This Book Is Primarily An Introduction To The Magnificient World Of The Khajuraho Temples, Their History, Patronage, Court Culture, Religion, Iconography And The Distinctive Features Of Sculptures And Architecture.

An updated version of the critically-acclaimed Divine Ecstasy: The Story of Khajuraho, this is an eye-opening book on one of India's most fascinating heritage sites and is indispensable reading for all those interested in rediscovering India's cultural past. Includes 67 photographs.

This monograph studies the Art of Khajuraho from a new perspective: Architecture vis a vis its ornament, mainly the non religious Devangana Sculptures including the 'Mithuna', on the basis of Sanskrit texts. 'Mithuna ' is the most debated and also the most widely misunderstood phenomenon of Indian Art. Too much sacred, esoteric and metaphysical significance has been attached to the Indian Art and this aspect has been explained without any textual support, on fanciful conjectures.Indian Art is sacred in the sense that it is only through the religious media that it has expressed itself; otherwise as the study of the Silpa texts, classical works of Poetry and Drama and, more specifically the works on Poetics shows it has grown and developed formally and independently of any religious injunction. The key to its understanding lies in these texts. This is a classical problem and it is with the textual support of the classical literature of the same age that the author has ventured to solve it. In essence, it is a study of Indian Aesthetics based on Sanskrit texts, about 100 of which have been quoted in original . The temples of Khajuraho have been dealt with stylistically. The work attempts to study Indian Art in general and Art of Khajuraho in particular, in its formal aspect, over and above the much professed and generally superfluous esoteric, metaphysical and ritualistic interpretation thereof and as such it is the first work of this type.

- A privileged visual journey through one of the most famous Indian heritage sites Situated in the northern Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is renowned as much for the elegance of its architecture as for the sensuality of its sculpture. Khajuraho has become one of the unmissable sights for any traveler to India, and owes its international reputation to the lavishness of its numerous Hindu shrines. Formerly an important political and religious center, it is thought to have contained up to ninety-five temples, as the many ruins concealed under otherwise-anonymous hillocks scattered throughout the valley attest. Only twenty-five survive. The earliest mention of Khajuraho dates from the seventh century. After the collapse of the Candella kingdom, the site experienced almost four centuries of oblivion, and the once proud city-state turned into a sleepy village nestling in what had become an arid basin for several months of the year. British hunters rediscovered it quite by chance at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Since then, the area has undergone several phases of restoration, as befits one of the leading sites of the world's cultural heritage. The highly unusual nature of its temple depictions has given this area a somewhat 'scandalous' reputation, unleashing, over the years, interpretations of all kinds.

Khajuraho-The Name Itself Is Synonymous With Architectural Excellence And Breathtaking Craftsmanship. The World Heritage Temples Of Khajuraho Can Be Regarded As One Of The Wonders Of The East, A Symbol In Stone, Representing The Cosmic System Of Hindu Temples, With A Dash Of Erotica Along With Other Wordly And Divine Scenes. Scholars Will Welcome Dr. Mishra`S Archaeological Material On Different Aspects Of The Excavations Conducted In Khajuraho Since 1980, With Details On The Geography Of The Mounds, The Remains Uncovered And An Analysis Of The Discoveries Made. It Is Noteworthy That The Excavation Of The Shatdhara Mound In The North East Of Khajuraho Takes The History Of The Place To Pre-Chandella Times Readers May Find Useful The Chapter On Conservation And Preservation Efforts At Khajuraho. The Excavation Of The Bijamandala Mound In The Millennium Year By Dr. Mishra Is An Important Discovery.