Khajuraho

To shop the right product at the right place, we suggest you visit the local flea markets. The major one of which is the Gole Market. There is also Oswal Complex and City Centre for touristy purchases. The city boasts of tradition and culture and we suggest you to go for the traditional souvenirs for your kins.

• Khajuraho is popular for its textile produces mostly sarees. Remember to pick up a few from the local emporiums lined on the roads.
• Another popular selling souvenir in Khajuraho is are the traditional handicrafts and handloom products. Plenty of stores sell tribal artefacts, brassware, paintings etc.
• Another option is Miniature Stone Carved replicas of the sculptures in the temples.
• Besides all of these, the street bazaars are flooding with funky jewellery, neckpieces, earrings etc.

Tip - As you are new and have little idea of the place, the locals might bluff you into paying them exorbitant prices. Make sure you bargain and haggle for the cost before you settle for something.

The temple complex in Khajuraho is grouped into two categories based on their orientation- Western Group of Temples and Eastern Group of Temples. The Western group is more famous out of the two as it has the largest temple Kandariya Mahadeo Temple which is dedicated to the glory of Lord Shiva.

The Western group mainly houses the temples dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses. Among a large number of temples built in the complex, six are dedicated to Lord Shiva, eight are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one each to Lord Ganesha and the Sun God, while three are dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras. All of these have beautiful intricate designs and boast of fine architecture and the very famous ever-so-elaborate sculptures.

The Eastern Group primarily has the four Jain temples- Parasvanath, Adinath, Shantinath and Ghantai dedicated to the worship of the Jain Tirthankaras.

The Chandela rulers originally built these temples to represent love and lust in the purest forms. Some sculptures are bound to make you cringe, some will make you awe at the raw art, some will disappoint you and some will leave you in wonder. There are several stories weaved around the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho. One of these stories suggests that the moon God got allured by the beauty of maiden bathing in a lake under the moonlight. She ran to the forest to seek refuge and raised her son alone. In turn, the moon God promised her son, a kingdom of his own.

This lore claims that her son grew up to be the first Chandela ruler and influenced by her mother’s story, got the monuments constructed. Some theorists believed that the Chandela dynasty used the sculptures as forms of sex education. Some say that the carvings are symbols for “good luck”. Some suggest that the figurines much in love are only carved outside the temple and is a message that says to leave all lust and worldly pleasures behind before entering the temples, which in turn is a metaphor for “moksha” (Hindu theory of salvation).

The sculptures are grouped into five broad categories- The first ones are the Shilpshastras- the Jain Tirthankaras. The second category represents the deities, attendants, ganas, gandharvas, ashta dikpalas, among other images. The third category represents the apsaras, also called the sapna sundaris. These are sculptures of really beautiful women doing mundane jobs like holding a baby, painting, dancing or just plain undressing. The fourth category portrays scenes from everyday life- warriors, dancers, musicians, royal court, teacher, pupil etc. The fifth and the final category has the very famous erotic images of unnatural sex, group sex etc.

Chandela rulers built the temples of Khajuraho, one at a time spread over a period of hundred years. The first recorded mention of the temples can be founded in the writings of Abu Rihan-ul Biruni towards the end of the 11th century. Throughout the 12th century, the temple complex grew and later fell into the hands of the Sultan of Delhi, Qutb-Uddin Aibak, after the downfall of the Chandela rulers. In the years to follow, the temples were preserved and tended by the Muslim rulers. Over the years some of the temples were vandalised and disfigured and were left unmonitored due to their deserted locations. T.S. Burt, a British engineer, later rediscovered the temples in 1830 and made efforts for their restoration.

This is a prominent reason for the huge influx of tourists to Khajuraho. This site is chiefly famous for a series of Hindu & Jain temples, constructed side by side, in a time span between 950 AD & 1050 AD, by the rulers of the Chandela dynasty. The site is an epitome of religious tolerance, with Hindu and Jain temples co-existing side by side. A striking feature of this famous site is the erotic sculpture, showing some postures of passionate love, as depicted in Vatsyayana's epic Kamasutra, as engraved on the walls.

Khujuraho has countless delicacies that one must try, while here. Don't miss the Korma, Rogan Josh, Mutton Kababs, Chicken Biryani, Kheema, Sabudana Khichdi, Moong Dal Halwa, Jalebi, Cashew Barfi, Kusli, Lavang Lata and more. The area is known for Bafla, a preparation of whole grain and 'ghee', traditionally followed by delicious Ladoos.
Also sip into some local specialties such as Lassi and Sugarcane Juice. Other than these local and traditional flavors, one finds here, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Greek, French, Spanish, South-Indian, Rajasthani and Moglai cuisines to indulge in.
View Top Restaurants in Khajuraho

Day 1: You can begin your trip by taking a stroll in the local markets- Gole Market or Shilpgram, and collect souvenirs for your kins. You can spend the evening by the attending the light and sound show at the Western Group of Temples at the Khajuraho sites. The show explains all of the history and myths related to the temple complex. And, also answers most of your questions related to the historical site. It is a 50-minute show and runs both in Hindi and English.

Day 2: You can dedicate the entire next day taking time to stroll around the main temple complex and be awed by the beautiful carvings, figurines and sculptures. The complex is divided into two parts.

You can buy a ticket for the Western Group of Temples. It is a rectangular complex and houses some magnificent temples bound to charm you. You can also visit the museum at the far end of the temple complex.

Next, you visit the Eastern Group of Temples. It is a km away from the western group and has the old village of Khajuraho. It is a whitewashed plain village with one large red-orange statue within. The image is the monkey God Hanuman. It is believed to be the oldest image found in the whole of Khajuraho and is still worshipped with a lot of faith.

The top places near to Khajuraho are Panna which is 29 km from Khajuraho, Agra which is located 323 km from Khajuraho, Orchha which is located 142 km from Khajuraho, Varanasi which is located 312 km from Khajuraho, Chitrakoot which is located 102 km from Khajuraho

The top things to do in Khajuraho are Light and Sound Show, Khajuraho, Dulhadev Temple, Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Lakshman Temple, Parsvanath temple, Vishwanath Temple, Khajuraho. You can see all the places to visit in Khajuraho here

There are 85 in Khajuraho which can be booked through Holidify. The most popular hotels in Khajuraho are lalita homestay countryside, temple view home stay, Maji Homestay, Eeshan Homestay, Freedom Guest House, Fusion guesthouse. You can see all the hotels in Khajuraho here

Khajuraho is well connected to the rest of India by road and air. There is a railway station in Khajurao which is connected by major cities.
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Khujuraho has countless delicacies that one must try, while here. Don't miss the Korma, Rogan Josh, Mutton Kababs, Chicken Biryani, Kheema, Sabudana Khichdi, Moong Dal Halwa, Jalebi, Cashew Barfi, Kusli, Lavang Lata and more. The area is known for Bafla, a preparation of whole grain and 'ghee', traditionally followed by delicious Ladoos.
Also sip into some local specialties such as Lassi and Sugarcane Juice. Other than these local and traditional flavors, one finds here, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Greek, French, Spanish, South-Indian, Rajasthani and Moglai cuisines to indulge in.
Read More

Ideal for people who love architecture. Also perfect for people who are interested in history and culture.

Not easily accessible. Not much to explore for people not interested in architecture.

Abode to beautiful sculptures. A hotbed of ancient history.