Chitragupta Temple, Khajuraho,
Madhya Pradesh
Chitragupta Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Surya located at Khajuraho town in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, India. This temple is considered as part of the western group at Khajuraho. This temple is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other temples in Khajuraho Group of Monuments.
History
The temple is believed to have been built between 1020 CE and 1025 CE by Chandela Kings. The temple has been classified as a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The Temple
This Temple is facing towards east and similar to Jagadambika temple in plan. The temple measures 23 m in length and 16 m in width. This temple is a nirandhara temple, no ambulatory around its sanctum. The temple consists of Sanctum, Antrala, Maha Mandapa with lateral transepts and Mukha Mandapa. The Maha Mandapa has an octagonal ceiling, which is more ornate than the corresponding ceiling in the Jagadambi temple.
The building has two balconies, and the ascending scale of the roof is not as impressive as that of the larger temples in Khajuraho. The sanctum houses a partially broken 2.1 m (6.9 ft) tall idol of Surya riding a chariot of seven horses. He is shown standing, dressed in an armored coat and boots, and holding lotus flowers. The door lintel of the sanctum also features three similar, but smaller, images of Surya.
The exterior portion above the base has two bands featuring sculptures of various deities, dwarfs, royal processions, dance performances, erotic couples, Ashta Dikpalakas, hunting scenes, surasundaris (female figures) such as apsaras, and mythical creatures. The uppermost small row contains erotic couples and teacher disciple groups.
There is an eleven headed Lord Vishnu in the central southern niche of the exterior walls. He is depicted in his Viswaroopa with his ten incarnations. This rare representation is not seen anywhere else and does not find a mention in any historical text. There is also a sculpture of Nandi, mount of Lord Shiva, who is shown with a human body and a bull's head.
The Temple is located at about 1.5 Kms from Khajuraho
Bus Stand, 7 Kms from Khajuraho Airport, 7 Kms from Rajnagar, 9 Kms from
Khajuraho Railway Station, 12 Kms from Bamitha, 41 Kms from Chhatarpur, 47 Kms
from Panna and 379 Kms from Bhopal. Khajuraho is situated on Bamitha to
Rajnagar route. Khajuraho railway station connects the town by a daily
train to Delhi via Mahoba, Jhansi and Gwalior. It provides a daily train
connecting to Agra, Jaipur, Bhopal and Udaipur. A local daily train also
connects to Kanpur, whilst Varanasi is connected three times a week. Khajuraho
Airport has flights to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai.
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