Vyala
This composite creature is originally derived from Persian art. With the body of a lion and the face of an elephant, goat, parrot or other animals and birds, the Vyala was known in India from at least the second century BC. It enjoyed a great popularity in medieval Indian temples. The vyala was considered to be a protective motif, and is placed in recesses of the wall, and on the brackets of pillars, at Khajuraho. A warrior is often depicted fighting a rampant vyala. Medieval texts describe several varieties of vyala figures. The twelfth century Vastu text Aparajitaprichcha mentions sixteen varieties of vyalas with faces of different creatures, and adds that there are further variations due to their diverse body forms. The Parshvanatha and the Devi Jagadamba temples have a number of different vyala figures on their outer walls.

Makara
This mythical aquatic creature combines the jaws of a crocodile, trunk of an elephant, ears of a lion, horns of a ram, and the tail offish. It is the mount of the river goddess Ganga, and also of the Dikpala Varuna. One can find makaras on the torana-gates of the Kandariya and other temples, on arched frames of divinities, on water chutes (pranala), and in many other places in Khajuraho.


Hindu Divinities
The Khajuraho temples were dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva, Surya, and the Yoginis. The Khajuraho artists have created some extraordinary images of these divinities, which express deep philosophical concepts.

Vishnu
Although all the ten standard avataras of Vishnu are represented at Khajuraho, only Vishnu himself, and three of his avataras, are enshrined in the temples. These are Varaha, the Boar who lifts the Earth Goddess out of the nether region; Vamana, the Dwarf; and Vaikuntha, a composite form, with faces of a Boar (Varaha) and a lion (Narasimha), along with a human face. There is also a four-faced Vaikuntha, with an additional face of a horse, now in the ASI Museum. Hayagriva, the horse-necked avatara associated with learning, who saves the Vedas from the demons, is placed in cardinal niches of the Lakshmana and the Vamana temples.

Among the great images at Khajuraho are those of Vishnu as Yogeshvara, seated in the padmasana posture, giving discourse to sages, placed in the upper cardinal niches of the Lakshmana temple Vishnu making a gesture of silence with his forefinger near his lips is one unique sculpture not found anywhere else in Asia, now in the ASI Museum.

Shiva
As in the case of other Shiva temples, the sign of Shiva, the linga, is enshrined in the centre in the sanctum sanatorium. Shiva`s manifestations are placed in the three cardinal niches of the sanctum, in the hall, and on the exterior walls of the temple. All manifestations of Shiva are represented at Khajuraho. These are: Natesha (Cosmic Dancer), Kalyana-Sundara (Bridegroom), Ardhanarishvara (Androgyn), Uma-Maheshvara (seated with Uma), Uma-Alingana Murti (embracing Uma in a standing posture), Andhakasuravadha Murti (slaying the Blind Demon), Tripurantaka (vanquishing the three cities of demons), Bhairava, the fierce aspect, and others.

The most important of all these is the Sadashiva, who is the pivot of the iconic scheme of the Kandariya Mahadeva temple. Two unique sculptures of Sadashiva at Khajuraho depict him with four feet (chatushpadas). There is a pun on the word pada, which means foot, but can also mean quarter part of a text. The four-footed image of Sadashiva metaphorically suggests the four parts (padas) of the texts of the Shaiva Siddhanta sect, associated with Khajuraho.

Brahma
The creator god among the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, however, has no temple dedicated to him at Khajuraho. The so-called `Brahma` temple originally was a Vishnu temple. Brahma, however has a place as a subsidiary figure in both Vishnu and Shiva temples. Portrayed as four-headed (of which three heads are visible) and with a beard, he holds in his right hand a rosary while displaying the boon-giving gesture (wrada mudra), while in his other hands he holds a ladle, a book and a pot (kalasha).

Surya
The Sun god is shown in human form, generally standing in samabhanga, wearing shoes and dressed like a northerner. He holds a lotus in each of his hands. Seven horses are depicted as pulling his chariot. At Khajuraho, there is a separate shrine dedicated to Surya, now called the Chitragupta temple.




Parvati/Uma
Goddess, daughter of Parvata (mountain) and wife of Shiva. Her independent images show her performing tapas (penance), with an iguana as her mount. Her colossal image in the Museum indicates that it must have once been enshrined in a temple.

