Temple Sculpture of Madhya Pradesh is wonderfully presented through the Nagara style of architecture. The bee-hive shaped towers are the main feature of this style of architecture. Madhya Pradesh is one of those few states where temple sculptures are admired not only for their religiosity but also as specimens of art.

The central State of Madhya Pradesh flourishes in normal prosperity. The Khajuraho temples in Central India catch the attention of tourists from all over the world. These temples are exceptional designs of the well developed Indo Aryan Nagara style of temple architecture. Madhya Pradesh is also home to two earliest pilgrimage sites Ujjain and Omkareshwar.

Features of Temple Sculpture of Madhya Pradesh
The temple sculpture of Madhya Pradesh makes it evident that it received a royal patronage as well. Erotic art and culture are an integral part of Madhya Pradesh temples. These monuments offer completely a different glimpse into the temple building vocabulary of India. Places like Ujjain and Gwalior are famous as ancient seats of learning. The Scindias, the Pratiharas and others were great admirers of art. Hence the construction of grand sculptures and architectures of the temples were possible. Chatubhuj (Orcha) temple houses an idol of Lord Vishnu with four arms but was originally meant for Lord Rama`s idol. The exterior walls of the Chaturbhuj Temple are designed with various religious symbols while the interiors are plain and simple.

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple belongs to the group of Khajuraho temples. It was built around 1050 on Hindu beliefs. There is a marble lingam representing Shiva inside the sanctum. The sculptured figures are well-rounded and do not display significant musculature despite numerous erotic implications. They have economy of drapery and are patterned with ornaments and flower motifs.

Pashupatinath Temple in Mandsaur is a famous Hindu temple of Lord Pashupatinath. Here Lord Shiva is depicted in the form of Pashupatinath and there is a unique Shiv Ling with eight faces of Lord Shiva.

Vishnu Temple is located at Deogarh in Central India that was built in the Gupta Period. Gupta style of sculpture is visible here. Statues of Vishnu were both sculpted in the interior and exterior walls of the temple. There are many sculpted panels showing the myths and tales of Lord Vishnu.

Major Temple Sculpture of Madhya Pradesh
Following are the chief Temple Sculptures of Madhya Pradesh:

Khajuraho Temples: The Khajuraho Group of Temples is an assortment of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh. The temples are celebrated for their nagara-style architectural representation and their erotic sculptures. The temples have thousand statues and art works, with Kandarya Mahadeva Temple alone decorated. The vast mainstream of arts portray a variety of aspects the everyday life, mythical stories as well as figurative exhibit of various secular and spiritual values which are significant in Hindu tradition.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga: Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the well-known Hindu temples devoted to Lord Shiva. It is situated in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The idol of Mahakaleshwar is famous to be dakshinamurti, which means that it is opposite of the south.

The Bhramanya Dev Temple: The Bhramanya Dev Temple is also famous as the Baramju temple. The stone image of the Sun God stands here on a brick platform covered with black plates.

Ancient temples of Gwalior: Teli Ka Mandir, Sas Bahu Temple, Chatarbhuj Mandir, and Surya Mandir are the ancient temples of Gwalior. The Surya Mandir has a gorgeous sculpture of Lord Surya in the temple premises. The temple`s inside has white marble and this adds to the colourful beauty of this fabulous construction.

Omkareshwar: On this island places the Omkareshwar Temple which is one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas which are the sacred shrines of Lord Shiva.