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.
Western Group
Kandariya Mahadeo
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.
Eastern Group
Parsvanatha Temple
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.
Southern Group
Duladeo Temple
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.
Benisagar and Ranguan Lakes
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.
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