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The Ministry of Tourism organizes a webinar on “ Khajuraho Temples of Architectural Splendour” under Dekho Apna Desh.
About Dekho Apna Desh webinar
The Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ webinar series in April 2020. Its objective is to create awareness about and promote various tourism destinations in India. It is also an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
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About Khajuraho Temples:
- Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh.
- Built by: the Chandella rulers between AD 900 and 1130.
- Situated in: within the Vindhya Mountain range in Central India.
- UNESCO Site: The temple got the status of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in 1986.
- Style: The temples are famous for their Nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
- Temples: The temples are categorized into three groups that are Eastern, Western and Southern.
- To name a few temples are Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Chaunsat Yogini Temple, Brahma Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Devi Jagdamba Temple, Lakshmana Temple, Matangeshwar Temple, Parsvanath Temple.
- Significance: These temples are famous for intricate & exceptional carvings and surprising architectural skills. The first documented mention of Khajuraho was made in 641 by Xuanzang, a Chinese pilgrim.
- Later, Khajuraho temples also found mention by Abu Raihan al Biruni in AD 1022 and the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta in AD 1335.
- Government Initiatives: The Ministry of Tourism included Khajuraho Temples as one of the sites under the “Iconic Tourist Sites Initiative”.
- Iconic Tourist Sites Initiative announced in Budget 2019-20. It aims to develop the selected sites into world-class tourist destinations to serve as a model for other tourism sites.
Note: The 10th-century Bhand Deva Temple in Rajasthan was built in the style of the Khajuraho monuments and is often referred to as ‘Little Khajuraho’.
Source: PIB
