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Khajuraho

Khajuraho was an ancient city in the Madhya Pradesh region of northern India. From the 10th to 12th century CE it was the capital of the Chandella kings who ruled Bundelkhand. Despite Khajuraho's once great reputation as an important cultural centre there are no surviving non-religious buildings, but the presence of 35 Hindu and Jain temples make it one of the most significant historical sites in India today and worthy of its name given by the 11th century CE Muslim historian Abu Rihan Alberuni as 'the City of the Gods'. Khajuraho is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Architectural Highlights

Most of the temples at Khajuraho were built using sandstone but four also used granite in their construction. In the latter group is the Chaunsat Yogini (64 tantric goddesses), built c. 875-900 CE, which has 64 shrine rooms arranged around a rectangular courtyard. Next in the site's development came the Lalguan Mahadeva, Brahma, and Matangesvara temples which are all quite plain in design and decoration compared to the later temples.

The majority of temples at Khajuraho were constructed between 950 and 1050 CE and are either Hindu (Saiva or Vaisnava) or Jain. The most famous is the Kandariya Mahadeo built in the early 11th century CE and dedicated to Shiva. The more or less contemporary Laksmana temple was built in 954 CE by King Dhanga (r. 950-999 CE) to celebrate independence from the Gurjara-Pratihara rulers and has a similar layout and exterior to the Kandariya Mahadeo. So too does the Visvanatha temple (c. 1002 CE) which was designed by Sutradhara Chhichchha. Both temples have shrines at each corner of their terrace platforms. The Laksmana was dedicated to Vishnu and its terrace is of particular note as it carries a narrative frieze running around all four sides: Elephants, warriors, hunters, and musicians form a procession watched by a ruler and his female attendants.

Other notable temples at the site include the single-towered Caturbhuja and Vamana, the squat Matulunga, and the rectangular, more austere Parshvanatha Jain temple with its unique shrine added to the rear of the building (c. 950-970 CE). Probably the latest temple at Khajuraho is the Duladeo which was built on a star-plan.

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Vikings: Jewelry, Weapons & Social Change at The VIKINGR Exhibition

In April 2019 The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway opened its doors to the new exhibition VÍKINGR containing rich treasures and unique archaeological finds from the Viking Age (c. 750 - 1050 CE). The Viking age is considered Norway's and the rest of Scandinavia's “golden age”, and the tales of violent warrior seafarers have fascinated people all over the world for centuries. The Vikings are famous for their plundering of monasteries on the British Isles and the Viking helmet (wrongly depicted with horns in popular culture), but by visiting the VÍKINGR exhibition you will also learn that the Vikings were international traders, and that the Viking Age (c. 750 - 1050 CE) was an important period of transition in the northernmost part of Europe. This period saw the opening of new trade routes, the unification of Norway and the conversion to Christianity. The artifacts exhibited, including the world's best-preserved Viking helmet, the sword from Langeid and the largest Viking treasure ever found in Norway, are not only worth admiring for their beauty but also for what they can tell us about the Vikings' lives and values in a time of transition and change.

Walking into the exhibition, which is on the third floor of the museum, feels a bit like walking into a fancy jewelry store as it is beautifully curated with open spaces, complimentary colors and glass displays - very fitting for an exhibition consisting of invaluable jewelry, weapons, coins and other treasures. There are 20 items or collections of items on display, almost all inside the glass display cabinets, each telling their own story.

Trade & International Treasures

The first glass cabinets showcase jewelry and other items that are a testimony to the many different trade routes and international networks of the Vikings. The first Vikings of the 7th century CE were pirates in small ships, but by the 10th century CE they had built larger ships that traveled further and they established larger armies and contact points in Europe and beyond.

The items in the first display tell the story of the establishment of the silver route connecting Scandinavia with the distant east. The treasure, consisting of several silver pieces and rings, as well as Arabian and Persian coins, was originally from areas in today's Iraq and Iran. The silver treasure traveled the long way to Norway in the 10th century CE, when the Vikings who were engaged in international trade brought large amounts of silver back to Scandinavia. Further proof of the Vikings distant and exotic trade and international contact network can be seen in the next display, where the largest Norwegian Viking treasure ever found to date is showcased. The Hon Hoard was found in 1843 CE in Buskerud, Norway and consists of large gold rings, Frankish gold jewelry, Arabian coins, colorful beads, a Roman antique gemstone, and an English ring. Admiring this beautiful treasure makes you wonder what stories the items would tell of their long journeys and their Viking owners.

Especially eye-catching are some of the gold objects, originally made in the Carolingian Empire (800 - 888 CE). A large gold brooch is the most impressive piece, and it is believed to have adorned a warrior's belt at the Carolingian court before it was transformed into a brooch after coming to Norway. Other brooches are also showcased in the exhibition as they tell the story of objects that originally were used as decorative mounts on sacred objects used in churches in the British Isles. The objects were often refashioned into brooches after the Vikings raided many of these churches and brought the items back to Norway.

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