Khajuraho Temples
The Khajuraho Temples are famous for its erotic sculptures. It is located around 175 km (109mi) in the southeast of Jhansi and you will enjoy the brilliant artwork that is now a symbol of love and pure intimacy. The temple has some of the stunning pieces of sculptures dedicated to different Hindu God and Goddesses. The sculptures are also included in the Jain temples; where Khajuraho Temples are well-maintained and 6 out of them are dedicated to Lord Shiva, 1 to lord Ganesha, 1 to the Sun god, 8 to Lord Vishnu and 3 to the Jain Tirthankaras. One of the famous temples dedicated to the glory of Lord Shiva makes Khajuraho into one of the holy locations.
A Symbol of Love and Pure Intimacy
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Quick Glance
Visiting Hours: Sunset-Sunrise
Construction: 950-1050 CE
Maintained by: Archeological Survey of India
Entry Fee: INR 500
Reason of Construction: Place of Hindu and Jain worship
Tips for Visiting the Khajuraho Temples
Not every temple is the same in Khajuraho Temples and you will need some specific tips to explore these places. Here are some basic details before you step your foot into the brilliant architecture of Khajuraho. You will find the details of the specific timings to visit and which portion of the temple is best to explore in the first hours of the daylight.• You are suggested to cover the western group of temples during the first hours of the morning; it might not evoke the same reaction as you can get from the other portions but it worth a visit. You will hardly need 2 hours to explore the Western group of temples.
• Another reason why you must visit in the first hours is that you will be able to explore better and avoid the tourist crowd that increases in the afternoon.
• The temples have an audio guide and a brilliant sound-and-light-show of 50-minutes every night at around 6:30 pm.
• You can plan your visit to the eastern group at around 3:00 - 4:00 pm so that you can enjoy the sunset in this location. You can immediately visit the other portion of Khajuraho Temples as it’s not too far from the place.
• The most important thing before you are set to explore the temples is that you must wear comfortable shoes, and carry your bottle of water to stay hydrated.
After knowing some of these important travel tips, here are the locations for you to explore.
Western Group of Khajuraho Temples
This portion of the Khajuraho temple complex portrays overwhelming sculptures and an introductory tour to the artwork of this place. It highlights some of the easy-to-miss details of these sensuous sculptures.
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The largest temple on this site is the Kandariya Mahadev Temple which again consists of beautiful carvings and handstand positions. The scale of the temple is the most interesting thing along with its eye-catching rooftops. The sculptures of Mahadeva and Devi Jagadamba are done on the same plinth as the Kandariya-Mahadev. From this location, you can take a walk towards the North to the Chitragupta that has hidden carvings to the west side. These carvings are quite impressive and you can continue to walk east towards the Vishwanath Temple to explore some more carvings in the Khajuraho Temples.
Eastern Group – Jain Enclosure
The Jain enclosure has a huge temple known as Parswanath temple and it is still well-preserved as compared to other temples in the complex. This portion of the Khajuraho temple is said to have some of the impressive sculptures that depict women taking out a thorn from her foot, applying make-up, and other details of daily life. The smaller Adinath in the temple is very similar to the Hindu Temple in Khajuraho, don’t miss out on the Shanti Nath that was built a century ago which houses some of the older temples of the complex.Eastern Group – Old Village Temples
Visiting the eastern group can be interesting with three Hindu Temples scattered in the old villages and four Jain temples towards the south, out of which three are present in the walled enclosure.
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• Janavi Temple is also an example of the small-scale architecture of Khajuraho. This temple resembles the Chaturbhuj Temple because the entrance of this temple is crocodile-covered with a slender shikhara.
• There is a Vamana temple located around 200m (218yd) north which is dedicated to the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu.
Southern Group of Khajuraho Temples
The south group of the temple in Khajuraho doesn’t have a lot to explore. The Duladeo temple is located around 1km (0.6mi) distance towards the south of the Jain enclosure. This temple is the youngest of all the others and was built around 1100 - 1150 AD. The Chaturbhuj Temple in Khajuraho is the only temple that is developed without any erotic carvings.Tourism and Cultural Events
Tourism in Khajuraho has drastically increased over the years. The introduction of social media has taken the erotic sculptures into the remotest corners of the world. Other interesting things contribute to attracting a huge number of crowds.• This place celebrates festivals that are held almost every year in February and various classical dance programs happen in the backdrop of the Vishwanath and Chitragupta temples.
• The Khajuraho temple complex has a sound & light show that happens every evening in two different forms. The first show in the complex happens in English and the second one is in Hindi.
• The temple is also said to celebrate the marriage of Parvati and Shiva in the festival called Maha Shivratri. During this festival, the verses from the Rudram are chanted.
These alluring information about the Khajuraho temple complex reflects the interesting details about the private life of people in the past. The postures and sculptures look extremely lively. Follow the travel tips to get through the temples smoothly.