Khajuraho

About Khajuraho

This is a small town in the district of Chhatarpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh located in the central part of India. Famous for housing numerous temples belonging to the Hindu as well as the Jain religion, this town is one of the popular tourist spots in the country. These temples, featured with erotic sculptures, have made the name of the town get mentioned in the U. N. E. S. C. O. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list of the World Heritage Sites in the nation. The Vindhya mountain range, which forms the beautiful backdrop to this place, makes it more fascinating to tourists.

Tourist Spots in Khajuraho

Mainly known for its temple complex, this place has got a number of ancient temples. Apart from reflecting a unique architectural skill, the sculpture of each and every temple in Khajuraho depicts royalty, wrestling, kinship, courtship, marriage, spiritual teachings, meditation and many other postures of human beings. Based on their geographical location, all of these temples can be categorized into 3 types. Open throughout the day, following are some of the renowned temples in Khajuraho that are worth visiting:

Eastern Group of Khajuraho Temples

Adinath Temple: Dedicated to Adinath, a Jain Tirthankar, this temple has been embellished with yakshis and other sculpted figures.

Brahma Temple: Made of sandstone and granite, this Vishnu temple is among the oldest Khajuraho temples.

Ghantai Temple: This is one of the Jain temples, which houses frescos that depict the sixteen different dreams of the mother of Mahavira as well as a Goddess seated on a winged Garuda.

Parsvanath Temple: This is one of the largest temples in this group, which has got exquisite carvings. Installed in the year 1860, the sculptures of the northern wall are among the main highlights of the temple.

Vamana Temple: Apart from the simple architectural style, this temple is known for housing an image of Lord Vishnu’s dwarf form.

Besides these, there are 2 other temples belonging to the eastern group, which are as follows:

1. Hanuman Temple
2. Javari Temple

Western Group of Khajuraho Temples

Chaunsat Yogini: This is the sole granite temple among the group of Khajuraho temples.

Chitragupta Temple: Facing the eastern side, the sunrise, this temple is devoted to Surya, the Sun God.

Devi Jagdamba Temple: Dedicated to the Goddess of Universe, this small and delicate temple houses some of the greatest sculptures. Though, initially, the temple was established as a temple of God Vishnu, the Garbha Griha of this temple has got a big image of Jagdambi, the Goddess of Universe.

Kandariya Mahadeo Temple: This Khajuraho temple is decorated by varied sculptures, which are among some of the masterpieces of India’s art and architecture.

Lakshmana Temple: The finest and oldest group of western temples is a Vaishnavite temple and is famous for the horizontal beam near the entrance, which portrays the trinity of God Brahma, God Vishnu and God Shiva with Goddess Lakshmi.

Matanageswara Temple: This Shiva temple attracts tourists for housing an 8 ft. high Shiva Lingam.

Vishwanatha Temple: Devoted to God Brahma, this temple is famous for its impressive entrances, which are featured with masonry elephants towards its southern steps and magnificent stone structures near the northern steps.

Southern Group of Khajuraho Temples

Chattarbhuj Temple: Even known as the Jatkari Temple, this is the sole temple that is devoid of erotic sculptures. Constructed in 1100 A. D., this temple is famous for 9 ft. high intricately carved four armed (Chaturbhuja) idol of God Vishnu as well as its architectural pattern.

Beejamandal Temple: The ruins of this old temple are found near temple Chattarbhuj.

Dulhadev Temple: Located towards the southern side of the Ghantai temple, this Shiva temple is the latest Khajuraho temple and attracts tourists for the varied ornamented figures.

Resources of Economy in Khajuraho

Being a place of ancient temples, this place has got lots of historical significance attached to it. Since the place attract tourists from different parts of the country as well as abroad, the maximum portion of the economy of this area depends on tourism. Be it in a direct manner or indirect, almost every household of this region gets benefited from tourism. Apart from that, agriculture and farming form other major contributors to the economy of this historical place.

How to Reach Khajuraho

Being an important tourist destination in India, this place is well connected to the other parts of the country. The different modes of transport that one can avail to reach this place of temples are mentioned below:

By Air: Khajuraho Airport, located at a nearby distance of around 5 km from the heart of the city, is the nearest airport to the place. Following are some of the major airlines operating from that airport:

1. Air India: These flights connect the area to the cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi.
2. Jet Airways: Offers flights to Delhi and Varanasi.
3. Kingfisher: They have flights to the city of Varanasi.

By Rail: Khajuraho Railway Station that has got direct trains from Agra, Jhansi, New Delhi and Varanasi is the nearest railway station in the place. However, rail tickets can not be purchased from that station. To buy a train ticket, one needs to visit the main bus terminal of Khajuraho, which is just about 1 km from the town, or book it online.

By Road: Khajuraho is linked with the neighboring areas through regular bus services. These areas include Agra, Allahabad, Bhopal, Chhatarpur, Gwalior, Harpalpur, Indore, Jabalpur, Jhansi, Mahoba, Panna, Sagar, Satna and Varanasi. Besides that, one can even reach the place by rented taxis.



Last Updated on 2/23/2012