Khajuraho was the home of the Chandela Dynasty in the 9th and 10th century and was never discovered by marauding Mughal armies. Each King built a temple during his reign and 85 in total have been recorded. Of that 25 remain in excellent shape as they were lost to the forest for nearly 1000 years. The original site encompasses two areas of Hindu temples and a third area incorporates Jain temples. Jainism is an offshoot of Hinduism that professes complete purity of the soul and being. They are strict Vegans and will not eat root plants for fear of harming insects. In one sect the priests wear no clothes as they renounce anything from the material world.
The Chandela Hindus believed very strongly in the Kama Sutra as is evidenced in their sculpture. All of the Temples were constructed without mortar utilizing tongue and groove construction using a keystone on top to bind the pieces together, similar to a puzzle. Each sculpture was hand carved by one individual out of one block of stone. You can actually see emotion in the faces of the figures and subtle movements suggesting their mood. There are thousands of figures, but the devil is in the details. Even the owl and at least one Ganesha couldn’t help but look. All quite amazing and I must say somewhat tittilating!
