Legend

The myth of the origin of Khajuraho temples revolves around Hemvati who was the beautiful daughter of Hemraj, the royal priest of Kashi. It is believed that the Moon God, taken in by her beauty, descended to earth in human form and ravished her. Hemvati, who was a child widow, threatened to curse the god for ruining her life. To make amends god promised that she would become the mother of a heroic son. He also asked her to go to to Khajujupura wh...View more

re the son would become the King and build numerous temples. The child, Chandravarman, later became the King and true to his father's words built many shrines of architectural wonder. He was the head of the Chandela clan. His successors of the clan continued to build beautiful temples at Khajuraho. After fall of Chandella dynasty, Khajuraho Temples suffered destruction by foreign invaders which forced local people to leave the area. From about 13th century to 18th century, Khajuraho temples remained in obscurity until it was re-discovered by British engineer T. S. Burt.

Architecture

Built in Nagara architectural style, the walls of the shrine consists of  three bands of sculptures.The main features of the temple are the ornamental doorway and the huge idol of the Lord inside the sanctum. The image is carved out of a single stone and stands 2.75 meters high. At sunset the sun comes streaming in and falls directly on the figure, creating a divine sight for the devotees. This temple does not have erotic sculptures.