VISHWANATH MANDIR KHAJURAHO MADHYA PRADESH

The Vishvanatha Temple is a Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located among the western group of Khajuraho Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple is dedicated to Shiva, who is also known as “Vishvanatha“, meaning “Lord of the Universe”.

Among the Khajuraho temples, Visvanatha temple is the finest and best preserve example of Chandella architecture and is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. Il used to be a Panchayatana shrine but now, out of its four subsidiary shrines only two le. northeast and southwest exists. The structure shows all the elements of a developed temple including the mukha-mandapa (entrance porch) mandapa, maha-mandapa with transepts, antarala and grabha-griha enclosed by an inner ambulatory with transepts on the sides and rear.
Architecturally, the temple falls between the Lakshmana and kandarya Mahadeva temples. The Mandapa inscription refers to the dedications of two Lingas, ore made of emerald and the other of stone in a towering temple of Shiva Markateshvara bui by the Chandella king Dhanga in the Vikrama year 1059(1002 CE.) alough, only stone Linga survived in the temple. There is no doubt that the inscription refers to the Visvanatha temple itseif.

Dhanga Deva
King Dhanga was great ruler and builder. He annexed many new areas and expanded his territory.
He made Chandella as powerful as the Pratihora and discarded tutelage to them and title himself maharadiraja. The two magnificent temples Vishwanath and Parshvanath were built during his period. He dedicated two Shiva linga to this temple Vishwanath, one made of emerald and second of stone.