The Khajuraho temples were built by the Chandelas while they ruled the region. Over the centuries, the Chandela Empire began to wane and as a result, these magnificent structures lay neglected. Even worse, they were very vulnerable to the dangers of subsequent invaders and rulers from the 13th to the 18th centuries that destroyed many of the temples.

Only 20 of the original 85 stand today. Due to their remote location and isolation, some temples were spared. These were covered by the overgrowth of vegetation and forests over the centuries. It was only in the last century that these were rediscovered and later restored and preserved.