How to Visit the Khajuraho Temple Complex

If Sanchi is balm to soothe the travellers soul, then Khajuraho is the herbal bubble bath that goes with it. Lonely Planet warns you that the touts and auto-rickshaw drivers here in Khajuraho will drive you insane and bother you to death. Lonely Planet, I say, you obviously wrote this before you went to Jaipur. Here’s how to visit Khajuraho.

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We arrive ahead of time. Yes you heard that right, we were on an Indian train and we arrived ahead of time. And ain’t that always the case when you want a little more sleep?

How to get to Khajuraho

We’d taken the train from Bhopal to Jhansi Junction.  From there where we hiked 750 metres to the incompetent Hotel Tulsi to spend a few hours.  It was an early start for our 2am train, which set off just a few minutes late.

The train from Jhansi is in two parts. One goes to Manikpur Junction and the other to Khajuraho. The online timetable shows only Manikpur. I only panic internally standing on the platform, seeing my train number but not the correct destination.  Finally someone takes pity and tells me that the Khajuraho part of the train is at that end. And of course it is. So, after 4 hours we arrived at the newest station we’ve been to.

How to Go From Khajuraho Station to Khajuraho Town

Khajuraho station opened in 2008 and still looks pretty good. There are two platforms and it’s about 8 kilometres from the village itself. The airport is closer than the train station. There’s no bus, just auto rickshaws and taxis.

Cost from Khajuraho Station to Town

We meet Aju who lives in a local village and he takes us in his auto for 100 INR to the Hotel Zen. All the while he tells us that the hotels that you prebook are never the same as what they look like on the Internet. We know, Aju, we know.  He says that you get a better deal – perhaps a room for 500 INR if you turn up in person. I wonder if that means our 300 INR a night pre booked room is a great deal or a hell hole.

It’s a great deal. You might only get Internet in the room if you stand on the edge of the balcony, ok outside the room.  However, the internet access speed is too slow to do much.  The view over the surrounding fields is sublime and makes up for it.  This sleepy little village means we pretty much spend the whole day snoozing and catching up on a few bad nights sleep.

It’s a tiny place, Khajuraho.  It’s now purely here for tourism purposes, although, a millennium ago, the city here stretched for 21 square kilometres.

Now all that remains are temples. And what incredible temples they are. These are the Khajuraho temples that house and display erotic carvings….

Khajuraho Monuments

Known for its ornate temples, among the most beautiful medieval monuments in India, the temples were built by the Chandella rulers between AD900 and AD1022. 25 temples remain from a local list of 85 and while three temples are built of granite, the remainder are from fine grained sandstone in a variety of shades.

Unesco World Heritage Khajuraho

Inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage list of sites for their “outstanding universal value” and “human creative genius”, the temples and the town disappeared from public consciousness after the decline of the Chandellas in the 13th century. It was TS Burt, a British engineer who ventured into the jungle and made the re-discovery in 1838.

Khajuraho is one of the seven wonders of India – we had many of these on our list to visit, – including the magnificent Sun Temple of Konark, one of the best things to see in Konark, Odisha

Khajuraho Temple Design Principles

Each of the temples follows a similar basic design premise. There is no enclosure wall, and they are erected on a platform (jagati), which also provides an open walkway around the outside of the temple. They run east to west. There is an entrance porch (ardha-mandapa), a hall (mandapa), a vestibule (antarala) and a sanctum. Larger temples also have a transept and an inner ambulatory.

The Temple Groups of Khajuraho

There are three groups of temples – named for their cardinal location compared to the village. The Eastern Group is about 1.5 kilometres away, the Southern Group a little further and both these two groups are free. Yes. Free. Although you might want to rent a bike or an auto-rickshaw from town to get there and back.

The Western Group of Temples of Khajuraho

We focus on the Western Group, the best preserved ones, right here in the village and of course the ones you have to pay for. This time its only 25 times what domestic tourists have to pay – 250 INR compared to 10 INR. And as all the audio guides (113 INR for foreigners) are out on loan – actually it looks like most of them are broken, we make do with buying the Archeological Society of India’s guide to Khajuraho. The AIS has started discounting these. They’re now 60 INR compared to the usual 100 INR and provide a great deal of background, maps and indeed details of how to get to India as well as the location itself.

Is it Wall to Wall Erotic Carvings in Khajuraho?

In reading about Khajuraho you come expecting that it’s going to be wall-to-wall erotic carvings and of course, it’s not. It’s like those “naughty mags” that used to be on the top shelf of the newsagents years ago. You know, the ones that everyone used to snigger about, that are probably either under the counter or in plain covers now. Put it this way, you’re more than likely going to get a crick in your neck looking for the eroticism here.

The temples are quite stunning, and the site is fabulously kept. Here in the Western Group, there are 10 temples to see – the most magnificent are the first and last ones that we see.

Lakshim and Varaha Temples in Khajuraho

The plan is easy to follow- we walk around in a clockwise fashion – finding the tiny Lakshim and Varaha (the boar incarnation of Vishnu) temples first, opposite the entrance to the magnificent Lakshamana Temple. It’s raining a little, so we spend quite a bit of time here, sheltering

Lakshamana Temple Khajuraho

This temple is the earliest and best preserved of the evolved temples. The carving is quite spectacular and the elephant frieze around the basement is beautiful.

Kandariya-Mahadev Temple Khajuraho

Leaving the Lakshamana temple behind us we head to end furthermost point in the Western Temple complex. Here on a single raised platform are three temples. First, the Kandariya-Mahadev temple – its the largest in Khajuraho and is decorated with 84 smaller replicas of itself.

