A temple town like no other, Khajuraho is one of India’s most loved tourist destinations, and is a cultural masterpiece that had survived centuries of neglect before being restored to its former glory. Known for its stunning 9th-11th century temples, Khajuraho was the cultural capital of the Chandela Dynasty of Madhya Pradesh, and once contained 85 temples, of which only 22 remain now, divided into three major zones, and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tale behind the construction of these erotic sculptured temples is as interesting as the temples themselves: Hemvati, the lovely daughter of a Brahmin priest was seduced by the Moon God while bathing in a pool near her house in Benares, and later gave birth to Chandravarman, the founder of the Chandela dynasty.
Chandravarman built most of these temples after a dream visitation by his mother who asked him to reveal the shallow nature of human passion to the world. Other versions lead us to believe that the Moon God told Hemvati the only way to expunge her guilt over her extramarital affair with him was to instruct her yet-to-be-born illegitimate son, the prophesized founder of the Chandela dynasty, to build 85 temples with erotic carvings, gardens, and lakes in the forest of Khajurs (date trees), which then subsequently came to be known as Khajuraho. Still a small town, Khajuraho has a population of 5000 friendly people, who are always glad to help the visitors with open arms.
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