{"id":90927,"date":"2026-03-02T17:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=90927"},"modified":"2026-03-02T17:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:59:18","slug":"khajuraho-temples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/khajuraho-temples\/","title":{"rendered":"Khajuraho Temples, Location, Features, Architecture, Sculpture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Khajuraho temples are one of the best examples of <\/span><b>medieval Indian temple architecture and sculpture.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These temples are located in Chhatarpur district, <\/span><b>Madhya Pradesh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and were an important cultural and religious centre of central India. In <\/span><b>1986<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Khajuraho Group of Monuments was declared a <\/span><b>UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because of its historical and artistic importance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>About Khajuraho temples\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khajuraho temples are located in Chhatarpur district, <\/span><b>Madhya Pradesh.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These temples were built during the reign of the <\/span><b>Chandella dynasty <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">between <\/span><b>900 CE to 1130 CE.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <\/span><b>12th century<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Khajuraho had about <\/span><b>85 temples<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> spread over 20 square kilometres, but today only around <\/span><b>20 temples <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">remain due to the effects of time and historical damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first mention of Khajuraho and its temples is in the accounts of <\/span><b>Abu Rahyan al Biruni (1022 CE) and Ibn Batuta (1335 CE).\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the unique features of Khajuraho temples is <\/span><b>religious harmony<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The temple complex includes structures related to <\/span><b>Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Jainism.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Parsvanatha Temple Khajuraho<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the largest Jain temple in the complex. Jain temples here contain images of Tirthankaras and Jain philosophical symbols.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Read about: <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/famous-temples-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">Famous Temples in India<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><b>Khajuraho Temples Three Groups<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Temples of Khajuraho are divided into <\/span><b>three groups, the Western Group, the Eastern Group and the Southern Group.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Western Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Western group is the most important and well-preserved. It includes famous temples like the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Lakshmana Temple, Devi Jagdamba Temple, and Chitragupta Temple. The Chausath Yogini Temple in this group is unique because it was built mainly of granite and was associated with goddess worship.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eastern Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Eastern group contains both Hindu and Jain temples. Important temples here include the Brahma Temple, Vamana Temple, Javari Temple, and Ghantai Temple. The Ghantai Temple is known for bell-shaped chains and Navagraha representations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Southern Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Southern group includes the Duladeo Temple and Chaturbhuja Temple Khajuraho, where the Chaturbhuja Temple is unique because it does not contain erotic sculptures.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Architectural Style of Khajuraho Temples<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Khajuraho temples are built in the <\/span><b>Nagara style of North Indian temple <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">architecture.The Nagara style is characterised by a curvilinear tower called shikhara, which rises above the sanctum. <\/span><b>The main components of these temples are:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Garbhagriha<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (sanctum sanctorum) with antarala, a narrow ante-chamber<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Maha Mandapa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a large hall<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Ardha Mandapa and a mandapa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which are smaller additional halls<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Pradakshina Path<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a circumambulation path<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few temples at Khajuraho are of the <\/span><b>Panchayatana type<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with four shrines dedicated to the divinities and often another shrine in front of the portico dedicated to the vahana (vehicle) of the principal deity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The temples are mainly built using <\/span><b>light-coloured sandstone<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> obtained from the quarries of the Panna region. Some smaller structures also used granite. Iron clamps were used in construction to strengthen the stone joints. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most Khajuraho temples are <\/span><b>oriented towards the east<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so that the rising sun can illuminate the entrance of the temple.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Khajuraho Temples Sculptures<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khajuraho temples are globally famous for their exquisite <\/span><b>stone sculptures.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Nearly 900 sculptures are present on the walls of major temples such as the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sculptures depict <\/span><b>various themes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including <\/span><b>Hindu gods and goddesses, mythological stories, musicians, dancers, ascetics and scenes from daily life<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special emphasis was given to the representation of celestial women such as <\/span><b>apsaras and surasundaris.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The artistic philosophy of Khajuraho is often linked with the four major goals of Hindu life &#8211; <\/span><b>dharma, artha, kama and moksha.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Erotic sculptures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are one of the most discussed features of Khajuraho. These sculptures are believed to reflect the idea of <\/span><b>female beauty and fertility.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Other scenes depicted on the walls of the temples are a part of the <\/span><b>Narathara (the human life cycle) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">signifying how sexual procreation and kama are an essential aspect of human life.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scholars have proposed different interpretations regarding these sculptures. Some believe they are related to the <\/span><b>Shakti worship <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tradition, while others suggest they represent the role of <\/span><b>devadasis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in temple culture. Another theory suggests that the sculptures represent the <\/span><b>human life cycle.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Khajuraho is one of the most important heritage tourism sites in India. Nearby attractions include <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/panna-national-park\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Panna National Park<\/strong><\/a>, which is famous for tiger conservation. The Khajuraho Dance Festival is organised every year in February to promote classical Indian dance. The temples are protected under the AMASR Act, 1958 and are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. However, tourism pressure, dust pollution, urban development, and vibration effects from nearby airport activities remain major conservation challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Khajuraho Temples in Madhya Pradesh, built by the Chandella dynasty (900\u20131130 CE), are UNESCO World Heritage monuments famed for Nagara architecture and intricate sculptures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":90898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[5846],"class_list":{"0":"post-90927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-khajuraho-temples","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90927"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90938,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90927\/revisions\/90938"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}