KHAJURAHO, MADHYA PRADESH(INDIA)

Khajuraho – Where Sculptures come alive

If India is a land of villages, then Khajuraho is a land of art and culture. Situated in the Chatarpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh in Central India, this small little hamlet has become a major tourist haunt due to its intricately carved temples. Across the world, tourists rave about the charm and grandeur exuded by the sculptures here. Known for the exquisitely carved architectural style, the way human sexuality has been depicted here has to be seen to be believed.

Thus it is not a surprise that it tops the list of tourist spots in Madhya Pradesh and the Khajuraho Dance Festival is another occasion to reckon with. Held in the months of February and March, the venue is the open air auditorium here which is also adjacent to the temple of the Sun God and the temple of the Indian God Lord Vishwanath or Shiva. These temples come under the Western Group of temples in india which are very well maintained and are easily accessible.

The dance festival at Khajuraho gathered momentum since 2002, and is a weeklong extravaganza. During the festival, the temple looks different as it is decorated and is in full finery. Dancers come in here in great numbers and perform the classical Indian dance style. All the experts in the areas of the various Indian dances like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi congregate here and perform to an audience thirsty for a cultural experience. With the vibrant colors of masks and the equally vibrant dances the Khajuraho Dance Festival is not something to be missed.

The Khajuraho temples exhibit the best form of skills and arts by way of stupendously carved sculptures. All these sculptures exhibit the various expressions of dance and the exponents of music couldn’t be shown better here. Thus this is the ideal place for a festival related only to dance.

When ones sees the intricately set out steps of the Kathak dance, the demureness of Bharatnatyam, the softness and grace of Odissi, the song dance sequences of Kuchipudi, the ancientness of Manipuri and the well laid out stage fights of Kathakali with the masks, then one is ensured that art and culture exists here in the dance festival at Khajuraho the land of sculptures.

This is also the time when the Indian artists get a chance to share their talents with the rest of the world. India is a land of never-ending surprises when it comes to talent and art. With its unique tradition and a culture dating back to centuries, the exponents of all kind of art forms find their way to this festival where all forms of indigenous expressions are given a perfect platform.

Khajuraho is easily accessible by road from all Indian cities and has Delhi, Agra and Varanasi as the nearest airports. Jhansi and Satna are the nearest railway stations.

So if you are looking for dollops of art and culture visit this artistic Indian village. With such mystical values, Khajuraho is a must visit during the Dance Festival.