Maithuna Sculpture from the Lakshmana Temple

The relief is carved from sandstone and shows two distinct couples in various sexual postures. On the left, a woman is held in a seated position by a male partner, her legs wrapped around his waist. On the right, a man and woman stand face-to-face while kissing, with the woman holding her hand to her lips and the man reaching toward her genitals. The figures are rendered with traditional Indian aesthetics, featuring rounded, muscular forms, stylized jewelry, and textured hairstyles.

The maithuna sculptures at the Lakshmana Temple in Khajuraho are part of a broader Chandela dynasty tradition that incorporates erotic art into the exterior iconography of sacred Hindu temple architecture, often interpreted as representations of Tantric practice or the synthesis of human desire with divine consciousness.