There are three bands of friezes and again the carvings are truly, truly stunning. The sculptures are taller and more slender on this temple than the others, although improbable boobs reign on all the temples as do provocative poses and sultry looks.

Siva Temple in Khajuraho

Next to this temple is the tiny ruined Siva temple – the sanctum has gone, leaving just the portico. Someone has taken up residence here and we don’t venture much further. It’s always hard to tell in temples if folks are official, semi-official and what their role is. Money is generally involved.

Jagadami Temple Khajuraho

The final temple on this platform is the Jagadambi Temple – named for the image of Parvati which is now enshrined in it’s sanctum, although the temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu. The guide tells us to look for “erotic couples, distinguished by a rare sensitivity and an expression of intense absorption and rapture which transcend from the physical to the spiritual plane”.

We crick our neck and snap photos hoping we capture the right ones..

Heading back towards the front of the complex the grounds are lovely. 

They’re very well kept gardens that, perhaps because of the weather are pleasantly empty.  It’s no hardship that we’re taking this really slowly.

Nandi Bull, Khajuraho

The final group of temples starts with the Nandi (Bull) Shrine and houses, of course, a huge bull. We approach Nandi via a flight of steps that are flanked by elephants.  Steps on the other side are flanked by a pair of lions. The Khajuraho temples are some of the most famous temples of North India.

Here we find a massive image of Nandi ( Siva’s bull-vehicle). Its 2.2 metres long and 1.8 metres high and it directly faces the entrance of the Visvanatha Temple.  Spectacular carvings of elephants decorate the exterior.

There’s maintenance work going on at the Visvanatha Temple, but entrance is still allowed to this temple which enshrines a linga and which is famous for (again) it’s erotic couples, a sura-sundari playing a flute and another plucking a thorn from her foot. Of course we fail to find these and have to make do with the photos from the guide book.

The Last Two Temples – Western Group Khajuraho

The two final temples are a Parvati temple on the same platform as the Visavanatha Temple and a new temple.  The new one was built by the maharaja of Chhattarpur about a hundred years ago.

Khajuraho is a sleepy little town – the Lonely Planet warned us that the touts would drive us nuts.  Clearly that writer hadn’t been to Delhi or Jaipur.

We’ve stayed in a quiet room at the Hotel Zen.  We ate and yes there were pizzas in our time here, there were a few beers.  There was enough Wi-Fi to have a Skype conversation.  We hung out for hours at the Mona Lisa café passing the time with a solo German backpacker.  We bemoaned the trials and tribulations of women travelers in India.

Heading back to the Khajuraho Railway Station

Before long, we’re being met by Aju’s “brother”, Aju is sleeping he says and this man will take us to the station, so we head off along bouncy, bumpy roads. The Railway might have built a station, but they conveniently forgot about folks having to get there.

It’s 150 rupees to get back to the station and we’re there in plenty of time for a train that pulls up on time – this is the train to Varanasi, we’re in side upper and lower bunks in 3AC. We meet Max and Holly from Hong Kong, slowly heading back home on the route that we’ve come – through China, Mongolia and Russia and we set off on time at 10pm, for an arrival into Varanasi tomorrow morning.

Where to Stay in Khajuraho

There are some great places to stay in Khajuraho– here’s our pick of the luxury places to stay in Khajuraho, mid-range places to stay in Khajuraho, and budget accommodation in Khajuraho.

Clarks Khajuraho, Khajuraho: The Clarks Khajuraho hotel is a five-star hotel in this UNESCO World heritage location.  This top Khajuraho hotel has rooms with air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, mini-a private bathroom, a seating area, and a desk. This luxury hotel in Khajuraho has an in-house restaurant, Dapran which serves a wide range of cuisines, as well as a lobby bar and coffee lounge. The top hotel in Khajuraho also has a fitness center, Sundaram Spa, an outdoor pool, a jogging track, a yoga room, barbeque facilities, and volleyball and basketball equipment. Free WiFi access is available to guests. The Clarks Khajuraho is a luxury accommodation offering world-class service making it a perfect place to stay when in Khajuraho. You can check rates and availability here.

Radisson Jass Hotel, Khajuraho: The Radisson Jass Hotel is located in central Khajuraho surrounded by the historic temples here. Each room of this modern mid-range Khajuraho hotel features a flat-screen TV, a mini-bar, air-conditioning, a private bathroom with a hairdryer, bathtub and shower, an in-room safe, a desk, and a kettle. Enjoy European and Indian cuisine at Temple Café and at night enjoy drinks at Pulse Bar. A fitness center is also available as well as an outdoor pool. The Radisson Jass Hotel offers a modern take on a relaxing stay in cultural Khajuraho. See rates and availability here.

Hostel Buddha Khajuraho, Khajuraho: The Hostel Buddha Khajuraho is located just outside central Khajuraho but this hostel is situated within a popular area not far from the temples. Each room at this budget accommodation in Khajuraho is equipped with air-conditioning, a private bathroom, soundproofing, a safety deposit box, and a seating area. The hostel also offers yoga classes, massages, happy hour, bike tours, and walking tours. Breakfast is available and there is also a shared kitchen available. The Hostel Buddha Khajuraho is the ideal budget-friendly accommodation to stay when in Khajuraho. Read more reviews and check rates and dates available here.

UNESCO Sites to Visit in India

If you like visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, then you’ll love our guides to India’s best World Heritage sites

• Champaner Pavagadh, in Gujarat
• The Taj Mahal in Agra
• The Ajanta Caves
• Ellora Caves
• Khajuraho’s Temples
• Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
• Sanchi
• The Hill Forts of Rajasthan
• The Darjeeling Hill Railway
• Qutub Minar in Delhi
• The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya
• Mamallapuram

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