8) Pratapeshwar Temple (early-mid 19th century)
The Pratapeshwar Temple is the last of the significant monuments at Khajuraho. It was established in the early to mid 19th century by Pratap Singh, the second Raja of the Chhatarpur princely state (r. 1816-1854), which thrived under the British Raj. Despite its prominent location, the structure seldom appears in Khajuraho guidebooks, probably because the monument was sealed in 1956 per the States Reorganization Act.
As the temple fell into a gray limbo as a princely property, the central government declined to fund its protection, and the monument did not receive the same official recognition as other Khajuraho properties. The situation only changed in 2016 when the ASI (the Archaeological Survey of India) took over the property and reopened it to visitors.
The monument is out of character with the prevailing Chandela period architecture (c. 10th-12th centuries), as it lacks the fluid, sensual sculpture that epitomizes the Khajuraho style. It has more in common with Bundela-period design, such as found at Orchha, which drew inspiration from contemporary Sultanate, Rajput structures.
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