Khajuraho Group of Monuments - Places to Visit in Khajuraho

India is a highly attractive tourist destination in the world today. Number of travelers to India is on rise every year. Reason is also simple. There are ample numbers of tourist sites to see. Both economical growth and infrastructure development is for everyone to see. Madhya Pradesh is one state in India with growing tourism. There are many wonderful places here. One of them is Khajuraho. Everyone knows this name because it is so famous across the world. Khajuraho is a century old place in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. This is a site where group of temples were built centuries ago and still many of them in their beautiful form remains. Khajuraho happens to be one of the most attractive tourist places in India. Though it is site where group of temples are there, yet the architectural beauty, some finest arts of the world and symbolism of Hindu and Jain religion shows the rich heritage and tradition of Indian culture. If you are coming to India from any part of the world you must visit Khajuraho as Khajuraho is one of the most popular tourist sites in Madhya Pradesh, India. So let us explore this beautiful and famous tourist place in India known as Khajuraho in detail. Khajuraho was built between 950-1050 AD by the Chandela Dynasty. The temples here built during that time were more than 80 in numbers spread over 20 square kilometers. However today only about 25 temples have survived which now spread over 6 square kilometers. These temples represent great forms like forms of meditation, spiritual teaching, kinship, wrestling, royalty and on top is the erotic art which is considered of most significance today. The site is a UNESCO world heritage site in India. Temples here consist of stunning displays of fine sculptures and exceptional architectural skill. Khajuraho is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in Inida. It is about 175 kilometers southeast of Jhansi. The reason why these temples are famous is their nagara style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures. Why the name Khajuraho? Well the name is primarily derived from date trees. You can hear interesting local stories about it. One story goes like this. The Chandela rulers, who when ruled this region when they began constructing the temples, got the entire area enclosed by a wall. The wall had about eight gates which were primarily used for entry or exit. It is said that each gate was flanked on either side by date and palm trees. The name was derived from these very trees and the temples were called "Khajura-vahika". In the Hindi language, ‘Khajura’ means ‘Date Palm’ and ‘Vahika’ means ‘Bearing’. So, the name is Khajuraho. In this region the date palm tree is in abundance. One can simply explore the marvel of ancient Indian art in these temples. The temple site is within the range of Vindhya Mountains in the part of Central India. The temple here reflects the ancient Hindu tradition which says that Hindu Gods here loved to play. Shiva one of the most worshiped deity in Hindu religion visited this dramatic hill formation in Kalinjar area. So there is not just one factor but many which make Khajuraho simply a super place to go to when one is on tour of India. Of the remaining 25 temples some are dedicated to Shiva and his consorts, some to deity Vishnu and his affinities, one to deity Ganesha, one to Sun God and three to Jain Tirthankers. The temples here show you the rich display of intricately carved statues. Erotic sculptures are most famous here but opposite to common belief they cover less than 10% of sexual themes. Moreover viewers need to look at them closely or be guided. The Khajuraho temples are divided into 3 parts namely Eastern group, Southern group and western group of temples. Every year in February The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held which features various classical Indian dances against the backdrop of Chitragupta or Vishwanath temples. Every evening one can enjoy light and sound show also. Reaching here is quite easy. Khajuraho is served by Civil Aerodrome Khajuraho, with services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai. The site is also linked by the Indian Railways service, with the railway station located approximately six kilometers from the entrance to the monuments. So when you are visiting India then you must be visiting Khajuraho temples to make your tour to India a great one.