One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture.The city was once the original capital of the Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150.

Tourist Attractions in Khajuraho

The temples of Kahjuraho are the most prominent places of tourist interest.

The Western Group of Temples

Chaunsat Yogini is the oldest of the surviving temples of Khajuraho. It is dedicated to goddesses Kali and is the only temple that is built in granite.

The Kandariya Mahadeo is considered the most evolved example of central Indian temple architecture. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the largest of Khajuraho’s temples.

The Lakshmana Temple is one of the oldest and finest of the western group of temples. Themes recurring in the sculptures are battle, hunting, and women.

The temple of Vishvanath and Nandi celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva with Parvati. The sculptures are dominated by women in various attitudes of life like fondling babies and writing letters.

The temple of Devi Jagdamba is considered to be one of the most erotic temples of Khajuraho by many. It has the most talked-about image, mithuna, and the sensuously carved figures.

Other important temples in the western group are the temples of Lakshmi and Varaha, Mahadev, Chitragupta, Parvati, and Matangesvara.

Eastern Group of Temples

The temple of Parsvanath is the largest of the Jain temples in Khajuraho. It was originally dedicated to Adinath and later to Parsvanath.

Shantinath is the youngest of all the temples in Khajuraho. It is just a century old and has a big statue of Adinath.

The temple of Brahma and Hanuman is one of the oldest temples in Khajuraho. It is built mostly of granite and sandstone and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Khajuraho Travel,Chaturbhuja Temple Mostly in ruins now, the temple of Ghantai has fine columns and chains and bells, with a figure of a Jain goddess on a garuda.

The Southern Group

The southern group only has two temples, the Duladeo which is newer and built when the creativity of Khajuraho was deteriorating. The Chaturbhuja Temple has a 3-m-high statue of Vishnu.

Excursions in Khajuraho

Khajuraho also has a number of excursion sites that are worth visiting nearby.

Dhubela Museum is 64 km away and houses a wide variety of sculpture of the Shakti cult.

The historical city of Panna has one of the most famous diamond mines of the world and is around 56 km from Khajuraho. The Panna National Park is an ideal place for wildlife watchers.

The Pandava Waterfall on the Ken River is believed to be where the Pandavas spent a good part of their exile. The Ranch is another waterfall that lies close by.

Benisagar Lake is a tourist spot around 7 km away. The dam on Khudar River and is an ideal place for boating and angling.

Ranguan Lake is 20 km from Khajuraho. This is a site at the confluence of Ken and Simri rivers.

The Rajgarh Palace and the Ajaygarh Fort are also worth a visit.