Relief Sculpture at the Lakshmana Temple, Khajuraho

This sandstone high-relief sculpture features a central male deity wearing a tall crown (kirita-mukuta) and jewelry, holding ritual objects in his four arms. To his sides stand two voluptuous female figures in tribhanga poses, their hands raised near their heads. To the far right, a couple is carved in a maithuna embrace, with the male figure shown with an erect phallus, representing the union of opposites. The upper register contains a frieze of smaller seated figures, likely representing minor deities or devotees.

The Lakshmana Temple, built by the Chandela dynasty c. 954 CE, represents the pinnacle of North Indian temple architecture, where erotic sculptures (maithuna) are integrated into the exterior walls to symbolize the union of the soul with the divine (atman and brahman) and the tantric practices prevalent in medieval Hindu temple culture.