Interesting Nandi (bull) temple in Khajuraho, India

Nandi (bull), Nandi Temple, Khajuraho India en.wikipedia.org

There are a few temples dedicated to Nandi, the vahana/ mount of lord Shiva across India.  Besides being a mount, Nandi is supposedly the gatekeeper or sentinel  of Shiva and Parvati.  No Shiva temple is built without a  Nandi. Before  entering the temple you should take his permission and enter. Further, the belief has been that if a devotee has some wishes to be fulfilled by God Shiva, he should transmit them  to the God through him by conveying the message to his ear.
The Nandi temple in Khajuraho is one among them. The place where the temple is located is   a small village in Chhatarpur

Nandi Temple at Khajuraho en.wikipedia.org

Nandi Temple at Khajuraho, India /www.google.com

District of Madhya Pradesh, India. The Nandi temple in Khajuraho  is an interesting one, here  the detached Nandi pavilion forms an integral part of the architectural feature of the Visvanatha temple. The two shrines  stand facing each other on a common terrace, which is accessed  by lateral flights of steps, the southern steps are flanked by a pair of lions. This shrine has a big (2.2 m long and 1.8 m high) image of Nandi, facing the main deity of the Visvanatha temple.  Normally, at all Shiva temples the garbagriha - sanctum where the main deity is enshrined, Nandi (bull) and the temple main entrance gate fall on the same axis preferably east- west axis.  Nandi is placed facing God Shiva. At this temple, the shrine dedicated to Nandi is facing the shrine of Viswanatha. The image  of Shiva (with trishulam on right shoulder and snake on left shoulder) can also be seen on outer roof and wall (along with border design). This temple was built during the reign of Chandela dynasty of Jejakabhkti ( 9th and 13th century), Bundlekhand region. The Chandelas are  great builders and quite well known for their art and architecture, most notably for the temples at their original capital Khajuraho. They  commissioned a number of temples, water bodies, palaces and forts at other places, including their strongholds of Ajaigarh (MP),Kalinjar (UP) and their later capital Mahoba (UP).

Map of Asia(1200 CE). Chandela kingdom in central India.pload.wikimedia.org

Nandi Temple at Khajuraho, India /www.google.com

 Here the  open square pavilion is supported by  twelve  ornate pillars. This  simple, but beautiful structure is  one of the monument among Khajuraho Group of Monuments, a World Heritage Site in India. This temple belongs to the western group.  
Standing  on a rectangular modest (chabutara), the plan of the main structure is of the shape of cross quadrate (combination of cross and rectangle). Here, the rectangle forms the sanctum and the cross edges form the four balconies (one on each side).  Though the temples walls are like balcony walls and  they do not cover the sanctum completely. The roof rests on the pillars (one at each corner).

The border design consists of  stone carvings depicting elephant (front view with head, trunk and two legs) and  human figures  on both sides of  the elephant. There are erotic sculpture of couples for which Khajuraho temples are famous and here they seen  on the outer roof.
 The Lapakshi temple, AP, Brihadeishwara temple, Thanjavur, TN. Chamundeswari Hills temple, Karnataka, Rameswaram temple, TN,  Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple near Kumbakonam, TN, Yakanti maheswara temple, AP and a few more shrines have a large size stone bulls in India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandi_Temple,_Khajuraho_India