Sitting on the steps of a small shrine housing the imposing emblem of Chandela dynasty, a feisty prince battling a fierce lion, I remember being distinctly unimpressed with what I saw. Blame it on the marketing gimmick that touts Khajuraho to be something it is not, a grand display of Kama Sutra and assorted erotica. If a destination doesn’t even live up to its stereotype, then what is it worth really? The illusion shattered furthermore when I learnt that Khajuraho is not even the only temple that contains erotic carvings in India. There are at least 15 more across the country that we know of, including well-known ones such as Sun temple of Konark, Jain temples of Ranakpur and even Virupaksha temple of Hampi.

Earlier this month, I walked into the manicured lawns of Khajuraho’s Western group of temples – a cluster of the most prominent and well preserved of the 20 remaining temples today. Chandelas who ruled over parts of central India between 10th and 13th centuries undertook the massive task of commissioning these sandstone marvels. It’s a testament to the rulers’ commitment to the cause and the virtuosity of the architects as well as sculptors that 85 of these temples were constructed in a short span of two centuries – a miracle considering each temple required countless man-hours. History Channel even attempted a telling recreation in an episode cringe-worthily named “Lost Worlds: Kama Sutra” given that Kama Sutra and Khajuraho have little to do with each other and are separated by at least six centuries.

In the warm glow of that quiet winter evening, the sandstone temples of Khajuraho gleamed like gold rising out of a field of green. Women in colorful sarees stomped down the pathways crisscrossing the lawns in the far distance. The hushed winds whipped up a surreal aura when it suddenly dawned on me that these temples have stood witness to time for one whole millennium - a thousand years! There, that was the magic I could be more invested in. The next morning, trying to make more sense of Khajuraho’s allure which still didn’t quite get to me, I enlisted the help of one Gopal ji, a government approved guide who would go on to give me a lot of food for thought over the course of the day.

Under the shade of a towering tree, Gopal ji diligently retold the history of Khajuraho and Chandelas as he was taught. One thing stood out from his spiel, was that Chandelas were great patrons of Jainism too. No wonder then, Eastern Group of temples were home to three Jain temples built in the similar architectural style as the Hindu temples of Khajuraho and didn’t seem to have any eroticism but were peppered with Jain iconography.

“Because of the growing popularity of Buddhism, which they wanted to suppress, the Chandelas could’ve given patronage to Jains, who then thrived in Khajuraho during Chandela rule”, he mentioned in passing. Romila Thapar, a noted historian also surmises that one of the reasons there was a profusion of erotic art in the early centuries of this millennium was to counteract the tenets of Buddhism that propounded celibacy and rejection of all earthly desires. Edifying eroticism in temples and literature could’ve been a strategic move to retain the Hindu masses that wandered to the fringes of Buddhism’s austere spirituality.

While it was clear that Khajuraho’s temples were so much more than erotic sculptures, it was only when my guide diligently pointed out the intricacies of the carvings did I start taking note of the supreme craftsmanship at display here. The sculptures were evocative, expressive and very realistic, no small feat considering they were carved in stone. As we moved from Lakshmana temple to Kandariya Mahadev temple, it was noticeable that the sculptors refined their skill over the years and the sculptures became more evocative and slender too. However I couldn’t shake off the questions stirring in my mind. Why did the Chandelas build 85 of these temples in this remote corner? Was it their way of leaving a lasting legacy? While I was lost in these thoughts, our guide commiserated how the stereotype obscures the architectural splendor of these great constructions.

Invariably someone exclaimed, “What happened to us?” looking at the mithunas (erotic sculptures) of Lakshmana Temple. What happened is that a thousand years passed, during which Islamic and Victorian influences altered our culture. But that’s not really the point. Even though Khajuraho temples are of Hindu origin, it is pertinent to note that Chandelas were believed to be practitioners of Tantra cult, which was always esoteric in nature and by no means represented the more traditional and conservative form of Hinduism followed across the sub continent. So, no, India didn’t suddenly regress from being a country full of sexual liberals to repressed bigots.

