Khajuraho Dance Festival
Place : Khajuraho, Bundalkhand,
Madhya Pradesh
Venue : Western Group of temples, Khajuraho
Date : February 20th to 26th
Schedule
2024
The small village
of Khajuraho situated in the northernmost part of Madhya Pradesh, lies 395
Km southeast of Agra. Once the religious capital of Chandela dynasty, one
of the powerful Rajput dynasties of Central India, Khajuraho is now famous
for it's enchanting temples and it's legendary Khajuraho dance festival. The
week- long festival of classical dances is held every year in February/March
against the spectacular backdrop of the magnificently lit temples.
The temples, classified into three groups-the western group, the eastern group,
and the southern group are beautifully sculptured in stone and more than a
thousand years old. The sculptures reflect mainly the life, moods and
religious faith of that time.
This cultural festival highlights the richness of the
various Indian classical dance styles such as Kathak,
Bharathanatyam, Odissi,
Kuchipudi, Manipuri
and Kathakali
with performances of some of the best exponents
in the field. Modern Indian dance has also been added recently. The dances are
performed in an open air auditorium, usually in front of the Chitragupta Temple dedicated to Surya (the Sun God) and the Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva,
belonging to the western group. 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.
Besides enthralling the vast audience with dance performances by new or younger artistes, the 43rd edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival
(2017) opened gates to aspiring sculptors and artists within India and from foreign
lands, and set up an 'Art Mart' at the venue. Be it an authentic food festival,
crafts & handloom from different places for people to buy or workshops by
traditional artisans where you can partake in making a product, the Dance
Festival has something for everyone.
How to get there
The access to Khajuraho is by air, rail and road. Khajuraho is 395km from Agra, 117 km from Satna,
175 km from Jhansi, 350 km from Bhopal, 280 km from Gwalior, 480 km from
Indore, 210 km from Jabalpur.
Air: There are regular flights linking Khajuraho with
Delhi (35 minutes), Agra (40 minutes), and Varanasi (45 minutes).
Rail: There is no direct train to Khajuraho. The most convenient station
is Jhansi(175km), which is linked to
Delhi and other major northern cities. Satna(117km) is another
convenient railway head for those coming from Mumbai,
Calcutta
and Varanasi.
Road: Khajuraho is connected by regular buses with Satna, Harpalpur(94km),
Jhansi and Mahoba(61km).
