Khajuraho Temples – UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Khajuraho Group of Temples are part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and is in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh state. This group of temples was built by Chandelas who ruled this region in 10th and 11th century CE. According to the local tradition, there were around 85 temples but currently only 25 of them stand in varying stages of preservation. Most of the temples are built of Sand Stone and few with Granite and belong to the Shiva, Vaishnava and Jain sects. The sculptures on the temples are remarkable and give an understanding of the culture during those times.
The temples are divided into Eastern group, Western group and Southern group of temples.
Western Group of Temples: Western group of temples are within a rectangular compound and there is a Rs.40/- ticket which we need to buy online here. The main temples here are Lakshman temple and Viswanatha temple which are grand and rich in architecture. The other temples are Kandaria Mahadeva temple, Devi Jagadambi temple and Chitragupta temple. There is also a Varaha mandap with a beautiful sculpture of Varaha which has few 100s of small carvings on it. The Matangeshwar temple next to the Western group of temples has a huge Shiva Linga and has Poojas going on.
Eastern Group of Temples: Eastern group and Southern group of temples are spread across unlike the Western group and not in a single compound. Brahma Temple, Vamana Temple and Javari temples are the main temples here. There are also Chaturbhuj temple and Dulhadev temple on the Southeastern side. There are also Jain group of temples here like the Parshvanath Temple, Ghantai Temple and the Adinath Temple.
It is better to engage a guide for visiting all the temples who would explain the architecture and significance of each temple. There is a sound and light show in the evening to tell the history of Khajuraho.
Khajuraho city is very well connected Road, Train and Air.
By Road: Khajuraho is well connected by road from cities like Bhopal, Jabalpur, Jhansi, Orchha, Satna, Katni, Bandhavgarh, Chattarpur, etc. It is just 200 kms from Jhansi and around 240 kms from Bandhavgarh.
By Train : Khajuraho Railway Station is just 5km from Khajuraho Town. The trains starting from this station are UP Sampark Kranti Express from New Delhi, Khajuraho INDORE JN BG Express, Khajuraho UDAIPUR CITY Express, Khajuraho VARANASI JN LINK Express, MAHAMANA Express from Bhopal, AADR VANDEBHARAT from H NIZAMUDDIN and Khajuraho KURUKSHETRA JN Express. Other closer Railway stations are Satna which is at a distance of 130kms, Katni which is 180kms and Jhansi which is around 200 kms.
By Air : Khajuraho has a domestic airport known as City Airport Khajuraho and is located at a distance of 2 Km from Khajuraho town. There are flights only from New Delhi as of now.
I had covered Khajuraho as part of a Road Trip to Madhya Pradesh.