Sexual liberation was prominent in Tantric culture but never an eminent part of India’s culture. If it were, we’d be having many more lascivious artworks littered on our temple friezes. Instead we now have fewer temples featuring erotic sculptures than a person can count on his fingers and toes together. Modern day debauchery in the name of Tantra has brought the once prevalent cult a lot of bad name (it is now exclusively associated with hedonistic sex and sensual massages) but in the time of Chandelas and before, Tantric worship was a profoundly spiritual pursuit which propounded sexual ritualism (which could be a deep metaphor for all we know) as a means towards spiritual enlightenment. I’m inclined to consider this theory given the oldest temple currently standing in Khajuraho is of Chausath(64) Yogini signifying yogini worship that is an integral part of Tantric cult was prevalent here.

It annoys me that something so mystical has been reduced to something so outwardly carnal – or something equally vague and untenable as the theory that the erotic sculptures were meant for educational purposes. That logic could be rational, but the lack of possible motive in advocating bestiality and orgies belies it. It probably is just easier for the local guides who have admirably learned to explain the erotic sculptures as “loving couple” without even wincing than to delve into the specifics of the Tantric connection and its multiple allegories.

The duality of unabashed aggrandizement of sensuality that clashes with the recurring motif of scorpion on the thigh that supposedly represents “poisonous lust” is where I would say, lies the true allure of Khajuraho. Even the origin of the name Khajuraho is not definite. Two date palm trees mentioned in scriptures but not seen physically could either have inspired it or the scorpion that isn’t mentioned anywhere but the motif is observed – unsurprisingly both translate to “Kharjur” in Sanskrit! Double entendres abound in these temples and I’m not entirely sure that the message, whatever the sculptures are meant to convey, is supposed to be taken at their face value.

We have no idea what the intention was. We have little understanding of the iconography here and as a result we have let the world brazenly brand Khajuraho as India’s temples of sex and the one shining example of conservative India’s lost liberalism. Not that there is anything wrong with it, it’s just that without any real knowledge, the sobriquet is as misguided as a shot in the dark that only panders to the western stereotype of eastern exoticism, eschewing a holistic view and offering little insight of any real value.

Now that I’ve pontificated enough, it bears to mention that less than 10% of Khajuraho’s carvings are erotic in nature. Standing under the shadow of an enormous tree as Gopal ji went on with his well memorized discourse, I remember my thoughts drifting to future when someone would discover a scripture or some buried treasure that would finally reveal the secrets of Khajuraho to us. And what a momentous unraveling that would be! I can only wish ASI and our historians would invest more thought and work into these glorious temples that are undoubtedly a time capsule from an intriguing epoch we know little about.

The allure of Khajuraho, I now realize, lies in its timeless tenacity and the untold stories it is holding within.

Note: This post is published as part of the #ChaloMPwithHolidayIQ campaign and I was hosted by HolidayIQ in Madhya Pradesh, in collaboration with MP Tourism.

Few weeks ago I went exploring Madhya Pradesh's various kingdoms, wild and historic both. Starting with the impenetrable jungles of little-known Sanjay National Park in Parsili, I reached the crumbling ruins of Baghelkhand dynasty's forgotten legacy next. If these offbeat corners satiated the sense of exploration that we so seek from travel, the well trodden trails of Panna and Khajuraho offered a balancing respite from uncertainty. You can see all the places we travelled to and the things we saw in this post - In Photos: From Popular to the Offbeat, north-eastern Madhya Pradesh's diverse charms.

Coming to the logistics of travel, here's where I stayed through the one week trip across Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with HolidayIQ and MP Tourism.

Madla Jungle Camp, Panna

Panna National Park has two entry gates, one at Madla and the other one is at Hinauta. While both the gates are almost equidistant from the town of Panna, Madla is probably the more comfortable option of the two since this falls right on the Highway 39 on the way to Khajuraho.

