Khajuraho Dance Festival

One of the most famous and well attended dance festivals in India, the Khajuraho Festival of Dances takes place in the renowned Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Madhya Pradesh. The festival is a week long event in celebration of all the traditional classical dances of India. The aim of the festival is to disseminate knowledge of the classical dances and generate widespread interest towards them. All the classical dances have their roots in the ancient treatise, Natya Shatra. Said to be written by Bharata Muni, the dances all have elaborate expressions, intricate hand gestures called mudras, and depict everyday life or scenes from ancient mythological texts.All the classical dance forms such as Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Mohiniyattam and Kathakali (Kerala), Odissi (Orissa), etc., are performed by renowned dance personalities and groups. The performances take place in an open-air auditorium outside the exquisite temples of Khajuraho. Mostly the dances are showcased in front of the Vishwanatha or the Chitragupt Temples. The audience watches enraptured, as the dancers perform to traditional music in front of the lamp lit backdrop of the mesmerising and intricate structures which serve to enhance the experience. It results in a true saturation of the majesty, vibrancy, and richness of Indian culture and artistry.

Other activities In and Around Khajuraho:

Other than the Dance Festival, there’s also a light and sound show every evening, held in the lawns around the temples, where you learn about their history and architecture in a relaxing and fun way.  The show is performed in both Hindi and English. There are audio guided tours held in the Western section of the monuments. One of them is conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India. In the town, the most popular shopping items are the local handicrafts.You can also visit the nearby Panna National Park, 25 km away from Khajuraho, where you can see tigers, sloth bears, sambars, and over 200 bird species. You can enjoy and explore the park in an elephant or jeep safari. Those who attend the festival make it a point to visit this National Park, taking advantage of its proximity to the town, and extend their stay. Fortunately, the dates of the festival fall during the coming of the spring, so the weather is cool and pleasant for the trip.

Venue: Khajuraho Group of Monuments – Vishwanatha Temple and Chitragupt Temple

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