Yoginis
Considered to be manifestations or companions of the Great Goddess, the sixty four Yoginis, were worshipped collectively in an open-air granite sanctuary at Khajuraho. Only three of the Yoginis have been found, and are now in the ASI museum. Though their temples exist, but without the images.

Durga
The warrior goddess is shown as slaying Mahishasura, the buffalo demon. She is accompanied by her mount, a lion. The image in the principal cell of the Chausath Yogini temple at the time of Cunningham`s visit was Mahishasuramardini (now in the open-air Museum of the ASI).

Lakshmi
The goddess of wealth is depicted as being anointed by two elephants and holds a lotus in each other two upper hands.

Sarasvati
The goddess of learning and wisdom, she is generally paired with Lakshmi at Khajuraho. She is depicted as holding a musical instrument, the vina, with two hands, while two other hands hold a lotus and a book.

Karttikeya
Son of Shiva and Parvati, Karttikeya is considered a war god. However at Khajuraho, a unique depiction of him as a teacher of grammar is found and he is also shown holding a manuscript in one hand.

Ganesha
Ganesha has many images at Khajuraho, and is found in almost all the temples. He is generally represented in a dance posture or is shown seated or standing, with a rat as his mount.

The Seven Matrikas
The Mothers, represented collectively at Khajuraho, in their respective order are: Brahmani, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Aindri, and Chamunda. They signify the powers of the gods created to assist Shiva and Devi in their battles against the demons. They are generally shown as dancing, seated, or standing on door lintels, jambs, and niches of temples. They are accompanied by Shiva in the form of Virabhadra, and Ganesha.

The Nava Grahas
The nine planets are shown standing or seated on the door headers of the sanctums of temples of all sects, including the Jain temples.

The Jain Tirthankaras and Divinities
The Jain temples of Khajuraho are associated with the Digambara sect. By the tenth century, the Jain pantheon had become quite elaborate. At Khajuraho, there are images of Jinas or Tirthankaras, Yakshas and Yakshis, who are guardian deities (shosana`devatos) subservient to the Jinas, and who grant the mundane wishes of devotees, Vidyadevis (goddesses of knowledge), Kshetrapalas, and other deities such as Grahas and Dikpalas, as in the Hindu temples.

Jinas or Tirthankaras
Jina means victorious, the perfected being. The Jina or Tirthankara images are the nucleus of the Jain temples. There are as many as two hundred images of Jinas at Khajuraho. Of the twenty-four Jinas, at least fifteen are represented here Adinatha or Rishabhanatha, the first Jina, is depicted the maximum times, he appears in almost sixty images. Twenty images of the twenty third Jina, Parashvanatha is also found.. Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Jina, in nine, and Shantinatha, the sixteenth Jina, has four images, one of which is 4.3 meters (14 ft.) tall.

Elsewhere in India, the Jinas are portrayed only in the two passionless meditative postures: seated in padmasana (lotus-seat); and standing erect in ka.`yoteaYoga, without any bend of the body. At Khajuraho, however, they are shown seated on simhasana (lion`s seat), provided with cushions, and sheltered by an umbrella, the symbol ,of (spiritual) sovereignty. They are attended by flywhisk bearers. There is an elaborate pantheon, an assembly of celestial beings, surrounding the figures of the Jina.

Yakshas and Yakshis
Jina images are only objects of meditation and no earthly rewards are expected from them. It is the Yakshas and Yakshis, associated with the each of the Jinas as subsidiary figures, who fulfill the worldly needs of the devotees. They are depicted as richly adorned, and smaller in size than the Jina whom they serve. At Khajuraho, the images of Chakreshvari, Ambika, and Padmavati, the Yakshis of Adinatha, Neminatha, and Parshvanatha respectively, are found in large numbers. Chakreshvari is found at the centre of door lintels of the temples. Chakreshvari is depicted as a counterpart of the Hindu goddess Vaishnavi. She holds a discus (chakra) in her hand and rides the mythical bird, the Garuda. The Yakshi Ambika, shaded under a mango tree, holds a child and a bunch of mangos. Padmavati is distinguished by a snake over her head. Among the Yakshas, Sarvanubhuti (Kubera) and Gornukhahave several representations at Khajuraho.

The Yaksha couple with a child, called `Parents of Jina`, sit below a tree, surmounted by the figure of a Jina. This sacred pair seems to have been elevated to independent niches in the Jain temples, as can be seen from several such representations at Khajuraho. One such pair, now preserved in the Shantinatha temple, is among the most impressive sculptures of Khajuraho.