Places to visit in the city Khajuraho
WESTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES - Khajuraho
 The Western Group of Temples, in the heart of the town,
are the most famous temples of Khajuraho, with the mithunas
(couples), gandharvas, apsaras, vidyadaras and kinaras.
The images of the apsaras are stunning, with their sensuous
poses and liquid movements. There are the unforgettable
images of a maiden adorning herself before a mirror, applying
kohl on her eyes, plaiting her long hair, removing a thorn
from her foot. The erotic images, almost acrobatic orgiastic
scenes have been associated with Tantric rituals and practices.
However, it/’s not so much the sexual aspect but the grace,
energy and feeling that strikes one most about these images.
The eyes, the face and the body are poetry of pure emotive
movement.
The Kandariya Mahadeo is the biggest and most stunning
temple, with its 800 statues of gods and goddesses, the
marble lingam and the ceiling that rises 31 metres high.
It is considered the most evolved example of central Indian
temple architecture. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple
is also the largest of Khajuraho/’s temples.
The Lakshmana Temple has friezes of battle scenes and
erotic poses, depicting both sides of the Chandela warriors/’
lives. In fact, the eight figures on each column are supposed
to represent each sect of the Tantric cult. The finely
carved inner sanctum has a three-headed idol of Vishnu/’s
incarnations, Narasimha and Varaha.
The Varaha Temple has a 9-feet-high image of the boar
incarnation of Vishnu, gorgeously carved with 474 images.
The Chitragupta Temple is dedicated to the Sun God, and
has many group scenes of royal processions, hunting, and
dancing that reflect the lavish lifestyle of the Chandela
courts.
The Devi Jagdamba Temple has a gorgeous image of Parvati.
It is perhaps the most erotic temple of Khajuraho. The
temple houses Khajuraho/’s most talked-about image, mithuna,
and the sensuously carved figures. However, till today
it is not clear as to which deity this temple is dedicated.
The Matangesvara Temple has a 2.5-metre-high polished
lingam of Shiva. This is the only temple that is actively
used for worship.
The temple of Vishvanath and Nandi celebrates the marriage
of Lord Shiva with Parvati. The temple draws attention
by its provocative depiction of women.
Chaunsath Yogini is dedicated to goddesses Kali. It is
the oldest of the surviving temples of Khajuraho. The
only temple in Khajuraho to be built of granite, the name
of the temple is derived from the cells of 64 attendants
of Goddess Kali (chaunsath: sixty-four).
The gardens around the Western temples are picturesque
and become a spectacle of colour and light during the
Khajuraho dance festival.
EASTERN GROUP OF TEMPLES - Khajuraho
 The Eastern temples are partly Jain and partly Hindu.
The most striking is the Parsvanath Temple, with its exquisite
sculptures depicting everyday activity. There is a bull-emblem
of the first Tirthankara, Adinath. It is a fine instance
of sensitive art without any sexual motifs. In the vicinity
of this temple is the temple of Adinath, which has some
fine carvings. The temple is structurally similar to the
Hindu temples of Khajuraho. In fact, it is this Jain-Hindu
combination that is singularly interesting about the Eastern
Group of temples. Only a century old, Shantinath is the
most recent of all the temples in Khajuraho. Visited by
the Digambar Jains, the temple houses a four and a half
metre statue of Adinath. The Ghantai Temple, mostly in
ruins now, has fine columns and chains and bells, with
a figure of a Jain goddess on a garuda. Mainly built of
granite and sandstone, the temple of Brahma and Hanuman
is one of the oldest temples in Khajuraho. Strange though
it may seem, the temple is actually dedicated to Lord
Vishnu. Close by is a Hanuman temple reputed to have the
earliest inscription dating back to AD 922 on a 2½-metre
statue. The Javari and Vamana are two other notable temples
of the Eastern Group.
THE SOUTHERN GROUP OF TEMPLES - Khajuraho
 The southern group of temples contains only two temples.
The Duladeo Temple apparently is newer of the two and
was built at a time when the creativity of Khajuraho was
well below its peak. The other is the Chaturbhuj Temple,
located far from the village. The temple houses a three-metre-high
statue of Vishnu.
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