What To Know For A Visit To The Khajuraho Temples 2024
Are you planning a visit to the Khajuraho Temples in India? Here’s what you need to know!
The Khajuraho Temples are a testament to the artistic brilliance and cultural heritage of the Chandela dynasty. These magnificent temples, built between the 9th and 11th centuries, showcase a unique fusion of religion, mythology, and sensuous art.
What are the Khajuraho temples?
The Khajuraho Temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site with groupings of sandstone temples from 950 to 1050 AD. The temples showcase intricate carvings celebrating life, love, and sex. There were once 85 temples but today only about 20 temples remain.
The temples are divided into three groups—Western, Eastern, and Southern. The Western Group is the most prominent and well-maintained, and therefore the most visited. Some of the most popular temples in the Western Group include Lakshman Temple, Kandariya Mahadev Temple, and Devi Jagadambi Temple.
Erotic carvings depicting nudity and different sexual positions with multiple partners have earned the site the moniker “Kamasutra Temples.” The true intent behind the sculptures is up for conjecture. Some people say it served as sexual education while others say it is in an effort to leave lust behind before you enter the temples.
Where are the Khajuraho Temples located?
The Khajuraho Temples are located in the city of Khajuraho in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The Khajuraho airport is just under a two hour flight from Delhi.
How to get to the Khajuraho Temples
You can take the train or fly into Khajuraho. The western block of temples is only a ten minute drive to Khajuraho airport so we fit it in the afternoon before an evening flight out to Delhi.
There is not much else to sightsee in town so I recommend pairing a visit to the temples with a trip to Panna National Park. The nearest park entrance is only 30 minutes away.
The best ways to get to Khajuraho Temples:
✈️: Fly into Khajuraho airport. The airport is connected to major Indian cities like Delhi and Varanasi. From the airport, you can easily get a taxi or auto-rickshaw to the temple complex.
🚆: Take a train into Khajuraho Junction. Or take a train to Mahoba, about 75 km away, then from there you can take a taxi or bus.
✈️ +🚗: Fly into Jabalpur Airport and hire a car to drive about 5.5 hours north.
How long do I need to see the Khajuraho Temples?
A guided visit of the Khajuraho Temples will take you around 3.5 hours. We chose to peruse the temples on our own. It took just under three hours to tour all the western temples with plenty of time for photography.
Do I need a guide to see the Khajuraho Temples?
There are guides outside the entrance that are available to take you around the temples and explain the history of the site. You learn more and contribute to the local economy by hiring a guide. If you want to understand the complex history of the temples in depth I’d recommend hiring a local guide.
We were in a rush before our flight so opted to go without and enjoyed seeing the temples on our own, but I’m sure we missed out on key pieces of information. Audio guides are advertised but were not an option when we went.
When is the best time to visit the Khajuraho Temples?
The ideal time to visit Khajuraho is from October to March when the weather is pleasant. Summers (April to June) can be scorching, and monsoon (July to September) brings heavy rains, which might hamper your exploration plans.
TL;DR: What to know for a visit to the Khajuraho Temples
The Khajuraho Temples in Madhya Pradesh showcase the artistic genius and cultural heritage of India. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth a visit, especially if you can pair it with a trip to Panna National Park where you can see tigers on a safari.