Kandariya Mahadeo

About Kandariya Mahadeo

Kandariya Mahadeo is the largest temple at Khajuraho and the one most often used to explain what the Khajuraho style is. It rises 31 m, and almost every surface of that height is worked in stone: divine deities, celestial maidens, eternal lovers, gods and goddesses, carved with the detail and intricacy that made these temples famous. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the sanctum enshrines the linga.

Because it is the most typical as well as the biggest of the group, it is the temple visitors are usually shown first. The scale is easier to read from a short distance, where the stepped tower reveals itself as a cluster of smaller towers rising to one peak.

What to look for

The shikhara

The tower over the sanctum is built up from many smaller replica towers that climb towards a single summit. Standing back from the plinth is the only way to see the whole composition. From close up you lose the shape and see only the carving.

The sculpture bands

The outer walls carry horizontal bands of figures running right around the temple. Deities occupy the formal niches, while apsaras, musicians and embracing couples fill the spaces between them. Each band repeats at a different level, so the same wall rewards a second look.

The sanctum and the linga

Past the porch and the pillared hall, the innermost chamber is dark and plain by contrast and holds the Shiva linga. The change from the crowded exterior to the bare sanctum is deliberate and is part of how the temple was meant to be experienced.

Planning your visit

Kandariya Mahadeo stands inside the fenced Western group enclosure, so a single ticket for that enclosure covers it along with the neighbouring temples.

• Come early in the morning, when the light is low and the enclosure is quiet.
• Allow 45 to 60 minutes here alone, and two to three hours for the whole Western group.
• Footwear comes off before you step onto the plinth.
• A guide or an audio guide helps, because the carved panels follow a scheme that is not obvious.

Best time to visit

October to March is the comfortable season, with cool mornings and clear light on the stone. February brings the Khajuraho Dance Festival and more visitors. April to June is very hot and best handled by arriving at opening time. The monsoon months leave the site green but humid.