This frieze from a.panel adorning
the south
platform of the
Lakshman Temple depicts animal
passion in
humans in the form of'bestiality.
Though the horse forms part of the Chandela
army as depicted on the temple platforms
and
fagades, it is rarely given the detailed
treatment
reserved forelephants.
|
The only good thing
about Hotel Zen was that it was close to the Western Group of temples,
and to the
wonderful Raja Café,
that became our favorite haunt. While we enjoyed vegetarian lunch at the
Agarwal restaurant,
our breakfast, tea, and
dinner were in the wonderful ambience of Raja Café where we had
some amazing
coffee, pancakes and Continental
fare. I highly recommended Raja Café to all visitors to Khajuraho
-
it’s one of the best places
to relax specially in the evenings, and is very reasonable on the pocket.
Its situated opposite the
Western group temple complex.
When we had planned the trip
to Khajuraho, we had hoped for some good weather, however, the sun
was harsh and hot during
our visit. The heat hampered some of our sight-seeing program, however,
we took this time to rest
our work-weary bodies and minds (though Hotel Zen is the last place where
you can hope to achieve
Zen-like relaxation - the Tantra is truant here, and the Zen is a fallacy!).
Our sight-seeing typically
included a visit to the evening Sound and Light show at the Khajuraho
temple premises, with an
insight into the legend and the history of the temples. The lighting of
the
temples comes out well,
and is enjoyable, and the tickets are reasonably priced at Rs 75 per head.
We visited the Western Group
of temples early next morning and were able to capture the beautiful
imagery of the temples in
the golden glaze of the morning sun.
The temples are open from
sunrise to sunset, but considering that it becomes quite hot by noon,
its best to visit these
temples early in the morning. We also discovered a small lake with steps
leading down, close to the
temples. The lake looks its best when visited after sundown, with the
reflection of the Eucalyptus
trees that line the side, the pale yellow of the moon, and a silhouette
of one of the temples in
the background that lend an illusion that is best seen in the dark.
Like most illusions, the
lake becomes just another water body in the daytime.
more.......
|
|
