Khajuraho Travel Guide

  Lakshmana-Tempel
by lotharscheer
 
  • Lakshmana-Tempel
      Lakshmana-Tempel
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  • Khajuraho village
      Khajuraho village
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  • Khajuraho
      Khajuraho
    by lotharscheer
  • Khajuraho village
      Khajuraho village
    by lotharscheer
  • Khajuraho village
      Khajuraho village
    by lotharscheer
 

Pro

umashanker profile photo

 A tresure of art 


Con

Paul2001 profile photo

 Can be crowded. Hard to get to. 


In a nutshell

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 A unique gift to the world from Chandela Rajputs 

 

Explore Khajuraho

Things to Do  

Nandi Temple

Nandi Temple, Khajuraho

 Donna_in_India Says:  Nandi Temple is part of the Western Group of Temples. It is a small square shrine that faces the Vishvanath Temple. It is an open hall of 20 square pillars, with a beautiful circular ceiling and a tiered sikhara. The sikhara is the structure above the sanctuary and also... 

Erotic Sculptures at Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Erotic Sculptures at Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho

 Donna_in_India Says:  The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is in the Western Group of Temples and is arguably the most impressive temple in Khajuraho. It is also the largest temple measuring almost 110 feet by 60 feet. It is 117 feet high and stands on a high terrace. It is said to "represent the... 

Apsaras (damsels) at Vishwanath Temple

Apsaras (damsels) at Vishwanath Temple, Khajuraho

 Donna_in_India Says:  Although it is smaller in size, the Vishwanath Temple is similar to the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in both plan and design. It is located in the Western Group of Temples. Vishwanath is a Shiva temple with a linga (the sacred symbol of Shiva) inside the sanctum. The temple is... 

Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  This small museum is situated opposite Shiv Sagar, just down the road from Hotel Lakeside, and at 5INR entry, it's well worth a visit. It contains a selection of lovely carvings from the area. No photography allowed inside. 

Narora Sagar

Narora Sagar, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  This lake is situated next to the old village of Khajuraho, and as such is a little off the beaten track, or would be were it not for the Brahma temple next to it. It is labelled as Narora in the LP guide, but seems to also be known as Khajur Sagar and Ninora Taal. 

Shiv Sagar

Shiv Sagar, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  This is the main lake in town, situated on the main road and right next to the Western Group of Temples. Women carry out their washing on the ghats, and people can be seen bathing in the water early in the morning.Watching the sunset over the lake can be a sublimely peaceful... 

Hotels  

Zen Hotel

 4 Reviews and 214 Opinions  This is one of the best hotel to stay in Khajuraho. The green garden is realy beautyful and of... 

Hotel Harmony

 191 Opinions

Transportation  

Khajuraho Bus Station chai-wallah

Khajuraho Bus Station chai-wallah, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  As has been written about by several people, including a mention in the Lonely Planet, the owner of the chai stall at the bus station is very friendly, and very informative. He knows when all the buses arrive and leave, and also some details about the train schedules too. He... 

Advance train tickets

Advance train tickets, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  If you're planning to take a train from one of the nearby train stations (usually either Jhansi or Satna depending on your direction), you can buy tickets in advance from the Train Reservation Office at the bus station. We bought our tickets the day before, and unfortunately... 

Local Customs  

How Much to Tip

How Much to Tip, Khajuraho

 Donna_in_India Says:  Tipping is fairly common in India with the exception of rickshaw drivers or taxi drivers, unless you hire them for the day (although a few rupees or rounding up the fare is always appreciated). These amounts are meant as a guideline. Tip ONLY in rupees, not any other... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Travel Within India...

Travel Within India..., Khajuraho

 Donna_in_India Says:  1. If not taking a prepaid taxi or a metered taxi/rickshaw, negotiate the fare before taking off.2. If spending alot of time with a taxi driver (or any driver), it helps if he speaks and understands basic English.3. Don't drive on highways at night.4. When travelling by... 

Child beggars

Child beggars, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  There are quite a few young children begging on the streets of Khajuraho, and we did see a number of tourists giving them money.Please remember that by giving them money, you are encouraging them to stay out of school, on the streets, in the hopes of earning cash, and after... 

Tourist Traps  

Nasty kids

Nasty kids, Khajuraho

 lotharscheer Says:  When you walk around particulary in the old town wich is quite nice a lot of kids will come and talk to you. The most direct one was a boy who looked like 12, it started "schoolpen?" the next thing was "women" since i probably looked a bit stupid he showed me what to do with... 

Off The Beaten Path  

The Practice of Yoga

The Practice of Yoga, Khajuraho

 kharmencita Says:  Krishna, one of the students of Yoga agreed to show me on the evening some extreme yoga exercises after i met the Guru. Before this he expressed something that he only does it when i am willing to honor for what he deserved. I knew what he meant for this. So because I was... 

The other side of the Guru

The other side of the Guru, Khajuraho

 kharmencita Says:  An experience which is only once in my lifetime. As i told my target to visit India is not for pleasure but to know more its History. There are so many many Things to explore and many many things to discover about the reality of indian culture. I never was fed up of India.... 

Khajuraho Old Village

Khajuraho Old Village, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  On your journey from the Jain enclosure to the Hindu temples of the eastern group, it is well worth having a wander through the narrow streets of the old village. A young lad of perhaps 12 or 13 attached himself to us while we were there, and proceeded to give us a tour,... 

Favorites  

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Apsaras 6

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Apsaras 6, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  But the daily life of women obviously wasn't just confined to decoration (no, really!). There are also some beautiful sculptures representing motherhood, and even an intellectual side, shown by the writing of letters. 

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Apsaras 1

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Apsaras 1, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  One of the most beautiful elements of the Khajuraho statuary is the depiction of women in what is probably every-day life. There are a number of activities which are repeated - here you can see women painting their feet, probably with henna. A suggestion for the first one is... 

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Erotica 3

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Erotica 3, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  When the temples of Khajuraho were rediscovered in the 19th century by a British officer, TS Burt, he was quite shocked, and apparently described the carvings as being 'a little warmer' than necessary!Looking at this depiction of what appears to be bestiality, one can... 

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Erotica 2

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Erotica 2, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  The Kama Sutra continues - a wide variety of positions are on display across the temple walls! Here you can see the carnal act being performed from behind, a 'reverse cowgirl' (!), a 69 position, fellatio, and a foursome! 

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Erotica 1

Sculptures of Khajuraho - Erotica 1, Khajuraho

 illumina Says:  The erotica is probably the single most famous aspect of the Khajuraho temples. Some scholars believe it to be a 'kama sutra in stone' - a guide for boys brought up all-male temple schools. Another theory is that they are there to protect the temples from lightning, since... 

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Map of Khajuraho