Temples in Khajuraho - photos, details and travel help.
Vamana Temple Javari Temple Brahma Temple Ghantai Temple Adinath Temple Parsvanath Temple Shantinath Temple Duladeo Temple Chaturbhuj Temple Chausath Yogini Temple Lalguan Mahadeva Matangesvara Temple Varaha Temple Lakshmana Temple Kandariya Mahadev Devi Jagda...
Northernmost is the late-11th-century Vamana Temple, dedicated to Vishnu’s dwarf incarnation (though the image in the sanctum looks more like a tall, sly child). The sanctum walls show unusual theological openness, featuring most of the major gods and goddesses; Vishnu appears in many of his form, including the Buddha, his ninth incarnation.
The small, well-proportioned Javari Temple, just south of the Vamana Temple and roughly contemporary in origin, has a simplified three-shrine design. The two main exterior bands bear hosts of heavenly maidens.
The granite and sandstone Brahma Temple, one of the earliest temples here (c. 900), is probably misnamed. Brahma, a titular member of the triad of Hinduism’s great gods, along with Shiva and Vishnu, rarely gets a temple to himself, and this one has a linga, the abstract, phallus-shape icon of Shiva. It differs in design from most of the other temples, particularly in the combination of materials and the shape of its Shikhara.
This Jain temple has remarkable frescos depicting the 16 dreams of the mother of Lord Mahavira at the time of his birth and a Jain goddess mounted on a winged Garuda.
The Adinath Temple , dedicated to Lord Adinath, the first Tirthankara of Jainism, stands as a symbol of spirituality, devotion, and architectural brilliance. Renowned for its intricate carvings and serene atmosphere, the temple is a sacred pilgrimage site that attracts devotees and travelers seeking peace and divine blessings.
The largest Jain temple of the Eastern group, Parsvanath temple has intricate stone carvings, especially, the sculptures on the northern outer wall of the temple are certainly praiseworthy. It enshrines a throne facing the bull emblem that represents the the first tirthankara, Adinatha.
The third temple in this cluster, the Shantinath, bears an inscription dating it to the early 11th century. It has been remodeled extensively and is still in active use, but it does contain some old Jain sculpture.
Though built in the customary five-shrine style, the Duladeo Temple (about 900 yards south of the Eastern Group’s Ghantai) looks flatter and more massive than most Khajuraho shrines. Probably the last temple built in Khajuraho, dated to the 12th century; the Duladeo Temple lacks the usual ambulatory passage and crowning lotus-shape finials. It has some vibrant sculptures, but many are clichéd and over decorated.
It is the huge imposing intricately carved image of Lord Vishnu in the temple's sanctum, which is the chief attraction of the temple.
The temple is the earliest temple of the group that has survived. It belongs to 900 AD and is dedicated Goddess Kali. It has the distinction of being the only granite temple here.
The Shiva temple Lalguan Mahadeva is a few hundred yards north-east of the Chausath Yogini. The structure is in ruins, and the original portico is missing, but this temple is historically significant because it was built of both granite and sandstone, marking the transition from Chausath Yogini to the later temples.
Situated outside the premises of Western group of temples, this Lord Shiva's temple is known for the daunting eight-foot high lingam (male organ representing the natural process of reproduction and the continuity of human life form) that it enshrines.
Sri Vishnu Varaha Mandir is a revered hindu temple in the village of Majholi in the Jabalpur district. The temple has an elephantine Varaha (boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu) behind a life sized idol of God Vishnu in Yogasana. The temple also enshrines idols of Ganesha, Kali, Hanuman etc and is visited by pilgrims all through the year
A pretty Vaishnava temple flaunts a lintel over its entrance depicting the divine trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva along with Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Lord Vishnu.
The 31m high temple is the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple with exquisite carvings and intricate and detailed craftsmanship in stone depicting divine deities, celestial maidens, eternal lovers, gods and goddesses. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and enshrines the 'linga'.
The Devi Jagdamba Temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu, as indicated by a prominent sculpture over the sanctum’s doorway. It’s now dedicated to Parvati, Shiva’s consort, but because her image is black—a color associated with Kali, goddess of wrath and an avatar of Parvati—it is also known as the Kali Temple. From the inside, its three-shrine design makes the temple appear to be shaped like a cross. The third band of sculpture has a series of erotic mithunas.
The small, mostly ruined Mahadeva Temple shares its platform with the Kandariya and the Devi Jagdamba. Now dedicated to Shiva, it may originally have been a subsidiary to the Kandariya Mahadev temple, probably dedicated to Shiva’s consort. In the portico stands a remarkable statue of a man caressing a mythical horned lion.
This temple is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev). It faces towards east or the rising sun and the imposing image of the image of the deity in the inner sanctum is as high as five feet and is shown driving a horse-drawn chariot. It is in front of this temple and the Vishwanatha temple that most of the dance performances take place during the Khajuraho Dance Festival.
The Vishvanath Temple is on a terrace to the east of the Chitragupta and Devi Jagdamba temples. Two staircases lead up to it, the northern flanked by a pair of lions and the southern by a pair of elephants. The Vishvanath probably preceded the Kandariya, but here two of the original corner shrines remain. On the outer wall of the corridor surrounding the cells is an impressive image of Brahma, the three-headed Lord of Creation, and his consort, Saraswati.
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