1. Khajuraho
( Kharjuravahaka under Chandela Dynasty
from
A.D. 831 to A.D. 1315)

2. Khajuraho (latitude:
24˚51’ N; longitude:
79˚56’ E) is located
in the provincial
state of Madhya
Pradesh .

3. The village of
Khajuraho is
like a million
other villages
in India; what
sets it apart is
its medieval
legacy of
temples that
represent the
perfect fusion
of architecture
and sculpture.

4. • The construction of the three thousand year old temples of
Khajuraho took over a little two centuries; in terms of architecture,
they form the high point of the north Indian ‘NAGARA’ style.
• Of the 85 temples believed to have been built between the 9th and
12th centuries only around 25 have survived, many in splendid condition,
others having given way to the ravages of time and nature.
• Now, the question arises why so many temples were built?
One theory about the Khajuraho temples surmises that the original
85 temples were built to commemorate the marriage of Shiva and
Parvati . Shiva is the GOD OF DESTRUCTION and part of the Hindu
trinity, the source of regeneration which led to the worship of the
phallus; his union with Parvati is regarded as the base of cosmic energy.
The theory postulates that the sculptures were images of people
captured in motion at the point when Shiva’s marriage party arrived at
the celestial town where the couple were to wed.

5. There is generally held belief that ‘free love’ is abounded here. For
many, the name Khajuraho is synonymous with erotic sculpture. But,
erotic figures consist of not even one-tenth of the total number of
sculptures that adorn the walls of the temples at Khajuraho. There
are hundreds of images of divinities, many holding manuscripts and
several in yogic postures.
Of the twenty-five temples extant today:
• TEN enshrine VISHNU in his various forms, such as VAMANA (the
Dwarf), VARAHA (the boar), VAIKUNTHA…
• EIGHT are dedicated to LORD SHIVA
• ONE to SURYA
• ONE to CHAUSATH YOGINIs (sixty-four goddesses), and
• FIVE to JAIN DIGAMABARAS
The jain temples were dedicated to Tirthankars Adinatha
(Rishabhanatha), Parshvanatha and Shantinatha.

6. THE OPEN
SPACIOUS HIGH
PLATFORM ON
WHICH EACH
TEMPLE STANDS
IS A
DISTINGUISHING
FEATURE OF
KHAJURAHO
TEMPLES

7. Main Features of Temple Architecture
• built in NAGARA style of architecture
• in it, the SPIRE (shikhara) is CURVILINEAR in form unlike dravidian
style
• they are unified structures consisting of four or five units:
a sanctum (garbha-griha)
a vestibule (antarala)
a large hall (mahamandapa)
another hall (mandapa)
a porch (ardhmandapa/
mukhamandapa)
a torana at the entrance
• initially, the temples consisted
of just the sanctum and an
attached porch, various
mandapas were added later as
per required by the rituals
performed in there.
• most of the khajuraho temples are erected on the EAST-WEST
AXIS, and therefore face the direct rays of the rising sun.

8. Garbha-Griha, literally meaning
‘womb chamber’, is the name
given to the innermost sanctum
in an Indian temple. It
enshrines the main deity. The
sanctum is dark and peaceful ,
where the devotee is born to
higher life. It is a hollow
chamber resembling a cave and
its centre is considered to be
the centre of the universe.
The temple’s spire rises
exactly above the centre of
the sanctum and marks the
zenith. The invisible axis
joining the centre of the
sanctum on the ground level and
the finial of the superstructure
above is conceived as the
Cosmic Axis connecting Earth
and the Heaven.

9. Five-Shrined Temples (panchayatana)
Lakshamana Temple Vishvanatha Temple
• subsidiary
shrines in the
four corners
of the deity.
• khajuraho
temples has no
enclosure
walls, as in the
case of south
Indian and
Orissan
temples. It
has its own
separate
platform that
demarcates
its sacred
space from
the material
world.

10. WITH INNER CIRCUMAMBULATORY PATH (SANDHARA TEMPLE)

11. WITHOUT INNER CIRCUMAMBULATORY PATH (NIRANDHARA TEMPLE)

12. One of the most important puranas, the Agni Purana, conceives of the
temple as PURUSHA, the humanised Supreme Being. The terminology
of the human being is applied to the temple:
• Base: foot (pada)
• Wall: thigh (jangha)
• Spire: head (mastaka/ shikahara)

13. In the large temples,
(Lakshamana, Vishvanatha,
Kandariya), the plan of the
cella, with its inner
ambulatory, resembles a
three dimensional yantra,
with the eight corners
guarded by the Dikpalas
and Vasus. The three
cardinal niches represent
the manifestations of the
main divinity enshrined in
the sanctum. The recesses
bear the figures of sinuous
vyalas, while the
projections display
surasundaries and couples.

14. Khajuraho temples can be classified into EIGHT categories:
1. The Cult Icons installed in the sanctum.
2. The Attendant and Surrounding Divinities executed in
round or high relief. They are believed to radiate
the power of the central divinity of the sanctum.
3. The Demi-Gods such as vidyadhara, gana etc. they are the
dynamic figures generally carved on top row of the wall, symbolising
the celestial world

15. 4. Celestial women- apsaras, surasundaris
5. Amorous Couples
6. Secular Scenes depicting the royal hunt, the king
court, marching armies, domestic scenes, teacher and
pupils etc
7. Animal Figures both mythical and realistic
8. Geometric and Floral Designs are carved on the ceilings, on the
borders of panels and walls, on pillars etc.