Madla Jungle Camp, run by MP Tourism Department, scores big points on account of its enviable location – it's situated right next to the Madla safari gate. Built in a jungle camp style with 9 well-appointed Swiss Cottage tents, the serenity of the adjoining forest spills over generously into the camp. Wildlife safaris with their long bumpy rides and ungodly wake up calls can be terribly tiring, which is why I loved being so close to the gate. You can peacefully wake up at 5.30AM and still be on time at the gate for the safari.

The tents are quite comfortable, air-conditioned and there's hot water facility along with Cable TV and minibar. Gadget junkies will be glad to find there are at least 3 separate plug points in the rooms (more if you remove TV/Fridge connections). Me and a friend were sharing a room and it was so convenient to charge multiple devices without worrying about schedules and alarms to switch devices put on charge. Also, there's WiFi only at the reception.

Madla Jungle Camp is a no frills camp, neatly maintained with friendly service and simple Indian food.

Tariff - INR 2990

Book here - http://mpstdc.com/Page/Hotels

Khajuraho's temples are primarily divided into the Western and Eastern complexes. Most of the hotels are located on the road towards the airport, around western complex, making it a bit crowded. Syna Heritage Hotel, on the other hand is located away from the bustling centre of Khajuraho in a quiet but vast corner. It's a short drive from both Eastern and Western group of temples by vehicle, and it's an added bonus that it's at a perfectly walkable distance from Western group.

The hotel is designed to incorporate traditional motifs in such a way that it evokes memories of royalty with its vintage cars, vast hallways fitted with latticework and rooms with jharokas as windows. The hotel looks opulent from the outside but the rooms are a bit disappointing when it comes to design. Comfort wise, they are fine, but with all the attention to detail in the interiors in other areas of the property, I expected the rooms to carry a bit of the traditional ambience too. From the inside, the rooms are like any other hotel, plain and simple with adequate modern fittings. I shared a super deluxe room with a friend and it was weird that we were given a room with a single queen-size bed. Not sure if they have double rooms with twin beds but do ask while checking in. Also, the walls are quite thin, so be prepared to hear everything that happens in the next room and in the hallways. Or get yourself some earplugs for the sake of your own sanity.

There's a spa inside the property which I didn't get to try and the swimming pool looked quite inviting. The restaurant is adequate and serves Indian and Continental dishes. Overall, Syna Heritage is one of the better places to stay at Khajuraho with friendly and attentive staff, offers great value for money.

Tariff - INR 4000 to 5500

Book here - http://synaheritagehotel.com/

The location is spectacular, you can actually hear the pleasant sound of river flowing even inside the room. We stayed in the Deluxe room which is the largest of all and is very spacious with even a sitting section inside the room. The crowning glory of this room is the large balcony that it comes with, which has a direct view of the river and mountains beyond. If you can choose, ask for this room, highly recommended!

Coming to the room itself, it's clean and comfortable. The staff is friendly and courteous. There were still some ongoing constructions at the time of my visit(Nov 2016) but it probably will be sorted out by the next season. They serve simple Indian food and there's a nice provision for a bonfire by the river side, which I'm guessing should be quite inviting during Madhya Pradesh's harsh winters. Overall, a nice property to stay at by the riverside.

Tariff - INR 1990 - 2990

Book here - http://mpstdc.com/Page/Hotels

Rewa is a small town, once historic, but now crumbling under the weight of negligence and bad memory. The town is littered with forgotten monuments that once were in the thick of the action but today there isn't much infrastructure here to enable a glimpse into that past apart from a fast-deteriorating fort, a badly maintained museum of Baghelkhand's treasure and Govindgarh Fort that's at a short distance.

If any of these things bring you to Rewa, your options for stay are limited and Safari Regency is one of the few adequate hotels available. Situated right by the market, in close proximity to Rani Talab and the Baghel Museum, the hotel provides a decently clean room. The rooms all seem recently renovated, so they're convenient but the toilets hasn't been renovated. They look worn out and are barely tolerable. Would've been good if the toilets were renovated too but it is possible to get by somehow.

