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Western Group of Temples

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Lakshmana Temple
One of the oldest and best preserved of all the Khajuraho temples, the Lakshmana Temple is dedicated to the Vaikuntha form of Lord Vishnu. Built during the reign of Yasovarman during the period from 930-950 AD, the temple is one of the most exquistely decorated temple, covered with various images of gods and goddess in the Hindu Pantheon. The temple houses a sacred image of Vishnu which was brought from Tibet. However, it is more known for its beautiful lintel work which shows the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The finely carved sanctum has a three-headed idol of Vishnu's incarnations, Narsimha and Varaha. The boar incarnation also appears in another Vaishnavite shrine, the Varaha Temple.

The statue here is a mammoth 9 ft high one, its surface covered with figures from the Hindu Pantheon. The main shrine of the temple, which faces east, is flanked by four free standing subsidiary shrines at the corners of the temple platform. Each of the corner shrines is complete in itself with a garbhgriha and an ardh mandap supported by two pillars. A flight of steps leads to a high terrace that opens to the east. Around the base of the temple is a continuous frieze that depicts scenes of battles, hunting and processions. The circular ceiling of the porch is carved in the design of a Lotus in four concentric circles while the pillars which depict Apsaras on carved brackets are among the finest of sculpture. Each bracket representing each sect of the Tantras. A profusion of erotic scenes run around the temple especially on the southern side though they make up only a small fraction of the total.


Matangeshwara Temple
Situated outside the premises of Western group of temples and facing east is the Matangeswara Temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva,the temple is still a place of worship and is known for its eight-feet high lingam. South of this temple is the open air Archaeological Museum, which has a beautiful displayed collection of statues and friezes collected from the remains of long vanished temples. The temple draws a huge crowd during the annual Mahashivratri festival.


Devi Jagadambe Temple
Now a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, the Devi Jagadambe Temple was originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Older than the Kandariya Mahadev temple, the temple is famous for its lavishly decorated and richly embellished square ceiling and walls which have some of the finest figures of gods and goddesses, celestial nymphs and erotic couples. Considered by many as the most erotic temples of Khajuraho, the temple houses various images of mithuna and the sensuously carved figures. Smaller in size than the rest of the temples of the Western Group and resembleing the Chitragupta Temple in respect of design, dimensions and decorative scheme, the Devi Jagadambe Temple has a long porch, a big hall. The balconies of the mahamandap are bigger than those of the other temples and five columns support the roofs over them.