Javari Temple

Javari Temple is a small Vishnu shrine in the Eastern Group at Khajuraho, around 200 m south of the Vamana Temple, and part of the UNESCO-listed Khajuraho Group of Monuments. It dates from between 1075 and 1100 AD. Though compact and without an ambulatory, it has a sanctum, vestibule, hall and entrance porch on a raised platform, crowned by a tall, slender shikhara.

Its best-known feature is the carved makara-torana, an arched gateway with mythical creatures, at the entrance. A projecting band divides the walls from the spire, and the outer walls carry sculptures of deities, daily life and erotic scenes. One story links the temple to a landowner devoted to Vishnu; another derives the name from javara, the local word for millet.