Kandariya Mahadev Temple

Kandara is a Hindi word means cave in English, Kandariya Mahadev means the ‘great god dwelling in a cave’. Kandariya Mahadev Temple is the largest and the most ornate Hindu temple in the medieval temple group of Khajuraho. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located in the western part of the village Khajuraho covering an area of six square kilometers. Kandariya Mahadev Temple is the largest temple in the western group, and one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India. The Kandariya Mahadev temple was built during the reign of Chandela King Vidyadhar (1003-1035). The Kandariya Mahadev temple, 102 feet high, is in the western complex, which is the largest among the three groups of the Khajuraho complex of temples. This western group of temples consisting of the Kandariya, Matangeshwara and Vishwanath temples, is compared to a “cosmic design of a hexagon” representing the three forms of Lord Shiva. The temple architecture is an assemblage of porches and towers which terminates in a spire, a feature which was common from the tenth century onwards in the temples of Central India. The foundation of the temple is a massive platform thirteen feet high, and hexagonal in shape. The super structure is built in a steep mountain shape, symbolically representing Mount Meru which is considered to be the source of creation of the world. The super structure has richly decorated roofs which rise in a grand form terminating in the shikhar which has eighty four miniature spires. Right at the entrance there is a toran, a very intricately carved garland which is sculpted from a single stone; showing the tactile quality of the stone and also the character of the symmetrical design that is on view in the entire temple which has high relief carvings of the figurines. The carvings are of circles, undulations giving of spirals, sprays, geometric patterns, masks of lions, and other uniform designs are created a pleasant picture that is unique to this temple among all others in the complex. In the interior space from the entrance there are three halls which successively rise in height and width, which is inclusive of a small chamber dedicated to Shiva, a chamber where the Shiva Lingam is deified. The sanctum sanctorum is surrounded by interlinked passages having insufficient natural light creating a cave like atmosphere. Interior halls and their exterior faces have elaborately carved sculptures of gods and goddesses musicians and apsaras or nymphs. Huge pillars of the halls have architectural features of the vine or scroll motif. Insects are carved in the corners with incised patterns. The exterior surfaces of the temple are entirely covered with sculptures in three vertical layers containing the images of gods and heavenly beings, Agni, the god of fire, Saptamatrikas, Brahmi and Brahma, Maheshwari seated on the bull Nandi, Vaishnavi mounted on Garuda, boar headed Varahi, lion headed Narshimhi and Chamunda and Sardula, a mythical character with lion face and human limbs. Tourists stare the architecture and praise the beauty of the temple.