Kandariya Mahadev Temple

The Kandariya Temple is the highest in the complex of the Khajuraho Temples in the district of Chhattarpur. It was designed and built by the Chandela King Vidyadhara in the early 11th century. It was after Gazni Mahmud had invaded this region and kind of destroyed it. This sophisticated and splendid temple is built in a western style. The Khajuraho Temple is at a distance above the primary entrance which has to be reached by climbing quite a few stairs. The main attraction in the entrance area is a sacred makara torana that is simply eye-catching.

The interior of the temple has intricately designed hallways, while the main hall has the prime deity of Lord Siva in the form of a linga. There is a lovely painting of a four-footed incarnation of Lord Shiva called Chatuspada. This form is the exclusive Sadashiva. The four legs here represent four different areas of the Shaivites. This form of Sadashiva has some obvious and some unobvious elements. It is considered as the strongest form of the Lord. The other statues here are all exclusive forms of Lord Shiva such as Andhaka, the subduer of the evil, the dancing avatar or Natesha and the Tripurantaka or the devastator of the three giant evils. Research says that there are as many as 226 statues in the inside and 646 statues on the outside of the temple. These include beautiful female figurines, reptile angels and various forms of Lord Shiva.

The base part of this temple has seven deities of Mother Goddesses and also that of Lord Ganesha and Lord Shiva as Vir Bhadra. The seven matrikas here are Aindri, Varahi, Vaishnavi, Kaumari, Maheshwari, Brahmani, Virbhadraa and Chamunda. This very popular tourist attraction is protected by the Archeological Survey of India and is a World Heritage Site, protected by the UNESCO.

History about Kandariya Mahadev Temple
Most of the temples at Khajuraho were constructed between 950 and 1050 CE by the Chandela dynasty, who became the most powerful rulers of northern and central India from the 9th to the 12th century, achieving their zenith around 1030. According to historical records, during the 12th century the site had as many as 85 temples spread out over 20 square kilometers. Today, only about 20 temples are still standing. Of these, the largest surviving Saiva shrine is Khandarya Mahadeva, while the largest Vishnu shrines include those of Chaturbhuja and Ramachandra. Although still in active use in 1200, during the next century the complex was overrun by forces of the Delhi Sultanate, under the command of the Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak. Under Muslim rule, some temples were desecrated, while the remainder were left to rot. In the 1830s, a British surveyor, T.S. Burt, "rediscovered" the temples and brought them to the attention of the rest of the world.

Best Time to Visit:
It is important to know when to visit a particular point of interest, since the entire trip to a destination is sometimes for just seeing one attraction. In khajuraho, kandariya mahadev temple is a prominent sightseeing attraction and the best months (or season) to visit there coincides with that of the destination itself - Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec are considered the best time to visit kandariya mahadev temple. Whenever you are confused about when to visit kandariya mahadev temple, the information on this page can help you. Now that you know which are the best months (or best season) to plan a visit to kandariya mahadev temple, you can make preparations accordingly and make the most out of your kandariya mahadev temple visit.

How To Reach Kandariya Mahadev Temple
By Road : Khajuraho Group of Monuments are located approximately 10 kilometers off the National Highway 75. The nearest city is Chattarpur which again is well connected by road from Bhopal. One could also travel to Khajuraho by Road from Delhi which is approx. 600 kilometers away and Jhansi which is 177 kilometers away.
By Rail: The Nearest Railway station is Khajuraho.
By Air: The Nearest Airport is Khajuraho Airport.