Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Khajuraho Temples · Western Group
Chandela period 950–1050 CE·Chandela / Bundelkhand Hindu and Jain·🇮🇳 Madhya Pradesh, Chhatarpur District, India
About
About Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Eighty-five (25 surviving) sandstone temples (950–1050 CE) of Chandela dynasty, celebrated for Nagara shikharas rising in clustered peaks and intricate sculptures. Western Group: Kandariya Mahadev (31 m shikhara), Lakshmana Vishnu, and erotic Mithuna panels constitute only ~10% of carvings, misinterpreted outside tantric context.
Why it mattersEighty-five (25 surviving) sandstone temples (950–1050 CE) of Chandela dynasty, celebrated for Nagara shikharas rising i
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why erotic imagery placed on outer bands, not sanctum
- 02Location in isolated forest – political statement after Pratihara decline
Theories
- 01Tantric and Kama-Shastra educational placement on jagati exterior as worldly life outside sacred
- 02Chandelas asserting sovereignty via temple mountain Meru symbolism
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 950–1050 CE (peak Yasovarman to Vidyadhara)
- Period
- Chandela period 950–1050 CE
- Culture
- Chandela / Bundelkhand Hindu and Jain
- Purpose
- Royal temples expressing cosmology, kingship and shastra aesthetics
- Excavation
- Excavated
950–1050 CE (peak Yasovarman to Vidyadhara)
Initial construction
c. 1474 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
24.8530° N · 79.9210° E · 227 m · 3 mapped features
Kandariya Mahadev Temple
temple31 m shikhara with 870 sculptures, Western Group tallest
24.8528° N · 79.9195° ELakshmana Temple (Vaikuntha Chaturmurti)
templeOldest Khajuraho temple 930–950 CE
24.8520° N · 79.9220° EEastern Group Jain temples
jain templeParsvanath and Adinath Jain shrines
24.8500° N · 79.9250° E
Gallery