Ms Sarah Welch · File:0121821 Kandariya Mahadeva temple, Khajurajo 001.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) · cropped and resized · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:0121821_Kandariya_Mahadeva_temple,_Khajurajo_001.jpg
Khajuraho
A small town in Madhya Pradesh known for its Chandela-era temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with carved Western, Eastern and Southern groups and seasonal winter flights.
A temple town of the Chandelas
Khajuraho is a small town in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, known for a group of Hindu and Jain temples built by the Chandela dynasty. The Government of India's tourism site places the Chandela capital in the ninth to twelfth centuries, and MP Tourism says the temples were built between about 950 and 1050. Tradition speaks of 85 temples spread across the area, and official pages disagree on how many survive: some say about 20, others about 25, so we say between 20 and 25. The temples are grouped as the Western, Eastern and Southern groups. The Western Group is the best known, with Kandariya Mahadeva, a Shiva temple whose tower rises above its platform, and it stands near the archaeological museum. The carving covers gods and goddesses, musicians, dancers, animals and scenes of daily life. MP Tourism says that erotic sculptures make up about a tenth of the total, a point we give as the department's figure, not as a count of our own. The temples fell out of notice for centuries and MP Tourism says they were rediscovered in the 1850s. Khajuraho is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; we could not read UNESCO's own page, so we give no year. This page sets out what we could confirm from official sources, marks what rests on other reports, and says what to check before you go.
Explore Khajuraho on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What a visit holds
A visit centres on the three groups of temples, with time for the museum and the town.
🛕 The Western Group
- The Government of India's tourism site counts twelve temples in the Western Group, including Kandariya Mahadeva, the tallest of the group, with a tower of more than 30 metres
- The carved bands wrap around the temple walls and show gods, apsaras, musicians and scenes of daily life, and the sculptures number in the hundreds
- Lakshmana, dedicated to Vishnu, and Vishvanatha, dedicated to Shiva, also stand in this group, and the archaeological museum is close by
🏯 The Eastern Group
- The Eastern Group includes Hindu temples such as the Vamana temple and Jain temples, and the tourism site counts three Hindu and four Jain temples
- The ASI's Jabalpur circle describes the Parsvanatha temple as one of the finest at Khajuraho and the largest of the Jain temples
- The group lies among the old village lanes, so allow time for walking between them
🌾 The Southern Group and the town
- The Southern Group includes the Duladeo temple, dedicated to Shiva, and the Chaturbhuj temple, dedicated to Vishnu, according to secondary sources
- The town itself is small, with craft shops and eating places around the Western Group
- Incredible India lists the Khajuraho Dance Festival for 20 to 26 February 2027, at the Western Group of Temples
How a visit can run
The Western Group
Spend the first morning at the Western Group, with Kandariya Mahadeva, Lakshmana and Vishvanatha, and visit the archaeological museum nearby. Allow time to walk round each temple slowly.
The Eastern Group
Visit the Eastern Group, with the Hindu temples and the Jain temples, including Parsvanatha, then walk through the village lanes between them. Check which temples are open before you set out.
The Southern Group or an outing
See the Southern Group, with Duladeo and Chaturbhuj, or take an outing to Panna or Orchha. Confirm the route and the journey time before you leave.
Getting there and around
Khajuraho has its own airport and a railway station, and the roads connect it to the main towns, so check each leg before you set out.
By air
- Air India announced daily seasonal winter flights from 25 October 2026 linking Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi, according to its own press release
- The Chhatarpur district page lists the airport (HJR) as serving Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai
- We state no flight numbers or times, because schedules change
By rail and road
- The Chhatarpur district page lists railway stations at Khajuraho and at Chhatarpur, and a road from Bhopal on National Highway 86
- Jhansi lies about 175 km northwest, according to the district page
- Ask your transport provider for the current journey time on the road you plan to take
In and around the town
- The Western, Eastern and Southern groups lie in different parts of the town
- Ask your lodging about the usual ways to move between them, and agree fares in advance
- Confirm the route and the journey time for any outing to Panna or Orchha
What to know before you go
Six points shape a visit to Khajuraho.
Tradition says there were 85 temples. The Government of India's tourism site says about 20 survive, while MP Tourism's text and the Chhatarpur district page say about 25. We give the range and no more. Individual temples may be closed for conservation, so check before you plan a day around one.
MP Tourism says erotic sculptures are about a tenth of the carving, and the rest shows gods, goddesses, musicians, animals and daily life. Official sources count the Western Group's sculptures differently, so we say hundreds. Ask before photographing people, and note that some places restrict photography.
Air India announced daily flights from 25 October 2026 in its winter schedule, linking Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi on a triangular circuit, with the order changing by day of the week. The airline lists flight numbers and times, but we state none, because schedules change. The Chhatarpur district page lists the airport (HJR) as serving Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai. Check the airline's current schedule before you book.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held at the Western Group of Temples. Incredible India, citing Madhya Pradesh Tourism, lists the 2027 festival for 20 to 26 February. Dates and arrangements can change, so if they matter to your plan, confirm them with MP Tourism before you book rooms or travel.
The Chhatarpur district page places Khajuraho about 175 km southeast of Jhansi, with railway stations at Khajuraho and at Chhatarpur and a road from Bhopal on National Highway 86. Journey times vary with traffic and road works, so ask your transport provider and allow a margin.
Sources give different dates for individual temples, so we use broad periods and name only Kandariya Mahadeva, which MP Tourism dates to 1025 to 1050. The tourism sites are promotional, and we use only their facts, in approximate wording, with no fees, times or prices.
Choosing where to base yourself
Khajuraho is small, and the temples are close to the town, so the choice is mostly about quiet and about how you arrive. We do not name properties.
Near the Western Group
- Staying near the Western Group puts the best-known temples and the archaeological museum within a short walk or ride
- Ask how far the place is from the temple gates at the hour you plan to start
- Evenings are quiet, so ask what the place can arrange for dinner
Further from the centre
- Larger lodgings and quieter stays lie a little further out
- Confirm how you will get to the temples each day and whether the place helps with transport
- Ask whether the place has a connection to the town in the evening
Before you book
- Book early for the dance festival, which Incredible India lists for 20 to 26 February 2027, and in the cooler months when most visitors come
- Seasonal flights change what time you can arrive, so confirm check-in arrangements for your flight
- If you come by train, ask how the station connects with the town
Practical notes
A few details that keep a visit simple.
At the temples
- Dress modestly at the temples that are in use for worship and be ready to take off shoes
- Wear comfortable shoes, because the groups are spread across open ground and the stone can be hot in the middle of the day
- Carry water, a hat and sun protection in the hotter months
Getting about
- The three groups lie in different parts of the town, so agree how you will move between them
- Agree a fare in advance or insist on the meter for any local transport
- Ask your lodging how long a journey will take at the hour you will make it
Before you go
- Check the airline's current schedule, because the flights are seasonal
- Check whether any temple is closed for conservation on your dates
- Carry small notes and the identity documents you travelled on
Close by
Places around Khajuraho and in Madhya Pradesh.
Frequently asked
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