Khajuraho Group of Monuments

The story of this place

Between about 950 and 1050 CE, the Chandela dynasty ruled this part of central India, and at their city of Khajuraho they built some 85 temples. This was the high noon of Nagara architecture, the north Indian temple style in which the shikhara rises over the sanctum in soaring curves. At Khajuraho, each main spire is surrounded by rows of miniature spires, and the whole tower is meant to recall Mount Kailasa, the abode of the Gods.

When Chandela power faded, Khajuraho slipped out of India's main story. The town was far from the great roads and capitals, and for centuries the temples stood quietly among forest and fields. That distance saved them. A little over twenty temples survive today, in three groups, western, eastern and southern, and they returned to the world's attention in the 19th century.

The temples belong to two faiths, Hinduism and Jainism, standing side by side, which tells you something graceful about the Chandela court. UNESCO placed the Khajuraho Group of Monuments on the World Heritage List in 1986, recognising the temples as masterpieces where architecture and sculpture achieve a perfect balance.

What you will see

The western group is the one to see first and slowest. Kandariya Mahadeva, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the largest and finest temple at Khajuraho, its great shikhara built up of many miniature spires. Beside it are the Lakshmana temple of Lord Vishnu, the Vishvanatha temple with its Nandi pavilion, the Devi Jagadambi temple, and the Chitragupta temple, one of the rare grand temples of Surya, the Sun God.

What makes Khajuraho unmatched is the sculpture. Band upon band of carving wraps around each temple: gods and goddesses, apsaras turning to look over a shoulder, musicians and dancers, teachers with students, soldiers and farmers, and loving couples. Yes, some panels show couples in union. They are a small part of the whole, and they sit naturally beside scenes of worship and daily life, because these artists carved life in full, as a sacred thing. Take time to look closely; the detail in a single bangle or anklet repays the whole journey.

The eastern group holds the Jain temples, and the carving on the Parsvanatha temple is among the sharpest at Khajuraho. The southern group, with the Duladeo and Chaturbhuja temples, is quieter and lovely in the late afternoon. In the evening, the sound and light show on the lawns of the western group tells the Chandela story under the floodlit spires; the show timings change by season, so check locally.

Darshan, timings and temple etiquette

One temple at Khajuraho is not a monument but a living shrine. The Matangeshwar temple, immediately beside the western group, is an active temple of Lord Shiva where puja is performed every day, and worship here continues from the Chandela age to this morning's abhishekam. It stays open beyond the monument hours, from early morning to late evening, and on Maha Shivaratri it draws very large crowds of devotees.

At Matangeshwar, remove your footwear, dress modestly and join the line for darshan like any devotee. In the archaeological groups, the sanctums are no longer under worship, but they were once homes of the deities, so walk through them with the same quiet respect you would carry into any temple.

Best time to visit

October to March is the season we recommend, with clear skies and cool mornings that make the long walks around the temples a pleasure. April to June is fiercely hot in this part of Madhya Pradesh, and the monsoon months of July to September are green but humid.

If you can, come in February for the Khajuraho Dance Festival, when India's great classical dancers perform for about a week against the backdrop of the floodlit temples. It is one of the finest cultural evenings you can experience in India; dates are announced by Madhya Pradesh Tourism, so check the current year's schedule when you plan.

How to reach

For a small town, Khajuraho is easy to reach. It has its own airport just a few kilometres from the temples, with limited direct flights, so please check the current schedule when you plan. Khajuraho also has its own railway station, about 5 km from the temple town, and the larger junctions of the region are Jhansi and Satna, from where taxis run to Khajuraho on good roads.

Many of our travellers weave Khajuraho into a central India circuit, combining it with Orchha and the Panna Tiger Reserve, or take it as the cultural pause between Delhi and Varanasi. Within the town itself everything is close; the western group is a short walk or cycle ride from most hotels.

Tips from our travel experts

Enter the western group when it opens in the morning. The first hour gives you soft golden light on the sandstone, cool air and very few people, and this is when the sculpture photographs best. There is an entry fee for the western group, with different rates for Indian citizens and foreign nationals, so please check the current rate on the official website or with your consultant.

Take a licensed guide or the audio guide for the western group; the temples are dense with meaning, and a good guide reads the walls for you panel by panel. Keep the eastern and southern groups for the afternoon, and the sound and light show for the evening.

Give Khajuraho one full day at least. With a second day, add the Panna Tiger Reserve close by, or the waterfalls and countryside around the town. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water, and keep a hat for the open lawns between temples.

For our NRI and OCI travellers

Some overseas families hesitate about Khajuraho because of what they have heard of the carvings. Let us say it plainly: the amorous panels are a small part of the sculpture, shown beside worship, music, dance and daily life, and our guides explain them with complete dignity. Families visit Khajuraho every day, and children usually remember the elephants, the dancers and the great towers.

If you hold an OCI card, carry it to the ticket counter and the staff will apply the current rule on rates. Khajuraho's airport and station make it one of the easiest heritage stops to add to an India itinerary, and the slow, small-town pace is a welcome rest in the middle of a busy family trip.