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After this Varaha carried the
earth from the bottom of the ocean and came out of the water to place it
in the right place in the universe. He married Bhudevi in this avatar.
The Varaha Temple is one of the monuments in the Khajuraho Group of
Monuments that are protected by the Archeological Survey of India. It is
also said to have been built by the Chandela ruler in the 1st century.
The shrine is built on a raised platform and has a pyramidal roof. The
design is plain as compared to the other temples in the group. The
temple rests on fourteen pillars that are not at all carved. The temple
is completely made of sandstone.
Inside the temple is the huge idol of the Lord Varaha. The body of
Varaha is filled with carvings among which the most beautiful is that of
the Goddess Saraswati playing her veena.
Getting There
The temple complex, in the
Khajuraho village at an elevation of 282 metres (925 ft), is well connected
by road, rail and air services. Khajuraho is 34 miles (55 km) to the south
of Mahoba, 29 miles (47 km) away from the Chatarpur city to its east, 27
miles (43 km) away from Panna, 400 kilometres (250 mi) away from Jhansi on
the north, and 600 kilometres (370 mi) to the south - east of Delhi. It is 9
kilometres (5.6 mi) from the railway station.
Khajuraho is served by
Khajuraho Airport
(IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra and Mumbai. It is 6
kilometres (3.7 mi) from the temple. During peak
tourist season, the frequency of flights to popular destinations is often
increased. From the airport to the actual town of Khajuraho, catch a tourist
coach, bus or taxi.
Getting Around
Rented cars, taxis, cycle
rickshaws and tongas (horse drawn carts) are the common modes of
transportation in the town of Khajuraho. The more energetic can hire
bicycles or simply walk around town (try not to do this in summer). The
western group of temples lies close to the town and you only require
transportation to see the other two sets of temples.
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