A small town in the
Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh's northern state, known for a spectacular
collection of temples erected by the Chandella dynasty over a thousand years
ago.
Although the temples' distant position is said to have
protected them from iconoclasm during Muslim raids, it is unknown why they were
erected in such an inaccessible spot.
The Kandariya Mahadev, Lakshmana, and Vishvanath Hindu
temples are the most well-known at the site.
There are other smaller temples dedicated to different Hindu
deities, as well as some Jain temples.
The temples at Khajuraho were constructed in the Nagara
style, which is popular in northern India.
The structure is designed to seem like a holy mountain, with
the tallest point just above the main picture.
The exteriors of the temples were adorned with sculptural
sculptures, the most renowned of which depicted women engaged in various
graphic sexual relations.
The importance of the sexual sculptures is a hot topic of
discussion.
Some interpret the sculptures to depict human oneness with
the divine, while others argue they condone sexual pleasure as a holy path.
Others believe they teach that the craving for pleasure must
be overcome in order to reach the divine.
Benjamin Rowland's The Art and Architecture of India,
published in 1971, is a good source of knowledge.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
