Kandariya Mahadev Temple : This is without any doubt the largest and most magnificent temple in Khajuraho. The elegant proportions of this building and its sculptural detailing are the most refined examples of this artistice heritage of central India. Kandariya Mahadev shares its high platform with the small Mahadev shrine and the medium - sized Devi jagdambi Temple, thereby accentuating its height and grandeur. As far as we know, after the Kandariya Mahaddev temple, the artist of khajuraho never again attempted to build a strcuture so high or ornate. The temple measures about 30 metres in lenght and 20 m width. The temple shikhara rises 35.3 metres in length.
The temple shikhara rises 35.3 Detres above the ground. from the east side it looks like a huge mountain of stone with a dark cave-like opening set high above the ground. The temple measures about 30 metres in length and cave-like opening Set high above the ground. The name Kandaya Mahadev refers also to Shiva, the ascetic who dwells in a mountain cave, lost in meditation. In profile the pyramidal porch, mandap roofs and conical shikhara looks like a range of mountain staraining upwards till it meets the sky, or shiva. The shikhara of the kandariya Mahadev Temples is borad at the base and in graceful curve grow narrower as it reaches the pinnacle. It is built up of over righty replica shikharas that appear to be clambering up the central tower, giving it bothe force and momnetum on its skyward journey towards divinity.
Khajuraho was once the capital of the Chandela dynasty. The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India, is the largest of the western group of temples in the Khajuraho complex which was built by the Chandela rulers. Shiva is the chief deity in the temple deified in the sanctum sanctorium. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple was built during the reign of Vidyadhara (r. c. 1003-1035 CE). At various periods of the reign of this dynasty many famous temples dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva, Surya, Shakti of the Hindu religion and also for the Thirthankaras of Jain religion were built. Vidhyadhara, also known as Bida in the recordings of the Muslim historian Ibn-al-Athir was a powerful ruler who fought Mahmud of Ghazni in the first offensive launched by the latter in 1019. This battle was not conclusive and Mahmud had to return to Ghazni. Mahmud again waged war against Vidhyadhara in 1022. He attacked the fort of Kalinjar. The siege of the fort was unsuccessful. It was lifted and Mahmud and Vidhyadhara called a truce and parted by exchanging gifts. Vidhyadhara celebrated his success over Mahmud and other rulers by building the Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Temple, dedicated to his family deity Shiva. Epigraphic inscriptions on a pilaster of the mandapa in the temple mentions the name of the builder of the temple as Virimda, which is interpreted as the pseudonym of Vidhyadhara. Its construction is dated to the period from 1025 and 1050 AD.
Khajuraho is located at Northern region of Madhya Pradesh state in Central India. It is a popular tourist attraction under Madhya Pradesh tourism. Although it is a small town but have own airport of International category which makes it easy to reach this destinations. Here tourists can reach by train and road also. Let us check how to reach Khajuraho by different modes of transportation.
Best time to visit Khajuraho is from October to March. It is the period when we will find most of the tourists visits these temples. Theirs are different reasons for high tourism in this period in which climatic condition is the main reason. If we visit Khajuraho, we will find that it is basically a arid zone where vegetation is not so dense and surrounding area is more rocky thus in summers, temperature rises rapidly and sightseeing under open sky becomes challenging. Temperature remains good during October to March period and most of the domestic and international holidays lies in this period thus people like to go for outing. World famous Khajuraho Dance Festival also helds in this period, at the end of Feb month. All these factors contributes to declare this period as the best time to visit Khajuraho. Here monsoon prevails from July to September month during which surrounding areas become green and many nature lovers like to visit in this time also.
