Except the Chausath-Yogini, Brahma and Lalguan-Mahadeva temples, which are constructed either wholly or largely of granite, all temples of Khajuraho are built of a fine grained variety of sandstone, of varying shades of buff, pink or pale yellow, brought from the quarries of Panna.

With the exception of the temples mentioned above and the Varaha and Matangesvara, all temples pertained to a cognate style and are manifestations of a distinctive and concerted architectural movement. The temples variously belong to the Shaiva, Vaishnav and Jain sects, but inspite of divergent sectarian affiliation, the dominant architectural and sculptural schemes are uniformily homogeneous.

The Khajuraho temples mark the culmination of the central Indian building-style and reveal certain distinctive peculiarities of plan and elevation. They are compact lofty temples without any enclosure-wall and are erected on a high platform-terrace (Jagati), which elevates the structure from its environs and provides an open prominade and ambulatory round the temple.

The essential elements of the plan, viz. ardha-mandapa (entrance-porch), mandapa (hall), antarala (vestibule) and garbha-griha (sanctum) are present in all temples.
The larger temples also introduce an inner ambulatory round the sanctum. Some of the larger temples also have a subsidiary shrine reared up in each of the four corners of the platform, rendering the structure a complete panchayatna (five-shrine complex).

Exterior Plan
The temple, erected on a lofty platform-terrace, has an emphatically-high adhisthana or basement-storey. Over this table an ornate base rests the jangha or the wall-portion of the temple, forming the central zone.
The balconied windows canopied by overhanging eaves, admit light and air into the interior and form beautifull openings for the inner compartments.
The deep shadows, cast over the whole composition by the beautifull balconied windows, and the play of light and shade over the sculptural bands , following the alternate projections and recesses of the indented plan, indeed produce a highly picturesque effect.

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