A Unique Door‑Lintel from Khajuraho

Summary

Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari examines a richly carved door‑lintel from Khajuraho, now housed in the Archaeological Museum, that has hitherto received little scholarly attention. Dating from the eleventh century and created for a Digambara Jaina temple, the long rectangular slab depicts three principal Jaina yakṣīs—Cakrēśvarī, Ambikā and Padmāvatī—flanked by the navagrahas (nine planetary deities) and smaller attendant figures. Tiwari begins by situating the lintel within the wider corpus of Jaina art at Khajuraho, noting that the temples there were built between the tenth and twelfth centuries and that their sculptures are predominantly Digambara. He then provides detailed iconographic descriptions: Cakrēśvarī rides a garuḍa and bears a disc and varada‑mudrā; Ambikā is shown four‑armed, seated with a child on her lap, with a lion beneath and mango tree above, differing from two‑armed canonical depictions; Padmāvatī sits beneath a five‑hooded cobra canopy, holding a noose and goad, and is accompanied by her mount, the cock. Each yakṣī is adorned with ornate jewellery and coiffure and is flanked by floral scrolls. The navagraha figures occupy the lintel’s lower panel; Sūrya sits in utkutikāsana holding lotuses, followed by Candra, Maṅgala, Budha, Bṛhaspati, Śukra and Śani shown in lalitāsana with abhaya‑mudrā and kalaśa, and Rahu and Ketu depicted with serpent bodies. Tiwari interprets the presence of navagrahas as evidence that Jaina architects incorporated popular astrological motifs and Brahmanical iconography into temple décor while maintaining sectarian identities. He compares the lintel’s features to prescriptions in Digambara texts such as the Pratiṣṭhāsaroddhāra and observes both adherence and local variation. The article underscores the value of neglected museum pieces for reconstructing regional styles and illustrates how Jaina artists at Khajuraho achieved a harmonious synthesis of religious symbolism and artistic refinement.