Hanuman Temple at Khajuraho

Ornate temples, exquisite sculptures and a soothing smell of antiquity- Khajuraho is all these and more. This small town in Madhya Pradesh has now become a prominent tourist attraction.

The 25 temples that can now be seen in Khajuraho were built by the Chandella rulers between AD 900 and 1130. It is assumed that there were originally 85 temples, the remains of which can still be seen there. The first recorded mention of these temples was in the accounts of Abu Rihan al Baruni (AD 1022) and the Arab traveller Ibn Batuta (AD 1335).

All the temples in Khajuraho, though devoted to different deities, are remarkable for their artistic beauty. Even a single inch is not left without ornamentation.

The Hanuman Temple here can be found while moving from the western group towards the Khajuraho village. The temple is marked by a gigantic eight feet high statue of Lord Hanuman. The temple and the statue are one of the oldest structures of Khajuraho. There is a very ancient inscription on the pedestal of the statue of Hanuman, which dates back to the time of Maharaja Harsh of the Chandella dynasty.