Khajuraho Temples Facts

Khajuraho is located right in the heart of Central India i.e. in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The village has a serene untouched look and boasts of rich cultural heritage. The top tourist destination in India, the place is known for housing Khajuraho temples, famous throughout the world for their exquisite architecture. Built during the reign of Chandela Empire, the temples have sculptures that are realistic to look at. Khajuraho temples depict the traditional lifestyle of women in the medieval age. Rediscovered almost nine centuries later, they give a poignant representation of life in the 11^th century. Explore some interesting and fun facts about Khajuraho temples.

Interesting & Fun Facts about Khajuraho Temple

The Khajuraho group of monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples and is well-known for erotic sculptures adorning the temples.
The name Khajuraho is derived from the Hindi word 'khajur', which means 'date palm'.
It was during the reign of Chandel Empire, between 950 and 1050 AD, that Khajuraho temples were constructed.
Earlier, there were about 85 Hindu temples at Khajuraho, which degenerated due to the ravages of the nature. There are only about 22 Hindu temples left now.
It was only in the 20^th century that Khajuraho temples were rediscovered and preserved.
These temples are considered the "high point" of Indian architectural genius during the medieval times.
Khajuraho temples are divided into three geographical divisions - western, eastern and southern.
The Western group is home to the largest and most typical Khajuraho temple, dedicated to Kandariya Mahadev.
The fascinating temples of Khajuraho represent the expression of a highly matured civilization. They comprise of one of the top tourist attractions of India.
It is wrongly believed that Khajuraho temples are filled with erotic sculpture. Erotic scenes represent a relatively small part of the carvings, but sensuous eroticism prevails in all the sculptures.
Archeological Survey of India has ranked Khajuraho temples as the best preserved monuments of antiquity.
A few of the temples in Khajuraho are dedicated to the Jain pantheon and the rest to Hindu deities - to God's Trio, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and various Devi forms, such as the Devi Jagadambi.
Mostly, the temples are built of sandstone, with varying shades of buff, pink and pale yellow.
The divine sculptures in Khajuraho temples are a tribute to Life itself, embodying everything that is sublime and spontaneous about it.
The images of Goddesses and Gods sculpted on the temple walls represent the many manifestations of the divine Shakti and Shiva, the female and male principles, the Yin and the Yang.
The inside of the temple has rooms that are inter-connected and placed in an East/West line. Each contains an entrance, a hall, a vestibule and a sanctum. Windows have been added to the larger temples, probably to add a feeling of space and light.
Khajuraho temples, constructed with spiral superstructures, adhere to a North Indian shikhara temple style and often to a Panchayatana plan.

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