Sitting pretty

Khajuraho was a capital of the Chandela kings from the 9th to the 11th century. During that period, approximately 85 temples were constructed there of which almost 20 remain in good to excellent condition. Khajuraho continued its religious importance until the 14th century but was afterwards largely forgotten and was overgrown by forests. Its remoteness probably saved it from the desecration of human images that Muslim conquerors traditiaonally inflicted on Hindu monuments. In 1838, British army captain, T.S. Burt, "discovered" the temples during a day trip. Burt' immediately recognized the historical value of the temples even though his Victorian sensibilities were shocked by the explicit and erotic sculptures that covered the walls of the temples.

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