The historic city of Khajuraho is famous for its exquisite sculptures and majestic temples, or Mandirs. Situated in Madhya Pradesh's Chattarpur district, Khajuraho is a captivating medieval city with magnificent architecture. According to historical records, there were eighty-five temples in the Khajuraho temple site spanning twenty square kilometers in the twelfth century. Scattered over an area of six square kilometers, only twenty-five of these temples have withstood the test of time.
Constructed during the medieval era by the Chandela Dynasty, the UNESCO-designated "Khajuraho Group of Monuments" is renowned for its exquisite sculptures of Hindu deities and nayikas, or female characters from mythology, and for its Nagara-style architecture. One of the things that draw so many travellers to this location is the beauty of the exquisite statues. Constructed during the Chandela Dynasty in AD 950–1050, these temples use fascinating art to depict relationships, spiritual teachings, and different types of meditation.
The Khajuraho Temple complex is roughly a thousand years old, dating back to the period between 950 and 1050 CE (Common Era).
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History of Khajuraho
In the northern Indian state of Madhya Pradesh lay the ancient city of Khajuraho. It served as the capital of the Chandella monarchs who controlled Bundelkhand between the tenth and the twelfth centuries CE.
Khajuraho is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India, famous for its stunning group of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are renowned for their intricate and elaborate erotic sculptures, which depict various aspects of human life and culture from the medieval period.
The temples were built between 950 and 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty, although most of them have been in ruins over time. However, the surviving temples are considered masterpieces of Indian architecture and art.
Khajuraho is a testament to India's rich culture and heritage
The city of Khajuraho, which was dubbed "the City of the Gods" by the Muslim historian Abu Rihan Alberuni in the eleventh century CE, is still home to 35 Hindu and Jain temples, making it one of India's most important historical sites even though it no longer has any non-religious buildings remaining. UNESCO has designated Khajuraho as a World Heritage Site.
Architecture of Khajuraho
Although sandstone was utilized in the construction of most of the temples at Khajuraho, granite was also used in four of them. The Chaunsat Yogini, a collection of 64 tantric deities, was constructed between 875 and 900 CE and consists of 64 shrine rooms placed around a rectangular courtyard.
The Lalguan Mahadeva, Brahma, and Matangesvara temples followed in the site's development; these temples are all rather simple in terms of architecture and ornamentation when compared to the subsequent temples.
The Khajuraho Temples, located in Madhya Pradesh, India, are renowned for their stunning architectural beauty and intricate sculptures. One of the secrets of Khajuraho lies in the explicit and intricate depiction of human sexuality and eroticism in many of its sculptures.
Most of the temples in Khajuraho are Jain or Hindu (Vaisnava or Saiva), built between 950 and 1050 CE. The most well-known is the Kandariya Mahadeo, a Shiva-focused structure constructed in the early eleventh century CE. 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 monarchs and has a similar layout and façade to the Kandariya Mahadeo.
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This also applies to the Visvanatha temple, which Sutradhara Chhichchha designed and built around 1002 CE. Shrine locations on the terrace platforms of both temples are marked by corners. The Laksmana was devoted to Vishnu, and its terrace is especially noteworthy since it has a narrative frieze that circles all four sides. The frieze depicts a procession of elephants, soldiers, hunters, and musicians who are being seen by a ruler and his female attendants.
Kandariya Mahadeo Temple
The largest and possibly most visually striking structure in Khajuraho is the Kandariya Mahadeo temple. Constructed approximately around the year 1025 CE, during the reign of Vidyadhara (r. 1004–1035 CE), the temple serves as a superb illustration of a completely realized North Indian temple design. The outside features an amazing array of towers, called sikharas, that rise steadily from the entrance to the highest sikhara (31 meters) above the sacred shrine (garbhagriha) of the temple in the back.
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Hindu Gods and Goddesses: Idols of gods like Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and various other deities from the Hindu pantheon are commonly found.
Apsaras: These celestial nymphs are often depicted in graceful poses, dancing, and playing musical instruments.
Mithuna Figures: These are erotic sculptures representing couples engaged in intimate acts. They are believed to symbolize fertility, prosperity, and the celebration of life.
Various other figures: Apart from the above, you can find sculptures representing animals, mythical creatures, warriors, and scenes from daily life.
Quarter and half-sikharas around the main sikhara, which is crowned by a sizable amalaka, a circular stone with ribs. Because Hindu temples were considered to be symbols of the Himalayas and the "world mountain," the architect purposefully designed the building to resemble a range of varied peaks. This appearance would have only been enhanced by the building's former white gesso coating, which is no longer there.
The temple is east-facing and has a double-cross layout. It is situated on a tall platform base that may be reached via a set of stairs that open up to several porches. A corbelled dome is supported by inner polygonal columns with sculpted figure brackets on the main porch, or mandapa. The entire structure has double-curved arches, or gavakshas. The semicircular inner garbhagriha has passageways on either side that lead to outside balconies covered in stone awnings.
