In this guide
When the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang passed through this region in the seventh century, the Khajuraho we know today did not yet exist. Its great temples were built between roughly 950 and 1050 CE by the Chandela kings of Bundelkhand — perhaps eighty-five temples in all, of which around twenty-five survive. Hidden by forest for centuries after the Chandelas' decline, they were brought to wider notice in the nineteenth century, and in 1986 they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Khajuraho is one of the most important — and most frequently tested — topics in MP's culture.
The Chandelas
The Chandelas emerged in Bundelkhand (known in their time as Jejakabhukti) in the ninth century, initially as feudatories of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, before becoming independent.
| Ruler | Period (approx.) | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Nannuka | 9th century | Founder of the dynasty |
| Yashovarman | 10th century | Expanded power; built the Lakshmana temple (c. 954) |
| Dhanga | Late 10th century | Declared full independence from the Pratiharas; built the Vishvanatha temple (inscription dated 999 or 1002 CE) |
| Vidyadhara | Early 11th century | The most powerful Chandela; resisted Mahmud of Ghazni; the Kandariya Mahadeva temple is generally attributed to his reign |
| Paramardi (Parmal) | Late 12th century | Defeated by Prithviraj Chauhan (c. 1182); later lost Kalinjar to Qutbuddin Aibak (1203) |
Capitals and strongholds: Khajuraho (religious capital), Mahoba and the great fort of Kalinjar (now in Uttar Pradesh).
Alha and Udal
The heroic ballad of Alha and Udal, warrior brothers who fought for Paramardi against Prithviraj Chauhan, is sung across Bundelkhand — especially during the monsoon — in the tradition known as Alha-khand.
The Khajuraho temples
| Group | Main temples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Kandariya Mahadeva, Lakshmana, Vishvanatha, Chitragupta, Devi Jagadambi, Chausath Yogini | The largest and best-known; Hindu (Shaiva, Vaishnava, Surya); Chausath Yogini is the oldest (granite) |
| Eastern | Parshvanatha, Adinatha, Ghantai | Jain temples — evidence of religious coexistence |
| Southern | Duladeo, Chaturbhuj | Later temples |
Architecture
- Nagara (north Indian) style, with a high platform (jagati) and a sequence of rising towers culminating in the main shikhara — like a mountain range, symbolising Mount Kailasha or Meru.
- A typical plan: entrance porch (ardhamandapa) → hall (mandapa) → great hall (mahamandapa) → vestibule (antarala) → sanctum (garbhagriha).
- Many temples are panchayatana — a main shrine with four subsidiary shrines at the corners.
- Built of sandstone, fitted without mortar.
Sculpture
The temple walls are covered with thousands of sculptures: gods and goddesses, apsaras (celestial women) applying make-up or playing music, musicians and dancers, animals, warriors, scenes of daily life — and a small proportion of erotic (mithuna) sculptures, which have made Khajuraho famous. Scholars have offered several interpretations of the erotic sculptures — as symbols of fertility and auspiciousness, as illustrations of kama as one of the goals of life, as reflecting tantric ideas, or as a test of the devotee's detachment. The vast majority of the sculpture is not erotic but celebrates the variety of divine and human life.
Rediscovery and today
- British surveyor T. S. Burt documented the temples in 1838; Alexander Cunningham surveyed them later.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site — 1986.
- Khajuraho Dance Festival — held every year (usually in February), featuring India's classical dance forms against the backdrop of the temples.
- An airport and tourism infrastructure have made Khajuraho a major international destination.
Why the Chandelas and Khajuraho matter
- Architecture — the high point of the Nagara style.
- Art — sculpture of extraordinary richness.
- Religion — Hindu and Jain temples side by side.
- History — Bundelkhand's resistance to Ghaznavid and later Sultanate armies.
- Culture today — heritage, tourism, the dance festival, and the living Alha tradition.
Practice
Prelims-style:
- Who built the Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho?
- Which is the largest temple at Khajuraho?
- Which group of Khajuraho temples is Jain?
- When was Khajuraho inscribed as a UNESCO site?
- Who were Alha and Udal?
Mains-style (short): Describe the main features of the Nagara style at Khajuraho.
Mains-style (long): "Khajuraho presents a complete vision of life in stone." Discuss.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission website .
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