The Chitragupta Temple (1000–25) is unique in Khajuraho – and rare among North Indian temples – in being dedicated to the sun god Surya. While its condition is not as good as the other Western Group temples, it has some fine carvings of apsaras and surasundaris, elephant fights and hunting scenes, mithunas and a procession of stone-carriers.
In the dark inner sanctum, at the base of the statue, you can make out the seven horses that pull Surya's chariot, while in the lower of the two main niches beneath the sikhara on the south side is an 11-headed carving of Vishnu, representing the god and 10 of his 22 incarnations.
