 Khajuraho temples have no enclosure wall surrounding them and each of them is built on a high and solid raised masonry platform. It has five distinct chambers: Ardhamandap is the outermost chamber, the mahamandapa, the antaraal and garbhagraha. Not all of these chambers may necessarily be present. However there are some temples that do not have the mahamandapa. Garbagriha is situated inside the antaraal and there may be a pradakshina path provided around it. The garbhagraha housed the deity
The deity faces the east. The temples used to be built in the panchayatana style which consisted of one central temple with four subshrines at four corners. The Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho is an example. The temples have been made of granite or sandstone especially upon raised platforms. The platforms stand on solid rock masses. Spires were constructed by placing solid blocks of stone upon four pillars and then adding blocks of stone. Various spires are out of alignment. The erotic sculptures are located on the outer wall of the antaraal in the recess that is formed by the two cross arms. The temples are grouped into three divisions: southeastern group of Jain temples, the western group of Brahmanical temples to Lord Shiva and Vishnu and the northern group of Vaishnava temples. Columns and architraves were built with megaliths. The arches in are made by a technique known as corbelling. The features of the architecture of Khajuraho temples are: Amalaka is a stone disk with ridges on the rim that is on top of the temple's main tower. It is crowned with a kalasha from which a temple banner is hung. Ardhamandapa is the entrance porch that forms a transitional area between the outside world and the mandapa. Mandapa is a hall in the temple, forming a transitional space between the ardhamandapa and mahamandapa. Mahamandapa is the temple's main entrance-hall, separated from the garbhagriha by an antarala. At Khajuraho, a mahamandapa is indiacted by the bumped-out portions which are perpendicular to the temple's main axis. Antarala is a transitional space between a temple's main hall and the inner sanctum. The exterior panels on these elements are the primary sites for large panels with eroctic sculptures (particularly the Vishvanath and Kandariya Mahadev temples). Garbagirha is the temple's inner sanctum that contains the image of the temple's primary deity. Urushringa are the smaller towers on the temple's exterior that would lead the eye up to the highest point. Adhishsthana is the raised base on which a temple was built. These are high especially in the temples at Khajuraho. (Last Updated on : 05-05-2012) |
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