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The sculpture in the Kandariya Mahadeo temple is exquisite, with 226 figures inside and 646 outside the structure. Most of the figurines are on two or three layers and stand just under one meter tall. The majority of them are representations of Shiva and other Hindu deities like Vishnu, Brahma, and Ganesha, along with attendants, and images of lovers known as mithuna and surasundaris, or celestial maidens.
The erotic sculptures, which feature scenes of bestiality and are particularly striking on the south wall of the antarala, are highly relief-carved and feature humans in a variety of contortionate stances. In addition to serving as a symbol of happiness and fertility, they are also thought to be auspicious and protective, which is a crucial role given that the garbhagriha and mandapa are the building's weakest architectural points.
Other Important Monuments at Khajuraho
The renowned Lakshmana Temple at Khajuraho is another well-known temple. King Dhanga constructed the Lakshmana Temple in 954 CE to commemorate the nation's freedom from the Gurjara-Pratihara tyranny. To Lord Vishnu, it is dedicated. Lakshmana Temple stands out from the others despite having a layout identical to Kandariya Mahadeo thanks to its walls covered with carvings of Hindu gods and other breathtaking displays.
One of Khajuraho's most sensual temples is Devi Jagdambi. Constructed between 1000 and 1025 AD, this temple is located to the north of the Kandariya Mahadeo Temple. The image of Lord Vishnu and his avatars shows that the temple was once dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Nonetheless, Goddess Parvati and Goddess Kali were thereafter honoured at Devi Jagdambi Temple. The goddess Parvati idol in the temple has been painted black to resemble the goddess Kali. A barehanded warrior facing a lion is among the temple's most intriguing sculptures!
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The oldest Khajuraho temple in India is the Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple, commonly referred to as Chausath Yogini Temple. One of the few surviving Yogini temples in the nation, it is dedicated to Goddess Kali and is the only one constructed of granite. There are 65 chambers in this circular shrine, 64 for yoginis and one for Goddess Kali. Among the other notable temples at Khajuraho are the single-towered Chaturbhuj Temple, the only one without sensual carvings, and the rectangular Parshvanatha Jain Temple, which has a distinctive shrine.
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Cultural Significance of Khajuraho
The Khajuraho temples portray a variety of facets of human existence, from conception to death, in addition to their sensual artwork. The various sculptures that cover the remaining temple walls are as follows:
- Statues of women engrossed in their regular tasks such as getting ready, checking themselves in the mirror, putting on cosmetics, putting on jewellery, adjusting hair, playing with their children, scratching their backs, and extracting thorns from their feet.
- Using scenes of hunting, riding horses for transportation, building temples, waging wars, and ministers and the monarch convening in the royal court, this narrative depicts the day-to-day activities of life in the ancient kingdom.
- Using statues depicting dancers, musicians, people drinking and performing music, brahmins teaching lessons, and even funeral scenes, stories about people's social lives are told.
- Statues of gods and goddesses, demigods, gods with their consorts, and diverse incarnations of Vishnu are used to symbolize the acceptance of various gods in human life.
- Considering Nature as a vital component of human existence is reflected in sculptures of animals, including mythical and floral designs.
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Khajuraho Group of Monuments: Tourist Information
Today, Khajuraho is among the top destinations in Madhya Pradesh to see the magnificent architecture of ancient India. Because of its exceptional artistic splendour, the Khajuraho temples were inducted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Three groupings of these temples are recognized: the Eastern, Western, and Southern groups. Only the Western group of temples offers an audio-guided tour option among these three. There are light and sound shows every day for interested tourists.
- Time: Forty minutes
- Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. (English); 7:40 p.m. to 8:35 p.m. (Hindi) from October to February
- 7:30 p.m. to 8:25 p.m. (English); 8:40 p.m. to 9:35 p.m. (Hindi) from March to September
- Indians pay ₹ 300 for tickets, while foreigners pay ₹ 700.
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The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held within the temple premises for a week every year in the month of February. Several of India's most accomplished classical dancers perform at this festival. At Khajuraho, there is also an Archaeological Museum. One of India's best light and sound performances takes place at the Khajuraho temples in the evenings, taking place on the open lawns and against the backdrop of these historic temples. You are guided through the fascinating history of the temples via the performance.
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Very well researched article a.nd very informative too. But I need a clarification….that the chausath yogini temple here is built in a rectangular frame unlike the other yogini temples which are circular in form. The yogini temple at Mitawalt near Gwalior is circular ….
So why is this one rectangular. Kindly enlighten me on this.
Regards
Hello Mr. Ravi,
Thank you for your question.
The rectangular shape of the Chausath Yogini Temple may have been influenced by local architectural traditions. Other Yogini temples in the region, such as those at Rikhiyan and Badoh, also have rectangular plans, suggesting a regional preference for this shape.
Hope this answers your question!