India's temple of temples — erotic carvings, lost dynasties, and a sky of stars
Khajuraho is home to one of the world's most extraordinary ensembles of medieval temple sculpture — 22 surviving Chandela temples (of an original 85) built between 950 and 1050 CE, covered in some of the most detailed and frankly erotic stone carvings ever produced in religious art. The famous erotic panels cover only about 10% of the surface area; the remaining 90% shows gods, celestial beings, animals, and scenes of daily life with equal skill and vitality. The village sits in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, far from any other major tourist site, which gives it an otherworldly remoteness — and…
The Chandela Rajput dynasty ruled the Bundelkhand region of central India from the 9th to 13th centuries and built all 85 original temples at Khajuraho between 950 and 1050 CE as expressions of tantric Hindu and Jain philosophy. After the Chandelas were defeated by successive waves of Muslim sultans from the 12th century onward, the temples were largely abandoned and swallowed by jungle, where they remained largely unknown to the outside world for 700 years. British surveyor T.S. Burt rediscovered them in 1838 and reported the erotic carvings to colonial authorities, who debated whether to de…