Ghantai Temple

Ghantai Temple is a ruined 10th-century Jain temple located in the Eastern Group of Temples at Khajuraho, Chhatarpur District, Madhya Pradesh. Named for its distinctive bell-and-chain (ghanta) motifs carved on pillars, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho Group of Monuments. Built during the Chandela period around 960 CE, the temple is noted for its ornate pillars, ceiling and Jain iconography despite its partially collapsed sanctum and mandapa.

Visitors can expect a small, ruined pillared temple in an open archaeological park setting within the Eastern Group. The structure consists mainly of elaborately carved pillars, architraves and ceiling with bell-and-chain ornamentation and Jain figures. The sanctum is largely in ruins with a Jain Tirthankara image. The site is outdoors with flat ground, surrounded by other Eastern Group temples and visited as part of a heritage walk with sightseeing and photography.

Ghantai Temple was built around 960 CE during the Chandela dynasty period. It is a Jain temple originally dedicated to the Jain Tirthankara, with an image identified as Rishabhanatha (Adinatha). The temple exemplifies early Khajuraho architecture with its pillared mandapa and ornate decoration. Now in a ruined state with only pillars, architraves and part of the sanctum remaining, it is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as part of the Khajuraho Group of Monuments.

The temple represents the Jain religious tradition at Khajuraho and is part of the Eastern Group which includes both Jain and Hindu temples. Its bell-and-chain motifs and Jain sculptures illustrate the artistic and religious diversity of the Chandela period. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho Group of Monuments, it holds cultural significance for heritage, architecture and Jain pilgrimage interest.