Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

1126 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Khajuraho Group of Temples

खजुराहो स्मारकों का समूह

Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh · 24.8544°, 79.9214°

Shiva (Kandariya Mahadeva), Vishnu, Jain TirthankarasChandelaNagara (Central Indian apex)UNESCO World Heritage
Sacred since
900 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
c. 900–1050 CE (Kandariya c. 1030)
patron: Yashovarman, Dhanga, Vidyadhara

History & significance

Of some 85 Chandela temples, about 25 survive — the Kandariya Mahadeva their summit, its 31 m shikhara built of 84 miniature spires rising like a mountain range. Forgotten under forest and rediscovered in 1838, Khajuraho's sculpture — of which the famous erotic panels are roughly a tenth — celebrates the whole of life turned toward transcendence; the Jain group at Khajuraho shows the dynasty's plural patronage.

Sthala katha — the legend

The Chandelas claimed descent from the moon: Hemavati, bathing at night, was loved by Chandra and bore Chandravarman, who — instructed in a dream — raised temples showing life whole and unashamed as atonement and affirmation at once.

Reaching there

Khajuraho has its own airport (code HJR) with services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai. Khajuraho railway station serves the town, with links towards Delhi, Udaipur and Jhansi, while Chhatarpur station lies about 45 km away. By road the temples are roughly 50 km from the district headquarters at Chhatarpur, on National Highway 86.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chandela