PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION (2021) 58(2): 10004-10013 ISSN:00333077 10004 www.psychologyandeducation.net Cultural & Architectural Heritage Tourism: Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Khajuraho! Jitendra Singh, Ravi Prakash Assistant Professor, Department of Travel & Tourism Management, Nims University Jaipur Assistant Professor, MMICT & BM (Hotel Management) Maharishi Markandeshwar(Deemed to be University),Mullana,Ambala Abstract India is environmentally and culturally so diverse we can say that “India is a country with in a country, for all reasons and for all seasons” it is not viable to focus on a single destination or tourist experience to understand the effects of tourism on culture. Khajuraho is a beautiful village situated in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh with an old-fashioned, rural ambience and a rich cultural legacy. The World Heritage Day is celebrated on April 18 to create awareness among the people to conserve and protect the valuable assets and cultural heritage across the world. Heritage is something which is specific and typical of a place or region. Buildings of historic and architectural significance become part of the cultural heritage of a city and the society. Cultural heritage is the creation of human beings, who have created it by virtue of their innovative power, creativity and artistic ability. The monuments and the cultural activities associated with the monuments play a very important role in the lifestyle of the people of India and give a special identity to them. It is necessary to improve awareness of cultural heritage due to its historical, social, aesthetic and scientific significance. Historical significance refers to the relationship to era, person or event. Social significance refers to the social, spiritual and other community-oriented values attributed to a place. Aesthetic significance refers to the special sense of importance of a place with reference to architecture, scale and designs. Scientific significance refers to the scope or possibility of scientific findings from a site, monument or place. Keywords: cultural tourism, architectural heritage, intangible heritage, UNESCO, cultural consumption, ATLAS (association for tourism and leisure education). Article Received: 10 August 2020, Revised: 25 October 2020, Accepted: 18 November 2020 Introduction a. History and Development The ancient and historic temples of Khajuraho were built by the Chandelas in the short span of a hundred years from 950-1050 AD in an inspired burst of creativity, but were abandoned after the 14th century. The once flourishing capital city of the Chandelas survived as a small, picturesque agricultural village, with no other evidence of its former glory besides the 22 remaining temples out of the original 85. These were ‘discovered’ by T.S. Burt in 1838, a young officer in the British colonial army, who out of curiosity diverted from his official itinerary to follow the trail to this remarkable group of temples which his p & i-bearers had talked about (Punja 19923-4). The area was then covered with dense jungle and was dotted with numerous ponds, which would have made the site look very different from today’s neatly manicured lawns and tourist bustle. The extant temples are widely recognized amongst scholars as unique examples of Hindu architecture, though they are better known to the public for the sensuous sculptures which adorn them. These temples have now been included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO (1986), one of 14 such sites in India. The temples of Khajuraho are one of India’s major tourist attractions close behind the Taj and up there with Varanasi, Jaipur and Delhi (Wightman 1986:227-239). b. Accessibility The Khajuraho monuments are located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in Chatarpur district, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi. The temples are located near a small town also known as Khajuraho, with a population of about 20,000 people (2001 Census). Khajuraho is served