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The Khajuraho temples are located in Madhya Pradesh. Khajuraho is va ery much fascinating village with a quaint rural ambience and a rich cultural heritage.

Right from the period of Mughal invasion and the early British forays into India, Khajuraho temples in India remained unknown and nonpopular. Then later these were rediscovered in this century. They are fine reminders of India's glorious past. According to the legends, the Khajuraho temples are the most graphic, erotic and sensuous sculptures of India, the world would have ever known. But Khajuraho has not received the attention it deserves for its significant contribution to the religious art of India, there are literally hundreds of exquisite images on the interior and exterior walls of the shrines.

Architecturally these temples are very much uniquely built and maintained. While each temple in Khajuraho has very different plan and design, several features are common to all. They are all built on high platforms, several metres off the ground; they are built either in granite or a combination of light sandstone and granite. Each of these temples has a huge entrance hall or mandapa, and a sanctum or garbha griha. The roofs of these various sections have a distinct form. The porch and huge hall have got the pyramidal roofs made of several horizontal layers. The inner sanctum's roof is a conical tower - a colossal pile of stone (often 30m high) made of an arrangement of miniature towers called shikharas.


The famous Western group of Khajuraho temples is designated as the World Heritage Site and is enclosed within a beautifully laid out park. The Lakshmana and Vishwanath Temples are to the front and the Kandriya Mahadev, Jagadami and Chitragupta Temples displays the best craftmanship of Khajuraho.

There are major groups of Khajuraho Temples. For the purpose of convenience, the village of Khajuraho has been divided into three directional areas in which are located the major groups of temples.

The western group of Khajuraho temples is entirely Hindu, and constitute some of the finest examples of Chandela Art at its peak. The largest among these being the Kandhariya Mahadev, followed by a granite temple - Chaunsath Yogini. The Chitragupta Temple is dedicated to the Sun God, while the Vishwanath Temple sports a three-headed image of Brahma – the Creator of the Universe. The Lakshmana Temple is beautifully decorated, while the Devi Jagdambi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Other temples in the Western Group include the Varaha Temple with a nine-feet high boar-incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Matangeshwara Temple with a eight-feet high lingam, and the Brahma Temple.

This particular group of Khajuraho temples comprises of mainly two historic Jain temples – the Adinath Temple which is lavishly embellished with sculpted figures, and the Parsvanath Temple which is regarded as one among the largest Jain temple which is sculpted with charming detail. Devotees can also visit other shrines such as the Vamana Temple with apsaras in sensuous poses, and the Javari Temple that has a richly-carved doorway.

The southern group has two impressive Khajuraho temples, mainly belonging to the 12th century – the Chaturbhuja Temple, with a massive, carved image of Vishnu, and the Duladeo Temple, one of the last temples of the Chandela era, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Symbolising a medieval legacy, the Khajuraho temples of India are very much are a perfect fusion of architectural and sculptural excellence, representing one of the finest examples of Indian art.

The best time to visit the Khajuraho Temple is from September to March. Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year from 25th February to 2nd March. Khajuraho Dance festival provides an exclusive and extravagant platform to showcase the Indian classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odisi, Kathakali, etc. For over 25 years now, the carved stones fill with life during the month of February.

Ranging from budget to deluxe, hotels in Khajuraho offer good accommodation at your price.

Nearby tourist places to Khajuraho Temples Bhopal Gwalior Indore Ujjain

Jass Trident, Hotel Chandela, 3 star hotel, Hotel Khajuraho Ashok, Usha Bundela & Kairali Ayurvedic Health Spa are worth mentioning. Being one of the most visited places in India there many shops which offer souvenirs at best prices. There are number of stalls in front of these temples that present an array of articles which are worth buying.

• Through Airways - the airport is 5 kms from the city centre and is been well connected by domestic flights to and from Agra, Varanasi and Kathmandu.


• Through Railways- the Mahoba, Satna and Jhansi are the nearest railway stations. All of these are well connected to most of the major cities of India.


• Through Road - Khajuraho is connected by regular bus services with Mahoba, Harpalpur, Satna, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Jabalpur and Bhopal. Khajuraho is 590 kms from Delhi via Gwalior and Jhansi.