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end of the Western Group complex, a number of magnificent temples are found in proximity to one another. Thought to have been built between A.D. 1017 and 1029, elegantly proportioned Kandariya Mahadev Temple is considered the finest temple in Khajuraho, with 872 statues adorning the interior and exterior. Within niches around the temple are images of Ganesh and the seven mother goddesses or Sapta Matrikas. Again, among the sculptures of Shiva and the other deities is a profusion of female figures engaged in daily activities made lovely by the sheer exuberance of the sculptural technique: A woman stretches, another plays with a ball, another admires her reflection in a mirror. You won’t have to search too hard to find fascinating erotic panels; kissing, caressing couples are depicted with their bodies entwined in blissful union, while others, sometimes in groups of three or four, engage in more lascivious activities. To enter the temple building, you pass through the beautiful entrance toran; sculpted from a single piece of stone, this is a floral garland that stems from the mouths of makaras, ever-watchful mythical crocodiles, and is carried across the doorway by flying nymphs. Within the temple, walls are covered with exquisite carvings: Don’t forget to look upward to appreciate the sculpted flower and leaf motifs of the ceilings. There’s a Shiva lingam deep within the garbha griha, or “womb chamber”; devotees today place flowers on and around the lingam.

Next to Kandariya Mahadev Temple is small Mahadev Shrine, which features a sculpted figure of what is thought to be the emblem of the Chandela dynasty, a raging lion fighting with a kneeling figure. Alongside it is Devi Jagadambi Temple —note the graceful woman who stands half naked as she interrupts her bath, possibly to catch a glimpse of Shiva’s wedding procession. The southern wall includes a panel with a woman climbing up her lover’s stout, standing body so that she can kiss him passionately. Although originally dedicated to Vishnu, the temple now houses a large image of Devi Jagadambi, the goddess of the universe, also known as Kali, one of the avatars of Shiva’s divine consort. In both this and nearby Chitragupta Temple , images of Parvati and Shiva in the throes of amorous passion are symbolic of the “cosmic union that makes the world go round.” Chitragupta, which was poorly renovated by the Maharaja of Chattarpur, is dedicated to Surya, the sun god; the relief carving around the entrance is the temple’s highlight. Within the temple is the figure of Surya riding his sun chariot across the eternal sky.

Back near the entrance of the complex stands the Temple of Vishvanatha , built in A.D. 1002 by King Dhanga, and notable for three female figures that decorate the building. One maiden plays the flute, her back sensuously exposed to the viewer, another cradles a baby, and the third has a parrot seated on her wrist. Opposite the main entrance is Nandi Pavilion (or mandap), in which one of the largest figures of Shiva’s companion, Nandi the bull, can be found, sculpted from a single piece of stone.

Outside the walls of the Western Group complex, but right alongside the Lakshman Temple, is the still-functioning Matangeshvar Temple. It is here that the annual Maha-Shivratri Festival culminates when the Shiva-Parvati marriage ceremony is accompanied by latter-day wedding rituals, lasting through the entire night in a fantastic collaboration of myth and reality.

Planning a major upgrade and a move is the Archaeological Museum, at press time still situated across the road from the entrance to the Western Group. By the time you visit, the museum will have relocated to fancy new quarters just outside the town, adjacent to the Grand Temple View hotel. Hopefully, the modest collection of sculptures sampling various Khajuraho sites will be expanded and improved upon. The advantage of spending a few minutes here is that you get to see close-up details of carved figures that usually occur high up on the temple shikharas.

Main Rd., opposite the State Bank of India. Admission