Vishwanatha Temple, Khajuraho – The Temple

Vishwanatha Temple, Khajuraho – The Temple

This Temple is facing towards east and measures 27.5 metres (90 ft) in length & 13.7 metres (45 ft) in width. This temple comes midway between the Lakshmana temple and Kandariya Mahadeva temple in architectural style. This temple follow nagara style of architecture. This temple is in the Panchayatana style of architecture. Panchayatana is an architectural style where the main shrine is built on a raised platform with four smaller subsidiary shrines at the four corners and making it a total of five shrines. 

Out of four subsidiary shrines, only two shrines have survived in the north-east and south-west corners. This is the only temple at Khajuraho which had a Nandi pavilion in front of the temple. The temple is constructed on high raised jagati (platform) which is approached by a fleet of steps. The stairs leading from the base to the porch are flanked by lions on one side, and elephants on the other side. 

This temple consists of Mukha Mandapa (porch), Mandapa (assembly hall), Maha Mandapa (dance hall), Antarala (vestibule) and Garbhagriha (sanctum) enclosed by an ambulatory with transepts on the sides, on the rear and on elevation. This is a sandhara temple, having common ambulatory passage around its sanctum. The sanctum has balconies on three sides for light and ventilation. 

The sanctum has a stone Linga; the emerald Linga mentioned in the inscription is missing. The interior features faceted pillars in all the rooms. The ceiling and the brackets supporting it are intricately carved. However, the bracket figures in the large hall are now badly worn. The niches of the sanctum wall has Shiva’s manifestations namely Andhakantaka (subduing Andhaka demon), Nataraja (cosmic dancer) and Ardhanareeshwara (half-male and half-female representation of Lord Shiva and Parvathy).

The exterior portion above the base has three bands featuring sculptures of various deities, surasundaris (female figures) such as apsaras, and mythical creatures. The surasundaris are shown performing various day-to-day activities, such as applying sindoor (vermilion powder) to their foreheads and kohl to their eyes, wringing their hair after bathing, playing flute, plucking thorn from their feet, dancing, admiring themselves in a mirror, dressing or simply posing provocatively. 

Their hairstyles, patterned garments, ornaments and expressive faces are noticeable in these sculptures. The north and south walls of the temple feature erotic reliefs. The junction of the vestibule and the sanctum features a variation of the famous acrobatic sex sculpture at the Kandariya Mahadeva temple. Like the Kandariya sculpture, this one also features a couple supported by two women, but in this sculpture, the man is on the top. 

The woman at the bottom fingers the woman on the left with one hand, while her other hand rests on the ground for support. Some sculptures feature men indulging in bestiality, as women cover their eyes. The base of the temple has several niches with sculptures of the Saptamatrikas (seven goddesses), Shiva's consort Parvati and a dancing Ganesha. This is the first temple at Khajuraho having the peculiar arrangement of Saptamatrikas around the exterior walls of the temple. 

These are placed in counter circumambulatory manner. The similar arrangement was later adopted in Kandariya Mahadeva temple. The theme of an apsara removing the scorpion from her body is one of the common and earliest motif carved in the Khajuraho temples. This representation might depict fertility. Khajuraho might have derived its name from this representation as Khajura means scorpion in Sanskrit.