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Following Chief Justice of India BR Gavai's oral remarks, the missing head of Lord Vishnu at Javari temple has sparked renewed debate: was it destroyed by foreign invaders or left unfinished? Find out
Row over Lord Vishnu's headless idol after CJI BR Gavai's oral remarks
New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 19, 2025 08:46 IST
A seven-foot-tall headless Vishnu idol at the Javari temple in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, has grabbed headlines following Chief Justice of India BR Gavai’s oral remark during a recent hearing on a petition seeking its restoration.
"This purely publicity interest litigation Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation," CJI Gavai told the petitioner," setting social media ablaze.
The missing head has now fuelled yet another debate: was it destroyed by foreign invaders, or was it left unfinished?
The Javari temple, part of the renowned Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Madhya Pradesh, houses a striking idol of Lord Vishnu with its arms, legs, and torso intact but missing its head.
The idol’s intricate Nagara-style carvings, rooted in the fifth century, have adorned the headless statue for centuries. Now under UNESCO protection, the site presents a puzzle that has sparked disputes over how and why the statue remains in this state.
THEORIES BEHIND THE MISSING HEAD
Several theories have emerged regarding the fate of the idol’s head. According to Shivam Sharma, Assistant Professor at Hamidia Arts and Commerce College in Bhopal, one view is that foreign invaders broke the statue’s head, as happened with other Indian temples, India Today's sister channel, The Lallantop, reported.
Another theory suggests the statue was never completed, with the sculptor possibly leaving the head unfinished. Sharma notes, however, that there is no clear evidence supporting either claim. Local opinion generally favours the view that outsiders broke it, since only the head is missing while the rest of the idol remains intact, Sharma further pointed out.
Sharma argues that the possibility of an unfinished statue deserves equal consideration. He points out that India has many examples of incomplete temples and idols.
For instance, Nemawar, considered the navel site of the Narmada river, has a hilltop temple in Chandela style that was never finished—its sanctum was never built, said Sharma.
Bhopal’s Bhojeshwar temple, which houses a large Shiva linga, also remains incomplete despite several attempts at completion. These sites, like Javari, have been preserved by the authorities without altering their original state, Sharma highlighted.
Sharma further observes that partly damaged or incomplete temples and idols are common across India. While foreign invaders undoubtedly destroyed temples to hurt Hindu sentiments, he pointed out that if Khajuraho had faced such attacks, more temples there would have been destroyed.
The Bundelkhand region, where Khajuraho is located, witnessed invasions by Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori. However, the Chandela dynasty, which built many of the region's temples in the 10th–11th centuries, maintained significant power and successfully defended key sites.
The capital, Kalinjar Fort, was positioned at such a height that it was difficult to besiege. It is said that Ghazni compromised with the Chandela ruler, extracting only nominal submission.
QUESTIONING THE 'MUGHAL INVASION' NARRATIVE
Archaeology expert and Sarv Archaeology Solutions founder Shivaji stresses the need for historical precision. He notes that people often label every Muslim invasion a “Mughal invasion,” though the Mughals arrived only after 1526, while Muslim rule had existed in India for nearly 300 years prior.
Much of the temple destruction, he adds, occurred before the Mughal period, particularly between the 13th and 16th centuries, reported The Lallantop.
Historical accounts reveal that Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion of Kalinjar in the 11th century did not lead to an attack on Khajuraho, as the Chandelas negotiated compromises. Al-Biruni’s Kitab al-Hind records these events.
After the 13th century, further invasions occurred, including a major attack under Sikandar Lodi in the 15th century. Afterwards, Khajuraho remained hidden in forests for centuries until its rediscovery by a British officer TS Burt in the 18th century. Before these attacks, temple activity and worship flourished at Khajuraho.
Despite episodes of destruction during invasions, questions remain: Why was only the Javari temple’s idol defaced? Why did other temples remain untouched?
DAMAGING THE IDOL AS A METHOD TO HALT WORSHIP
Shivaji contends that, historically, the aim of some invaders was not always outright destruction but to prevent continued worship. Nagara-style temples were hard to demolish, so attackers often damaged the main idol—especially its head—knowing Hindus would not worship a broken idol. Historical records mention such practices.
However, there is no direct evidence of a Muslim ruler breaking the Javari idol, making it difficult to state with certainty why it is headless.
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Published By:
Sayan Ganguly
Published On:
Sep 19, 2025
English (US) ·