The Shantinatha Temple is the main site of Jain worship at Khajuraho, and together with Adinatha and Parshvanatha forms a cluster of Jain temples that are part of the eastern group.
Rather than a single temple, Shantinatha is a temple complex comprising of numerous modern shrines, some of which are standing on the ruins of much older shrines dating back to at least 1027 A.D.
The composite temple complex was built about a century ago, but in many places you can spot architecture and carvings that date to much earlier times.
The main sanctuary houses an impressive 4.3m highly polished icon of Adinatha which bares a dedicatory inscription, now lost under layers of plaster, dating the image to 1027 A.D.
There are other old sculptures here, most notably one of a Yaksha couple, to the right as you enter the complex. Although only placed here in the last 80 years, the style of the carving suggests a date of the early 10th century A.D.
| Group | Khajuraho Monuments |
|---|---|
| Western | Lakshmana ♦ Varaha ♦ Kandariya Mahadeva ♦ Mahadeva Shrine ♦ Jagadambi ♦ Chitragupta ♦ Parvati ♦ Vishvanatha ♦ Nandi ♦ Pratapeshwar ♦ Bhairava Statue ♦ Matangeshvara ♦ Chausath Yogini ♦ Lalguan Mahadeva ♦ Chopra Tank |
| Eastern | Hanuman ♦ Brahma ♦ Vamana ♦ Javari ♦ Ghantai ♦ Adinatha ♦ Parshvanatha ♦ Shantinatha |
| Southern | Duladeo ♦ Chaturbhuj ♦ Bijamandal |
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Categories: Eastern Temples Group, India, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, Shantinatha Temple
Kevin Standage 