An Ancient Past
Ancient dynasties are often covered in a veil of
mystery, largely because written records are rare and,
as is often the case in India, myth and legend weave
their way over time into the history of their origin and
their reign. And when the dynasty leaves a legacy as
contradictory as the Khajuraho temples, with their mix
of the religious and the sensuous, the web is woven of
brighter threads, the accompanying legends more colourful.
Khajuraho or 'Khajur-vahika' (bearer of date palms),
also known as 'Khajjurpura' in ancient times, evidently
derives its name from the golden date palms (khajur)
that adorned its city gates and, if the different legendary
versions are to be believed, it owes its existence to an
enchanting maiden named Hemvati.
According to the account of the medieval court poet,
Chandbardai, in the Mahoba-khand of his Prithviraj
Raso, Hemvati was the beautiful daughter of Hemraj,
the royal priest of Kashi (Varanasi). One summer
night, while she was bathing in the sparkling waters of
a lotus-filled pond, the Moon god was so awestruck
by her beauty that he descended to earth in human
form and ravished her. The distressed Hemvati, who
was unfortunately a child widow, threatened to curse
the god for ruining her life and reputation. To make
amends for his folly the Moon god promised that she
would become the mother of a valiant son. 'Take him
to Khajjurpura', he is believed to have said. 'He will be
a great king and build numerous temples surrounded
by lakes and gardens. He will also perform a yagya
(religious ceremony) through which your sin will be
washed away.' Following his instructions, Hemvati left
her home to give birth to her son in a tiny village. The
child, Chandravarman, was as lustrous as his father,
brave and strong. By the time he was 16 years old he
could kill tigers or lions with his bare hands.
Delighted by his feats, Hemvati invoked the Moon
god, who presented their son with a touchstone which
could turn iron into gold, and installed him as king at Khajuraho.
Chandravarman achieved a series of brilliant victories
and built a mighty fortress at Kalinjar. At his mother's
request he began the building of 85 glorious temples
with lakes and gardens at Khajuraho and performed
the bhandya-yagya which expunged her of her guilt.
A variation of the same legend introduces Hemvati as
the widowed daughter of Mani Ram, the royal priest of
Kalinjar. As a result of a mistake in his calculations the
priest informed his king that a particular night was
Puranmasi (full moon night) and not the dark night
that it actually turned out to be. In her concern for her
father's reputation the beautiful Hemvati prayed to the
Moon god, who was gracious enough to uphold the
word of the priest but, inreturn for his favour,
ravished the daughter. The grieving father was so
shame-stricken that he cursed himself and turned into
a stone, which was later worshipped by the Chandelas
as Maniya Dev. Hemvati gave birth to a son, the sage
Chandrateya, who was later at the helm of the Chandela clan.
Historically speaking, the area and aura around Khajuraho has
always been renowned for its cultural achievements.