Archaeological Museum Khajuraho

4.2

Location: VW5C+GH Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India

Visiting Time: 2-3 hours

The Archaeological Museum is considered one of Khajuraho‘s main tourist attractions. As we know, Khajuraho is a city in the Chatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their art and sculptures. It also has three museums near the Khajuraho Temples. A. S.I maintains the Archaeological Museum near Matangeshwar Temple in the western group of temples, the Adivart Tribal and Folk Art Museum is located in the Chandela Cultural Complex, and Sahu Shantiprasad Jain Kala Sangrahalaya is located near the eastern group of temples. Situated on the Jhansi – Khajuraho road, the Dhubela Museum houses artifacts related to the Bundela dynasty. The Archaeological Museum (ASI) has a small but well-presented collection of sculptures from around Khajuraho near the Matangeshwar Temple. The Western Group Temples Ticket for the Western Group of Temples is also the entrance ticket to the ASI Museum. This museum is located in the Chandela Cultural Complex. The Adivasi Tribal and FolkArt Museum is a colorful change from the temples. Get a glimpse of the vibrant tribal culture of Madhya Pradesh.

Attraction

This museum has sculptures that are the best in Khajuraho. Like the dancing Ganesh, the twelve sun gods, a larger-than-life statue of a mother feeding her child, and many others. It’s a treat for lovers of art and history.

History

W. E. Jardine was passionate about art and sculpture. He was Bundelkhand‘s political agent at the time. Individual sculptures and other cultural remains were collected from the ruined temples and placed in an enclosure that laid the foundation for the museum in 1910. This meticulous collection is still known as the Jardine Museum. However, the current museum near the market complex, conceived in 1952 after being taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India, is known as the Archaeological Museum which is open to the public. The current museum was founded in 1967- and includes five galleries with symbolic sculptures of the Jain, Brahman, and Buddhist religions. In a modern exhibition concept, many well-carved sculptures are exhibited in today’s museums. It consists of five galleries, a verandah, and entrance gates. The galleries are Main Hall and Verandah Exhibition, Jaina Gallery, Vaisnava Gallery, Miscellaneous Gallery, and Saiva Gallery. The museum has more than three thousand sculptures and architectural elements, around 110 of which are on display. The antiquities range from the 9th to the 12th century. A.D. clearly illuminates the socio-cultural aspect of the region. The historical piece on display is primarily associated with the Chandella, a mighty medieval dynasty that ruled the region around Khajuraho, formerly known as Kharjura-vahaka, the religious capital of the time. The Khajuraho Archaeological Museum houses 3424 recorded antiquities including sculptures from various sects, most notably Saiva, Vaisnava, Sakta, and Jaina images.
worldly objects such as heavenly nymphs; Scenes depicting social life and erotic and loving couples also deserve the attention of general visitors.

Inside/Outside Views

The Archaeological Museum of Khajuraho consists of two parts. The oldest museum is located near the headquarters of the Khajuraho Hotel, overlooking Lake ShivSagar. It will gradually be emptied and the artifacts will be moved to a stylish new building near the Circuit House. This new museum is the perfect place to start your Khajuraho tour from. The entrance to visit the Archaeological Museum is the same as that used to visit the Western Group of Temples. No one will inform you about this as there are very few visitors to the museums. With ongoing excavations being carried out in and around Khajuraho by the Archaeological Survey of India, it makes sense to have museums to display their finds. The ancient museum has 5 main galleries namely Vaishnav, Shaivait, Jaina, Miscellaneous, and one more. The new museum currently has only one gallery which is beautifully designed and very well-labeled. The museum will have six galleries in total, but work is progressing very slowly due to a lack of funds.