The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising around 25 surviving temples (out of an original 85) built by the Chandela dynasty between roughly 950 and 1050 CE. The temples are arranged in three clusters — western, eastern, and southern — spread across the small town.
The erotic sculpture for which Khajuraho is famous covers perhaps 10% of the total carvings; the rest depict gods, celestial beings, processions, battle scenes, and daily life rendered with extraordinary vitality. Various theories explain the erotic carvings — tantric initiation, a ward against lightning, a metaphor for divine union — but none has been proven. The sculptures are exceptional regardless of interpretation: figures carved with a technical mastery not surpassed anywhere in medieval Indian art.
The western group, inside a well-maintained garden, contains the grandest temples including the Kandariya Mahadeva and Lakshmana temples. Arrive early to avoid the midday heat and tourist buses.