Designated as one of the seven wonders of India and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the country, the Khajuraho temples are a collection of about 20 structures that were once part of a larger complex of about 85 buildings. These splendid monuments, spread over a nine square mile region, deliver antiquity, intrigue and solitude in a rugged, rural environment. And sculptures of theirs? Well, there is an explanation why and how they have been called “Kamasutra temples” . Read this Khajuraho Travel guide to know more.
Khajuraho Travel Guide – Kamasutra Temples – Things to Do in Khajuraho
While Khajuraho is a little out of the way on the popular tourist trail, on this basis, do not offer it a miss. You’ll find such special temples with meticulously crafted carvings nowhere else. For erotic sculptures, the Khajuraho temples are well known. More than that, though, they reflect a festival of passion, life, and worship. They also deliver an uninhibited glimpse into ancient Hindu religion and Tantra rituals.
If you look closely, the amount of detail and expertise you can see is incredible, particularly given the age and weathering these sandstone sculptures have experienced. This are probably some of India’s most magnificent temples. In reality, while the temples are most notable for their erotic sculptures, these account for only 10% of the various sculptures. Most of the Khajuraho sculptures portray every day medieval life with scenes depicting gods and goddesses, war, peasants, agriculture, travels, elephants and other actual or mythical creatures.
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How to Get There
Khajuraho Airport is linked to Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bhopal, and Mumbai, as well as many major Indian cities. From Mumbai and Delhi, foreign travelers can get direct flights.
You can also take the Uttar Pradesh Sampark-Kranti (12448) from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi (departure 20:10; arrival 06:35) or the Mahamana Superfast Express (22163) from Bhopal to enter Khajuraho by train (departure at 06:50; arrival 13:30).
Khajuraho is well linked to all of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh’s major towns by road. From Lucknow (310km) and Bhopal, it is around an 8-hour drive (376km).
The road has been improved from Jhansi to Khajuraho. The trip now takes around 5 hours. Mostly tourists reach Jhansi by train (Shatabdi Superfast Express) from Delhi/Agra and then take a taxi to reach Khajuraho.
Brief History of Khajuraho Temples
The temples of Khajuraho are a collection of Hindu and Jain temples decorated with complex descriptions, symbols and ancient Indian architecture, but they are better recognized for the explicit erotic sculptures that adorn the ancient stone buildings and are considered to be some of the world’s most fabulous temple art.
The Khajuraho temples were founded by the kings of the Chandela family, who controlled most of central India’s Bundelkhand region between the 9th and 13th centuries. The dynasty is renowned, particularly the Khajuraho temples, for its art and architecture.
Up until the end of the 12th century, when the Delhi Sultanate seized possession of central India, the temples were actively used for worship. Until the 18th century, Muslim rule remained in the region, during which period many of the temples were demolished or fell into ruin.
Only 20 of the initial 85 temples exist today. In the 19th century, they were rediscovered by the British surveyor T.S. Burt.
How to Visit Temples
From sunrise until sunset, the temples are open everyday. It is ideal to go from November to March during the colder months.
Tickets are needed only for the Western community of temples to join. Free for children younger than 15 years of age. You can also have access to the archaeological museum.
Although the Western group of temples (the main & famous) are located near several hotels, the Eastern group is a mile or two away in another village and the Southern group is near the airport. Hiring a bicycle or auto rickshaw are common ways to move between them. Best to go at sunset time to the Eastern and Southern group of temples.
What to See
There are three temple classifications: Western, Eastern, and Southern. The western group features the majestic and main temples Kandariya Mahadev and Vishwanath temple. These temples in the Nagara style are where most of the famous erotic sculptures you’ll find. A handful of exquisitely crafted Jain temples are located in the Eastern Group. The Southern party has just two temples. They’re not that impressive, but they’re worth seeing. The temple of Dulhadeo is devoted to the form of the bridegroom of Shiva, while the temple of Chaturbhuj has an uncommon form of Vishnu as the presiding deity.
Every evening after sunset at the Western community of temples, a sound and light show in Hindi and English, narrated by the Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, is performed. Tickets may be bought from the counter there in advance.
Why all this Erotica?
It’s normal to ask, of course, why hundreds of pornographic sculptures have been created. They are very explicit, and also show animal-sex and group sex positions. What is noteworthy is that there are other temples in India (such as the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha) that have identical erotic sculptures dating back to the 9th-12th centuries, even though the Khajuraho temples have the maximum number of these sculptures.
There is no widely accepted explanation, however, as to why they remain! Some consider it to be auspicious, since on the temple walls there are even carvings of supernatural beings. Others view it as sex education, targeted at rekindling desire in the minds of individuals that at the time might have been affected by Buddhism. Another reason is taken from Hinduism, and the need before entering the temple to leave lust and desires outside. Some claim the sculptures are intended to illustrate how humans leave their animal and basic instincts behind, as they rise to more blissful and serene states of mind.
