Khajuraho: Temple, Sculpture and the Chandela World

A Chandela temple landscape

The surviving temples at Khajuraho were built principally in the tenth and eleventh centuries under the Chandela rulers of central India. They include Hindu and Jain monuments and represent a major achievement of north Indian temple architecture and sculpture.

More than erotic sculpture

Khajuraho is internationally famous for erotic imagery, but those sculptures form only a portion of much larger decorative programmes. Deities, musicians, dancers, warriors, domestic scenes, mythical beings and architectural ornament create a dense visual world. Reducing the site to sexuality obscures its religious and artistic complexity.

Religion and patronage

The coexistence of Hindu and Jain temples reflects a courtly environment in which different religious communities and traditions received patronage. Individual temples have specific dedications and histories; the complex should not be treated as one undifferentiated religious monument.

From medieval centre to heritage destination

Khajuraho’s political importance declined, while the temples survived and later became objects of archaeological study, conservation and tourism. Today the UNESCO World Heritage designation shapes the international presentation of the site, but the surrounding town remains a contemporary community.