India and Festivals - Khajuraho Dance Festival

Welcome all from Phila Tours & Travels, wishing all a great day ahead, also hope that you all must have enjoyed reading about the Camel Festival and Republic Day Celebration in our earlier blogs. Today we are going to talk about Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh State of India.

When someone talks about the Khajuraho, its well known to all, and reminds immediately for the Kamasutra positions carved out side walls of the temples in Khajuraho town. Which was ruled by the Chandela Dynasty (between AD 900-1130) and was built as a religious and cultural capital of dynasty, and even today Khajuraho is known for its ornate temples that are spectacular piece of human imagination, artistic creativity, magnificent architectural work and deriving spiritual peace through eroticism.

Today we are talking about the Cultural program of Dance festival being held here in Khajuraho at the back drop of temples. This festival was started in 2002 by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department to promote tourism and this year it will be taking place during 20th to 26th February 2013 for week and in general takes place in an open air auditorium with the Chitragupta Temple and the Vishwanatha Temple serving as the backdrop in the Western Group of the Khajuraho Temple complex.

This Festival is a cultural festival for the celebration of the Indian arts- dance and music handling down from generation to generation. The Khajuraho Festival of Dances shows the best classical dancers and dances in the country highlighting the richness of the various Indian classical dance styles such as Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali.

Along with the renowned performers, a number of craftsmen display their crafts to the visitors. There is an open market where local articles are there for sale. Khajuraho Dance Festival is conducted as a celebration of the cultural heritage of Khajuraho temples and preserving it for the coming generation and to celebrate the glory of the temples. It is believed that classical dance basically comes from the Hindu temples and attained its maturity.

We have tried to give you the pictures and possible videos of such Dance festivals held in Khajuraho during earlier years, hope this will entices your visual treat and encourage you to contact us for your next visit to such beautiful places in India.