over the world but the real purpose behind their construction is a mere guess work of the intellectuals. The These temples fire the imagination of the visitors with innumerable questions such as their significance and their position in the society, the reason behind using these temples as an art gallery, the whereabouts of the said kingdom and why only the temples have been found and there are no ruins of the mansions and palaces in the nearby area. The graphic representation of sexual and erotic postures in a religious place is bewildering too.

However, if the myth it is to be believed, Khajuraho was known as 'Khajur-vahika' or 'Khajjurpura' in the ancient times because of its golden date palms (known as 'khajur') that lined the gates of this city. It has been mentioned in the Mahoba-khand of Chandbardai's (the famous medieval court poet) 'Prithviraj Raso' that Hemraj, the royal priest of Kashi (the old name for Varanasi), had an exceptionally beautiful daughter named Hemvati, who was unfortunately a child widow. One summer night, while she was bathing in a lotus-filled pond, the Moon God was so dazed by her beauty that he descended to earth in human form full of lust and passion and ravished her. Later, he repented when the distressed Hemvati threatened to curse him for ruining her honor and dignity and blessed her with a valiant son who would later become a king and build the temples of Khajuraho. Hemvati left her home and gave birth to a brave and strong boy child in the tiny village of Khajjurpura. The child was named Chandravarman and it is said that by the time he was 16 years old, the glorious boy was strong and skilled enough to kill tigers or lions with his bare hands. With the blessings of the Moon God, his father he became a mighty king and built the fortress at Kalinjar. Then heeding to his mother's wishes he built 85 legendary temples surrounded by lakes and gardens at Khajuraho and also performed the bhandya yagya, to wash away the sins of his mother.

Yet another version of the above legend raises Hemvati as a dutiful daughter who sacrificed all her happiness and dignity for her father. Mani Ram, the royal priest of Kalinjar, miscalculated once and declared the dark night as the full moon night or Purnamasi in front of the king. Hemvati, his widowed daughter could not bear the possibility of any stigma on her father's reputation and prayed to the Moon God to uphold the word of the priest. However, she had to pay a heavy price for her wish being granted when the Moon God who was smitten by the lady's beauty ravished her in return for his favor. When Mani Ram came to know of this entire incident, he was so ashamed and grief-stricken that he cursed himself and turned into a stone. However, Hemvati got pregnant with the tryst and gave birth to a virtuous son by the name of sage Chandrateya who is believed to be the founder of the Chandela dynasty. Chandelas worshipped the Mani Ram-turned-stone as Maniya Dev.

The Khajuraho village surrounded by the mountains of Chatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh is 395 Km southeast of Agra. Today this village remains with 22 temples, which give us a glimpse of a golden time of art and devotion at their peak. Out of 22 temples, two were made from sandstone. The stone blocks were first carved and then the interlocking pieces were assembled to form a temple. Each temple is different from one another.

The 31m high temple is the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple with exquisite carvings and intricate and detailed craftsmanship in stone depicting divine deities, celestial maidens, eternal lovers, gods and goddesses. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and enshrines the 'linga'. 

The temple is the earliest temple of the group that has survived. It belongs to 900 AD and is dedicated Goddess Kali. It has the distinction of being the only granite temple here. 

This temple is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev). It faces towards east or the rising sun and the imposing image of the image of the deity in the inner sanctum is as high as five feet and is shown driving a horse-drawn chariot. It is in front of this temple and the Vishwanatha temple that most of the dance performances take place during the Khajuraho Dance Festival.

This temple has impressive entrances with magnificent stone guarding its northern steps and royal masonry elephants taking care of the southern steps. The three-headed image of Lord Brahma in the temple is not less captivating.

A pretty Vaishnava temple flaunts a lintel over its entrance depicting the divine trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva along with Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Lord Vishnu.

Situated outside the premises of Western group of temples, this Lord Shiva's temple is known for the daunting eight-feet high lingam (male organ representing the natural process of reproduction and the continuity of human life form) that it enshrines.

The largest Jain temple of the Eastern group, Parsvanath temple has intricate stone carvings, especially, the sculptures on the northern outer wall of the temple are certainly praiseworthy. It enshrines a throne facing the bull emblem that represents the the first tirthankara, Adinatha. 

This Jain temple has remarkable frescos depicting the 16 dreams of the mother of Lord Mahavira at the time of his birth and a Jain goddess mounted on a winged Garuda. 

This temple is richly ornamented with delicate and pretty scultures including those of yakshis. It is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankara (saint), Adinath.

Most of the temple here belong to Jain faith but there are three Hindu temples of the group, namely, the Brahma temple enshrining a four-faced linga; the Vamana temple with divine carvings of sensuous celestial maidens in various poses adorning its outer walls and theJavari temple with a opulently carved doorway and ostentatious sculptures on its exteriors.

This Shaiva temple is known for flaunting the striking images of the celestial maidens or apsaras and richly ornamented figures.

It is the huge imposing intricately carved image of Lord Vishnu in the temple's sanctum, which is the chief attraction of the temple.

Though it is the temples and their erotic sculptures that first come to mind when we talk about Khajuraho, but they are not the only things worth a look here. There is a fort, a palace and a museum for those who want to delve into the regal and cultural splendor of the region. There are interesting lakes and waterfalls and beautiful rock formations that can charm any nature lovers who ventures there and there are national parks and sanctuaries for the wildlife enthusiasts. For the casual tourists, who just want a break from the hectic lifestyle of the big cities, Khajuraho is an idyllic place to visit. 

25 km from Khajuraho, just 50-year old Rajgarh Palace is situated at the foot of Maniyagarh hills.

80 km from Khajuraho, Ajaygarh Fort is situated at a height of 688m. This fort remained the capital of Chandelas during the dark times before their reign ended. 

100 km from Khajuraho, Kalinjar fort is as old as the Gupta period and was won over the Chandela ruler Shri Yashovarman in the 10th century. This fort is situated on the Vindhya ranges. 

57 km from Khajuraho, Dhubela museum is situated in an old fort on the way to Jhansi. The museum has a rare collection of Bundelkhandi artifacts and a myriad of sculptures of Shakti cult. Besides that, it also has several other sections such as those on clothes, armory and paintings.

30-minute drive will bring you from Khajuraho to the famous and splendid Panna National Park. The region is rich in wildlife and its highlights are Leopards, Wolves, Gharials, Wild Boars, Sloth Bears, Cheetals, Chowsinghas, Indian Foxes and Porcupines. Flora is not the less inviting with dense teak forests and the panoramic landscape of the sanctuary has deep gorges and lush green serene valleys. But due to the hot summers, this national park remains close from June to October. 

24 km from Khajuraho, Ken Gharial sanctuary is the best place to see the crocodiles with long-snouts living in their natural home. The dreadful glimpse of the sharp teeth seemingly ready to engulf you at once does not correspond to the behavioral characteristics of these crocodiles with normally peaceful nature. However, it is best to keep the distance. 

30 km from Khajuraho, Pandava waterfalls are so called because it is believed that Pandavas spent most of their time in exile here. It is on the Ken River. 

20 km from Khajurao, Raneh Falls are famous for the lovely rock formations on the River Ken. Besides the multihued pure crystalline granite canyon, which is 5 km long and about 100 ft deep, in varying shades of pink, red and gray, there are a number of seasonal waterfalls in the nearby wooded area making it a perfect picnic spot. 

Lake Benisagar is 11 km from Khajuraho while Lake Ranguan is 25 km from Khajuraho. Both these delightful lakes have boating facilities and are perfect venue for a short picnic.