Lakshmi Temple

The Lakshmi Temple is a small shrine in the Western Group at Khajuraho, the temple city raised by the Chandela dynasty. It was built around 930 to 950, but its name is a misnomer: it began as the Garuda shrine of the neighbouring Lakshmana Temple, for the bird mount of Vishnu is traditionally housed in a small pavilion directly facing his master's sanctum.

The modest square plan, plain side walls and tiny sanctum are typical of such a vahana shrine, whose main image showed Garuda seated with Vishnu. In later centuries the doorway carvings were defaced and the statues beheaded, and a damaged image of the goddess Brahmani was placed inside, which devotees then took to worshipping as Lakshmi.