With an altogether different approach to Khajuraho from the usual one, which overemphasizes erotic sculptures, the present work highlights Khajuraho’s significant contribution to the religious art of India. The book presents an iconological study of the principal Hindu temples of this famous si9te in central India. It focuses on the divinities and their context in the major Vishnu and Siva temples. It discusses the cult of Yoginis, and the syncretic role of Surya in the Khajuraho pantheon. It offers fresh interpretations of many images based on textual evidence.

Questioning the acclaimed hypothesis of the outlandish Kapalika sect as influencing the art of Khajuraho, the author demonstrates the prevalence of moderate Tantric systems which incorporated Puranic elements and Bhakti (devotion).

The book provides an account of the topography of this religious centre, which flourished between 10th and 12th centuries, its patrons, the Chandella rulers, and the erudite court culture. Through the language of puns and enigma (sandhya-bhasha) revealed in sculptural art, the author interprets the significance of erotic sculptures which, though apparently sensual, actually conceal a deeper symbolism.

About the Author

Dr. Devangana Desai, art historian, is author of Erotic Sculpture of India -A Socio-Cultural Study (1975, 2nd ed. 1985), and over forty articles on different aspects of Ancient Indian art, including Terracottas, Ramayana Sculpture, Mother Goddess, and Khajuraho Iconology. Academic training in Philosophy and Sociology has influenced her approach: to art. She obtained her Ph.D. degree at the University of Bombay in 1970. Dr. Desai is a recipient of the prestigious Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Prize, the Silver Medal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, and Homi Bhabha Fellowship. She was President of Ancient India section of Indian History Congress in 1989. She was the Chairperson of the Museum Society of Bombay (1983 to 1991). Dr. Desai is Editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay.

Table of Contents:
I. INTRODUCTION II. TEMPLE TOWN AND PATRONS III. RELIGIOUS CURRENTS AND UNDERCURRENTS IV. THE YOGINI SHRINE AND CULT V. THE LAKSHMANA TEMPLE – PANTHEON AND ICONS VI. THE KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE – PANTHEON AND ICONS VII. PUNS AND ENIGMATIC LANGUAGE IN SCULPTUR VIII. EPILOGUE Appendix Genealogy of the Chandella Dynasty The Date of the Vaikuntha Image of the Lakshmana Temple The Pre-Prabodhachandrodaya Allegorical Tradition Glossary, Bibliography, Index.