There is also , most definitely, a connection with the Tantra cult. The 64 Yogini Temple, the oldest temple in Khajuraho, is a Tantric temple devoted to 64 goddesses consuming demons’ blood. In India, there are only four temples of this type.
I personally believe that erotic art displayed on these temples have a very subtle hidden message for personal development – “From Sex to Salvation”. One can attain the higher state of consciousness to be one with the God through the physical satisfaction.
The Best of Khajuraho Temples
Some of the best maintained, most fascinating and most breathtaking sculptures in the Western Category of Temples are situated in peaceful, green gardens and are the only ones you have to pay an admission fee for. There is an audio guide available (sometimes) that helps you to walk the temples at your own speed while listening to the guide and learning about the background and purpose behind the temples
Highlights include the temple of Lakshmana- roam around the base to see some of the most explicit artwork of Khajuraho, including orgies and even a man being really close with a horse! Kandariya Mahadev is the biggest temple in Khajuraho where you can find the infamous handstand position. There are other temples beyond the Western Enclosure, including Matangesvara, the only one still in service, and the Chausath Yogini ruins that make a good place for sunset.
With naturalistic details of ornaments, jewellery, hairstyles and even manicured nails, the extraordinary talent of the artisans is noticeable throughout. The temples subtly shift colour as the day passes, passing from a warm pink at sunrise to white at midday and back to pink at sunset, to contribute to the charm of the whole outfit. They are highlighted throughout the nighttime by dramatic floodlights, and they shine bright while the moon is out.
For the exceptionally energetic and suggestive erotica that ornaments its three layers, covering almost every facet of the exterior, Kandariya Mahadeva is particularly popular with tourists. It is still likely to see admiring crowds in front of an especially fine picture of a couple locked in sexual intercourse with a maiden on either side assisting. It appears to contradict nature, with the male figure suspended upside down on his shoulders, one of Khajuraho’s most common motifs; only when seen from above the entangled limbs tend to make some sense.
The Erotic Temple Art
Ever after its’ rediscovery’ in February 1838, the conservative minds have been hypnotized by the unabashed erotica of Khajuraho. T.S. Burt, a young British Bengal Engineering Officer, had deviated from his official itinerary when he stumbled across the ancient temples, nearly covered by the forest all around.
Frank’s depictions of oral sex, masturbation and copulation with animals may have fitted into the thoughts of the Chandellas of the tenth century, however, as Burt relates, the approval of Queen Victoria’s upstanding officers was hardly calculated:
“I found… seven Hindu temples, very beautifully and exquisitely crafted in terms of workmanship, but at times the sculptor had enabled his topic to develop a little warmer than some utter need for his doing; yes, some of the sculptures here were extremely indecent and offensive… Nevertheless, the palki (palanquin) bearers seemed to take great pleasure in those, to point out.”
On the steps of the Vishvanatha temple, Burt found the inscription that helped historians to assign the site to the Chandellas and to compile their genealogy, but it was many years before Major-General Sir Alexander Cunningham created Khajuraho’s comprehensive plans, drawing the distinction between the ‘western’ and ‘eastern’ groups. All the sculptures Cunningham felt were “highly indecent, and most of them disgustingly obscene.”
Tantric cult of Divine Entertainment
Erotic photographs appear to be the topic of a disproportionate amount of speculation and discussion amongst researchers and interested visitors alike. The role of clarity is rendered more complicated by the fact that in their literature, even the Chandellas themselves scarcely listed the temples, and the very name “Khajuraho” could be inaccurate, taken literally from that of the nearby village.
Proposals of associations with tantric cults, which utilize sex as a central aspect of religion, have been among attempts to account for the erotic content of the carvings. Some assert that they were influenced by the Kama Sutra and were equally meant to act as a love manual, whereas others contend that the sculptures were intended to entertain the gods, divert their wrath and thereby shield the temples from natural calamities. Alternatively, as proof that each reflects a yantra, a pictorial version of a mantra, for use in meditation, the geometric qualities of such images have been placed forth.
Kandariya Mahadeva, Lakshmana and Vishvanatha, the sixteen wide panels portraying sexual union that appear along the northern and southern sides of the three major temples, are often concerned with the junction of the temples’ male and female elements, the mandapa and the garbha griha (the ‘womb’). Therefore, they may have been meant as a visual joke, drawn up through artistic liberty.
