KHAJURAHO
ARCHITECTURE - ART AND CULTURE
News:
At Khajuraho, an
exhibition on repatriated artefacts for G-20 delegates
What's
in the news?
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Twenty-three repatriated Indian
antiquities will be exhibited and each of their stories told to G-20 delegates
at Khajuraho as part of efforts to strengthen the mechanism to prevent illicit
trafficking in antiquities, and facilitate the return and restitution of such
treasured artefacts.
Khajuraho
Temple:
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The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are a
group of Hindu and Jain temples in
Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh.
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They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The temples are famous for their Nagara-style architectural symbolism and
their erotic sculptures.
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Most Khajuraho temples were built between
885 AD and 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty.
Khajuraho
School:
In the central part of
India, the Chandela rulers developed
a distinct style of temple making of their own, known as Khajuraho School or Chandel
School. The features of the temples here include:
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Both
the interior and exterior walls were lavishly decorated with carvings.
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The sculptures were generally erotic in
their themes.
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Made up of sandstone.
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The temples had three chambers such as
garbhagriha, mandapa, and Ardha-mandapa. Some temples had a vestibular entrance
to the garbhagriha known as antarala.
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Generally north or east facing.
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Panchayatana
style of temple making was followed.
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Subsidiary shrines also had Rekha prasad
shikharas. This created an impression of a mountain range.
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The temples were built on a relatively
high platform.
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The temples belong to both Hindu as well
as Jain religion.
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Example: Kandariya Mahadeva Temple,
Lakshman Temple at Khajuraho, etc.