Khajuraho one of the most famous town of India is located in the Chatarpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This famed city is known for its temple complexes, erotic sculptures and pristine beauty.
Khajuraho is dotted with numerous Hindu and Jain temples dating back to medieval era. What make these temples truly breathtaking are their sensuous sculptures that have attracted tourist for decades. The explicit and enticing frescoes have had both historians and tourists enthralled for many a millennium now. Spread over an area of approximately 20 sq.kms in the northeastern part of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is a major tourist site and also listed among the 14 UNESCO world heritage sites in India.
These temples were built over a thousand years ago under the patronage of the Rajput Chandela kings in a span of 100 years from 950 to 1050 A.D. The first recorded mention of the Khajuraho temples is in the accounts of Abu Rihan al Biruni (AD 1022) and the Arab Traveller Ibn Battuta (AD 1335). The exact reason as to why these temples were built and their significance eludes our understanding even today. But it is believed that the Chandela kings were followers of the tantric cult, which believed that gratification of earthly desires is the way to attain the divine. Though known for the eroticism depicted on the temple walls, it is only the western group of temples, which have these sculptures. The eastern and southern groups are largely temples in the traditional sense with religious sculptures engraved in it.