The Jain Group of Temples
Parsvanath’s temple, which occupies the Jain group’s walled enclosure, is possibly older than Khajuraho’s major temples, judging by its comparatively straightforward ground plan. Its sources remain a mystery; although formally listed as a Jain monument, it might have been a Hindu temple that was donated at a later date to the Jains who settled here. Certainly, on the two horizontal bands across the walls, the animated carving of Khajuraho’s other Hindu temples is well depicted, and the upper one is packed with Hindu gods in intimate positions.
Best Things to Do in Khajuraho
Temple Tour
A place that fills the heart and soul is Khajuraho. It is not only the artistic magic it presents, but the in-depth insight it gives on the rich cultural history of the lives of the citizens of the past. To feel and appreciate life in its real essence, visit Khajuraho.
Light & Sound Show
The Light and Sound show played by the Western Group of Temples is a sight to behold and cherish for a long time, among all the things to do in Khajuraho at night.
Panna National Park
A must-do day trip from Khajuraho is Panna National Park. The park includes Pench Tiger Reserve, the setting of The Jungle Book, the popular work of Rudyard Kipling. After taking a hit from poachers, the tiger population has recently rebounded to 40. Some of the rarest types of wildlife are housed in a common tiger reserve. In the Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, this park is located about 57 kilometers away from Khajuraho. It can best be explored by jeep safari, boat trip or elephant safari.
Khajuraho Dance Festival
Each year, in late February, a week-long classical dance festival takes place in Khajuraho. The festival, which has drawn crowds since 1975, exhibits the theme of classical dance from around India. It provides a captivating way of seeing Indian dance’s diverse classical forms, including Kathak, Bharat Natyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, and Kathakali. In the western community of temples, dances are held. At the event, a major arts and crafts fair also takes place.
Fort Ajaigarh
Among the region’s main attractions is Ajaigarh Fort. It stands alone in the district of Panna on a hilltop and is quickly reached from Khajuraho. This fort offers truly breathtaking views of Ken River. Not many people are aware of this fort, and it’s relatively abandoned. Remember that you’re going to need to do quite a bit of climbing and a guide is worth taking here
Museums
In Khajuraho, there are two archaeological museums; the old one is located in front of the Western Temple Community and is very small. Approximately 500 meters from the Western Group, the new museum is home to a strong selection of sculptures that help tell Khajuraho’s tale. It is possible to easily view the museums and give a good mid-day escape from the sun. With drawings, sculptures and other objects, there is also a Tribal and Folk Art Museum that offers a lively glimpse into the region’s tribal cultures.
Fort Kalinjar
Mentioned among the eight forts of the Chandela kings, on a flat-topped rocky hill of the Vindhyanchal Mountain Range, the Kalinjar Fort rests above the plains. In fine artwork, sculptures and stone images, tourists can find the mark of each king who governed the fort.
Raneh Falls
These falls with breathtaking rock formations are situated some 20 km from Khajuraho, providing an abode for nature lovers in a picturesque environment surrounded by lush woods. During the rainy season, the place can be visited to appreciate the view it has to give of waterfalls gushing through the rocks in different sizes. Sunset here is better observed.
Pandav Falls
Pandav waterfalls are concealed behind the drapes of Panna National Park, falling from a height of 30 meters. There is a pond below the waterfall, created by a steep gorge that stores all the water from the waterfall.
Mastani Mahal Ruins
In Madhya Pradesh, Mastani Mahal is located in the Dhubela district situated 60 km away from Khajuraho. The Mastani mahal was established in 1969 by Maharaja Chhatrasal for a dancer whose name was Mastani.
Beni Sagar Dam
Spread over an area of roughly 7.7 sq. Km., Beni Sagar Dam gives tourists what only a few places can give – the peace and serenity.
Where to Stay in Khajuraho
Khajuraho has many options suiting every budget – from hostels to homestays and luxury hotels, you have it all.
Where to Eat in Khajuraho
Outside of the hotels, Khajuraho has minimal dining choices. The most reliable of these are the Raja Café and the Maharaja Restaurant.
Raja café is popular for its continental and European offerings such as pizzas, pastas, brownies, and sandwiches, with its leafy courtyard, al-fresco seating, and ideal venue. On the other side, Maharaja Restaurant is better adapted to simple North Indian cuisine. Both are found within a few steps of each other in the main square.
Where to Shop in Khajuraho
Khajuraho is a remote town with no high streets, shopping malls or labels. However, what it does have are many tiny art shops that offer locally produced trinkets, souvenirs, figurines, and replicas of the erotic statues for which the temple city is renowned.
The MP State Emporium, Mrignayani, where you can be assured of service and costs, is the best spot to shop here.
Be prepared to negotiate if you enjoy shopping at the nearby stalls in the market square near the Western group of temples.
The charm of the statuary remains undiminished by the passage of time, whatever the true message behind the temples of Khajuraho.
Also Read: Sun Temple Konark – See It Now Before It’s Gone Forever