16. Twenty-Five
temples at
Khajuraho today
are divided into
THREE groups:
• WESTERN
GROUP, near
shivasagar tank
• EASTERN
GROUP, near
the Khajursagar
tank (Ninora
Tal) and the
Khajuraho
village
• SOUTHERN
GROUP, near
the Khudar
rivulet
SOUTHERN TEMPLES

17. Lakshamana
Temple
• 954 AD; Western
Group
• Dedicated to lord
Vishnu
• five shrined or
panchayatana temple
complex: main shrine
stands in the centre
with a high platform
and subsidiary shrines
on the four corners of
the complex.
• Entrance porch has two-loop makar-torana (crocodile arch) flanked by gladiators
•Exterior walls have sculptures of gods and goddesses and a rare adornment of
panchagni(five fires)
•Doorway of the sanctum has rich carvings of lions, cherubs, incarnations of
Vishnu, depiction of nine planets, figure of Lakshmi (spouse of Vishnu) and the
churning of the ocean.
•The ardh-mandap ceiling of this temple is rated as the finest in India.

18. Vaikuntha image enshrined in the Sanctum

19. Plan of Lakshamana Temple

20. Section of the temple
Shiva Linga in the Cella
Antrala
Maha-mandapa
Amalak and Kalash

21. Ceiling of ardh-mandapa- one of the finest in the world

22. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple
• 1025 AD; Western Group
• Dedicated to lord Shiva (lingam)
• Tallest temple at Khajuraho (30.5 m)
• at antarala (vestibule), one can have ‘darshan’ of the marble linga placed
exactly in the centre of the sanctum.
• The Spire of the
sanctum has a series of
graded replicas of itself,
which cluster around the
central peak and create
the effect of mountain
range.
•Exactly below the
highest point of the
spire is positioned the
Shiva Linga, the
‘Primordial Pillar of the
Universe’, in the dark
womb house.

23. Counter-circumambulatory arrangement of the images of the seven Matrikas (Mothers),
along with Ganesha (1) and Shiva-Virabhadra (9), in the principal niches of the basal storey.

24. Vishvanath Temple
• 1002 AD; Western group
• deity: stone Shiva-lingam
• it has its Nandi mandapa for the bull mount
of Shiva intact. A magnificent Nandi sits
facing the temple.
• originally, vishvanatha temple was a
panchayatana, but now only two of the
subsidiary shrines survive.
• It is a sandhara temple with inner ambulatory
• The main niches of the wall contain Shiva’s
manifestations: Andhakantaka subduing
the blind demon, Natesha dancing in the
western light, and ardhanari.

25. Devi Jagdamba Temple
• 1000 AD, Western Group
• now, enshrines Goddess Parvati; originally dedicated to lord Vishnu
• lies to the north of Kandariya Mahadeva and they both share a common
platform.
• The temple is famous for graceful figure sculptures on its exterior
wall- mithunas, apsaras, vyalas and images of deities.

26. people offering prayers in Maha mandapa

27. Kali icon at Devi
Jagdamba at one
of the niches

28. Chausath Yogini
• 850 AD; Western Group
• Dedicated to 64 yoginis which represent different aspects
of Shakti
• it faces north and consists of 64 cells in quadrangular plan
• this temple was constructed with granite blocks.
• only shrine to
be aligned north-
east, instead of
east-west.
• one largest cell
among the others
had an image of
Durga-
Mahishasuramard
-ini, inscribed
with the label
‘Hinghalaja’.

29. Largest cell

30. Chitragupta Temple (1000 AD; Western Group)

31. Matangeshwar Temple (900-925 AD; Western group)

32. Parvati Temple (850-1000AD; Western Group)

33. Varaha Temple (900-925 AD; Western group)

34. Ghantai
• late tenth century; Eastern
group
• dedicated to Jain
Tirthankars.
• it is known by its local name
because of the ‘Ghanta’ (bell)
motifs on the pillars.

35. Adinath
• eleventh century; Eastern group
• Dedicated to the first Tirthankar Adinath
• Single spired temple
• crisp decoration of chaitya-arch designs and the
spire creates an interesting light and shade
effect.
Sanctum
Vestibule

36. Vamana Temple (1050-75 AD; Eastern group)

37. Parsvanath Temple (950-1000AD; Eastern group)

38. Shantinath Temple (1028 AD; Eastern group)

39. Duladeva Temple
• 1100-25 AD; Southern group
• dedicated to lord Shiva, earlier to lord Kartikeya
• sculptures and figures have sharp features and angular postures
• Its sanctum was built as if by rotating a square round a central axis
• Its mahamandapa is large and octagonal with corbelled ceiling .
•Shikhar surrounded by three rows of minor
shikhars, unusually long ardhmandap; large
maha-mandap; garbha griha without
ambulatory (nirandhara).

40. Chaturbhuja Temple
• 1100 AD, Eastern Group
• dedicated to Lord Shiva
•Highly compressed ardh mandap, mandap,
constricted antaral and garbh griha
without ambulatory
•Heavy and simple shikhar with curvilinear
shape but no spires or turrets.
•Absence of erotic sculptures. Three
bands of sculptural panels on exterior,
including Narsinghi (consort of Narsingh-
only such sculpture in India) and
Ardhnarishwar (half-male and half-
female, representation of divinity)
•Remarkable four armed Dakshinmurti
Shiva in sanctum(largest sanctum idol at
khajuraho)
•Facial expression reveals Buddhist
influence

41. Image of lord
Vishnu in the
Sanctum of
Chaturbhuj temple;
9 ft high statue;
four armed
Lower right
hand- varada,
boon giving
gesture (now
broken)
Upper right
hand- abhaya
mudra,
gesture of
fearlessness
Upper left hand-
carries a book along
with a lotus stalk
Lower left hand-
water pot or conch
shell (now boken)