The Khajuraho temple complex is a series of beautifully built and decorated buildings in Madhya Pradesh. Of the 85 temples originally built by the Chandela dynasty between 900 AD and 1130 AD, only 25 remain. Khajuraho has been designated as UNESCO World Heritage site and is highly worthy of tourist attentions. Yet what really sets Khajuraho apart from other temples is the numerous erotic carvings, both inside and outside the temple, that depict men, women, and even animals engaging in lovemaking, orgies, and bestiality under the benign smiles of divinities.
Temple Construction in the Golden Age for Central India
The Khajuraho temples were commissioned almost as soon as the Chandelas came to power in Madhya Pradesh, a region in Central India. They were dedicated to two Indian religions, Hinduism and Jainism, suggesting a culture of acceptance and respect for differing religious traditions. In a space of about 20 square kilometers (7.72 square miles), 85 temples were built by successive Chandela rulers. This was a golden age for Central India.
It came to an abrupt end at the start of the 13 th century when the Sultanate of Delhi invaded the Chandela Kingdom and seized the capital city Mahoba (located about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Khajuraho). Up until the invasion, the Khajuraho temples were actively worshipped. However, upon the arrival of the Muslim Delhi Sultanate, the temples were desecrated or destroyed. The Islamic rulers had a “policy of intolerance for worship [sic] places of other religions so all the citizens of Khajuraho left the town with a hope that its solitude would not attract attention of the Muslim invaders into the temple area and in this way both temple and they themselves will remain unhurt” (Khajuraho-India, 2016).