Nothing to write home about but Safari Regency is a business hotel offering decent services with well equipped rooms for affordable prices in a small town.

Tariff - INR 700 - 2000
Book here - http://www.safariregency.com/

Note: This post is published as part of the #ChaloMPwithHolidayIQ campaign and I was hosted by HolidayIQ in Madhya Pradesh.

Even when things seem to be going nowhere, India has the uncanny ability to surprise you. By now, I'm tuned to believe there's always light at the end of the tunnel. So even though I was awake for more than 22-hours straight at that point and we were literally in the middle of nowhere, I was hanging onto a faint ray of hope that the morning could bring some magic. A bunch of us were travelling in the heart of Hindustan, Madhya Pradesh and it sure got off to a shaky start. But the tide turned quickly and how! From exploring totally off the grid places to discovering the hidden charm of well-known destinations, my one week in Madhya Pradesh went by in a blur of awe and perplexity. (What's travel really if it doesn't make you reflect?)

In the one week that I travelled exclusively in the north-eastern corner of Madhya Pradesh, a region I had never been to before, in collaboration with HolidayIQ and MP Tourism, here's a quick recap of what I saw in 14 pictures. Detailed blog posts to follow.

Has the "Tiger Tourism" got on your nerves already? If you, like me, are looking for a worthy alternative to the well known national parks where assured sightings come with the added frenzy of a crowd, Sanjay National Park is your answer. Opened to tourists only two years ago, Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve is spread over an area of 831 Sq. Kms between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Home to about 40 tigers, leopards and sloth bears that especially oblige visitors with their unbridled presence, a safari in the thriving jungles of Sanjay National Park offers a novel high– one that is unencumbered by the trappings of a more popular national park.

One of the biggest duds and highlights of the trip was Khajuraho. To begin with, I was never fascinated by Khajuraho. It probably had to do with the western exoticisation of the erotic sculptures that these temples were reduced to. So when I visited, I was expecting to be bombarded with those sculptures. But it felt like much ado about nothing. I had to literally trawl though the panels to find the racy carvings. I wondered, if these temples didn't even live to up to the stereotype they've been reduced to, then what were they even worth? Only when our guide commiserated saying less than 10% of these carvings were erotic, I realized how misguided the hype was. Once that was clear, I was happy to refocus and look at the temples in a new light. The winter light sure did work its magic, as I discovered, the charm of Khajuraho was not in its minute details but in its surreal setting, at least for me. The mystery of their origins and the timeless tenacity of surviving a thousand years got to me eventually. Khajuraho was an acquired taste for sure. 

Panna National Park is probably one of the country's few conservation stories showing a surprisingly remarkable turnaround. From loosing all its tigers in 2009 to the steady success of tiger reintroductions from Kanha and Bandhavgarh, Panna has bounced back to normalcy after a period of despair. Today, tiger's may still be the biggest draw of this national park but what intrigued me more was its landscape. A pristine Karnavati(Ken) River flows through the heart of the park and forms the lifeline of the jungle and its dwellers. The river that criss-crosses the landscape also forms deep ravines that offer gorgeous outcrops to loop into the valleys where vultures and crocodiles thrive. If Kanha's crowning glory is its grasslands, it's the canyons for Panna.

Most of us would associate Madhya Pradesh with its Tigers, national parks, Mowgli and Jungle Book. I know I did, for a very long time. Then I found out about Bundelkhand, remnants of its glorious past littered generously across the state in the form of quaint towns and forgotten monuments.

Then, on this trip, I hear about Bagelkhand, another region right next to Bundelkhand brimming with history and monumental heritage. The princely state of erstwhile Rewa is where I first came face to face with the crumbling history of Bagelkhand. Later, I visited Govindgarh Fort that was in a pitiful state of dilapidation but it sure was holding plenty of untold stories. Unfortunately there wasn’t a guide around who could tell us these stories that have now become secrets. But MP Tourism is now looking to promote this region and if it does, I can see great potential here.