The well-known headless idol of Vishnu at Khajuraho’s Javari temple may soon be restored. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) plans to re-attach the long-lost sandstone head, which has now reportedly been found in an ASI store, by November.

The restoration plan brings renewed attention to Khajuraho , home to one of India’s largest groups of medieval temples. Located in Madhya Pradesh, the site rose to prominence under the Chandela rulers between the 10th and 12th centuries. It is believed to have once covered 13 sq. km and contained 85 temples, of which around 20 survive today in varying states of preservation.

Why were so many temples built here? Who commissioned them, and which deities do they enshrine?

The rise of Khajuraho under the Chandelas

The antiquity of Khajuraho can be traced to prehistoric times, with artefacts from the Middle and Late Stone Ages and the Neolithic period unearthed at the site. However, there is no evidence of a township here before 900 CE.…