Khajuraho Chandela Temples Erotic Sculpture Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh contains the largest and best-preserved collection of medieval Hindu and Jain temples in India, built by the Chandela dynasty primarily between 950 and 1050 CE in a concentrated construction program of 85 temples (of which 25 survive) covering 20 square kilometers, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The temples are celebrated for their extensive erotic sculpture covering up to 10% of the exterior surface area, depicting conjugal couples in acrobatic sexual positions alongside celestial beings, warriors, hunters, and scenes of daily life, placed at the shikhara (tower) band of the temple exterior in a deliberate theological program that scholars have interpreted variously as tantric, Vedic ritual, or aesthetic tradition of representing the full breadth of human experience. The Lakshmana, Kandariya Mahadeva, and Vishvanatha temples in the Western Group are the architectural masterpieces, with the Kandariya Mahadeva's 31-meter tower being the tallest. The architectural style, called Nagara with the Panchayatana layout, is characterized by the clustered tower silhouette composed of multiple secondary spires rising to the central point. The Khajuraho Dance Festival held annually in February on the open-air platform facing the illuminated Western temples is a major classical dance event drawing top performers of all eight classical forms.