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Vishvanatha Temple

Vishvanatha Temple

Chhichha

Location
Khajuraho, India
Client / Owner
Dhanga
Year
Completed 999
Access
Tickets required
Typology
Spiritual
Style
—

Vishvanatha Temple is a Shiva temple in the western group of the Khajuraho Monuments in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, India, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Chandela king Dhanga commissioned it, and a dedicatory inscription credits the architect Chhichha. It was completed in 999 CE or 1002 CE, depending on how the inscription is read.

It follows the central Indian nagara style and is a panchayatana complex, with one main shrine and four subsidiary shrines, of which only two survive. The sandstone main shrine measures 90 by 45 feet (27.5 by 13.7 m) and faces east. A 7-foot (2.2 m) Nandi statue faces it from the eastern shrine.

The temple is dedicated to Shiva as Vishvanatha, meaning Lord of the Universe. It originally housed two lingas, one of emerald and one of stone, and only the stone one remains. Its walls carry sculptures of deities, apsaras and mythical creatures, and the sanctum has balconies on three sides.

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