Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho India a captivating monument

Navrang India January 21, 2019
Chaturbhuj Temple Khajuraho, MP. Shutterstock
Shiva Sculpture Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho India en. wikimedia.org
Located on the other side of the Khudar River, about 2 km (1 mile) south of Duladeo Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple Khajuraho dedicated to Lord Vishnu  is part of the Southern Group of temples. Built in AD 1090-1100, this temple was one of the last temples to be built by the Chandela kings in Khajuraho.  Modest in size, it is more or less  similar in plan to the Javari Temple, and consists of a sanctum, vestibule, mandapa and porch.
Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho Indiakevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com
Above image: The sculptures set within three bands on the exterior of the temple are considered somewhat stereotyped, implying this temple was probably built not long before the Duladeo Temple, around 1100 A.D................................................
0rnate roof Chaturbhuj Temple Khajuraho en. wikimedia.org
The name Chaturbhuj in Sanskrit means one who has four arms and  here refers to Lord Vishnu. The temple dated to Circa 1100 A.D also known as Jatakari (Devanagri)Temple  taking the name after the village Jatakari[ where it is located. Among the groups of temples here, this is the only one in Khajuraho which has no  erotic sculptures. Yasovarman of the Chandela Dynasty built the temple  and the sanctum has a large  image of  God Vishnu, the trinity God who is the protector  of life. The size itself brings out the majesty of the main deity. The ornamental doorway at the entrance welcomes the visitors.
Giant Vishnu idol, Chaturbhuj Temple Khajuraho, MP Dreamstime.com
Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho Indiakevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com
Above image: The huge image of  God Vishnu in the sanctum is monolithic. He has four arms, hence the name Chaturbhuj. As you can guess from the image, the sanctum is too a small one and the hall - mandab is ornate............................................
Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho India Mianture sculpters  HolidayIQ
Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho India Mianture sculpters  My India Travel
 Here standing at 2.75m high, four-armed   statue of Vishnu (Dakshina-murti Vishnu) is absolutely majestic and no other image of Sri Vishnu in the temples of north is comparable to this one. Carved out of a single stone, the huge image of Vishnu with a facial  expression of calm  composure, large meditative eyes and a confident  and over-bearing posture make it look  like a live-figure   pulsating with life. The temple, unlike other temples of Khajuraho,  faces  west and before sundown when the sun's rays fall on most of the stone images, they light up, bringing out the details of each image and the sight is just spell-binding. As for the quality of stone  carving of images of deities, etc, it is not as good as those in the earlier temples. This could be due to  either decline in carving  on account of lack of funds or non availability of talented sculptors at that point of time.  This nicely built temple is bereft of  the impressive  ambiance of the Western Group as the decorations on the stone are not on a grand scale. This is borne out by the fact that 
Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho India  tripadvisor.com.sg
Outer Wall, Chaturbhuj Temple, Khajuraho India en. wikimedia.org
consort of Narasimha (an avatar of Vishnu) on the north side. The temple has a  small  porch followed by a  small mandap with a high roof. The sanctum - garbagriha is a small one over which lies a tall, slim shikara. New excavations are going on near-by to unravel the mystery and the hidden works of art. The near-by Duladeo Temple is an interesting one and worth a visit. So are the Jain temples close to this place.
http://www.remotetraveler.com/chaturbhuj-temple-khajuraho/
https://www.khajuraho-india.org/khajuraho-temples/southeastern-group-temples/chaturbhuj-temple-khajuraho.html
https://kevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com/2018/04/15/