Khajuraho, which was earlier referred to as the Kharjjura-Vahaka, saw the creation of some of the most magnificent architectural wonders under the rule of the Chandella rulers. The monuments of Khajuraho built during this period perfectly showcase the patterns of art and architecture employed in the temples during this period. It was the central point of authority for the Chandella rulers who in created many architectural marvels at this place.
If the data of the local tradition is to be believed then initially there were a total of 85 temples although now most of them are in ruins and only 25 temples are intact. All temples are made out of sandstone and are normally of pink or yellow colour except for the three temples that are built out of granite, namely Chausath-Yogini, Brahma and Mahadeva.
The beautiful Lakshmana temple built in veneration to lord Vishnu by Yasovarman in the year of 954AD is a very prominent emblem of the glory of the Chandella dynasty. In addition to this there are many other temples on Khajuraho like the Viswanatha, Vaidyanatha, Parsvanatha, Chitragupta and the Jagadambi. However Kandariya Mahadeva remains the largest and the most popular temple of Khajuraho. This temple, which took 12 years to be completed from AD1017 to AD1029, was built by King Ganda.
The temples like Javari, Chaturbhu, Duladeo, Vamana are excellent examples of the level of architectural designing. With the exception of Javari and Brahma, most of the temples have beautifully decorated exteriors. The one common feature of the group of temples of Khajuraho is the elevated terraces (jagati) and the ardhamandapa, which are beautified with Kakshasana and Makara Torana serving the function of entrance.
The beautiful sculptures that adorn the walls of the temples depict parivara, avarana, devatas, parsva, dikpala, sura-sundaris and the apsarases. Many find the sculptures to be awe-inspiring and worthy of total admiration. Recently as a result of an excavation in Jataka at Bija mandal the remains of the base of a temple has been found and it is supposed to date back to the 11th century AD. The bases are larger than Kandariya Mahadeva and in addition to this a beautiful image of goddess Sarasvati has also been found here. Khajuraho was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year of 1986 and is supposed to be one of the most popular tourist destinations of India.