Khajuraho Group of Monuments

2008-09-05T06:38:57Z

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{{Infobox World Heritage Site
| WHS = Khajuraho Group of Monuments
| Image = [[Image:Khajuraho5.jpg|275px|A typical temple at Khajuraho with divine couples. Note lace-like ornamentation on the major and the minor shikharas.]]
| State Party = {{IND}}
| Type = Cultural
| Criteria = i, iii
| ID = 240
| Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia|Asia-Pacific]]
| Year = 1986
| Session = 10th
| Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/240
}}

'''Khajuraho''' ({{lang-hi|खजुराहो}}) is a village in the [[States and territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]], located in [[Chhatarpur District]], about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of [[Delhi]], the capital city of [[India]].

The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].

One of the most popular [[tourist destinations in India]], Khajuraho has the largest group of [[medieval]] [[Hindu]] and [[Jain]] [[temple]]s, famous for their [[erotic sculpture]]. The name Khajuraho is derived from the [[Hindi]] word ''khajur'' meaning ''[[date palm]]''.

==History==
The city was once the original capital of the [[Chandela]] [[Rajput]]s, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of a hundred years, from [[950]] to [[1050]]. The Chandela capital was moved to [[Mahoba]] after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time.

The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 8 square miles (21 km²).

Unlike other cultural centers of North India, the temples of Khajuraho never underwent massive destruction by early Muslim invaders between c. 1100-1400 AD. Due to overgrowth following their abandonment, a number of them survived to be discovered by the British in the 19th century. The colonials undertook the laborious excavation of the temples, which required no small amount of reassembly. Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Northern Indian architectural styles that ha

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Khajuraho Group of Monuments