2025-06-25 Wed

The Khajuraho Group of Monuments represents a significant collection of Hindu and Jain temples situated in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Designated as a UNESCO World #Heritage Site, Khajuraho encompasses approximately 16 Jain temples, with the #Parshvanath Temple being the most prominent among them.

These structures were constructed between the late 10th century and early 11th century, during a time when the eastern region of Khajuraho was predominantly populated by Jain merchants, resulting in a concentration of Jain temples in this area.

The outer walls of the temples richly adorned with elaborate sculptures featuring Surasundaris, Apsaras, and various Hindu deities. A notable sculpture depicted on a commemorative stamp illustrates a woman removing a thorn from her foot, located at the Parshvanath Temple. This motif is a recurrent theme in #Indian #artwork, particularly in sculptures and paintings. For further insights on other sculptures, information can be found at This Post and This Post

Among the Jain temples of Khajuraho, the Parshvanath Temple holds the distinction of being the largest. Originally dedicated to Adinath, the temple's idol was damaged and subsequently replaced by an image of Parsvanatha, which led to the temple's current designation. It was built in the 10th century during the reign of King Dhanga by a prominent Jain family.

A noteworthy feature of the Parshvanath Temple is an inscription that includes a Magic square known as the "Jaina square" or "Chautisa Yantra." This representation is one of the oldest known 4×4 magic squares, incorporating the numbers 1 through 16, with the sum of each row, column, and diagonal equaling 34.

On 06 March 1999, India Post honored the Millennium of the Khajuraho Temples with the issuance of a commemorative stamp, further recognizing their cultural significance.