Khajuraho is one of the most famous tourists destinations in India, located at Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The temple town is 620 Kms southeast of national capital Delhi. The name of the place was derived from the Hindi word Khajur meaning Date palm.Khajuraho was the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs, who ruled here from the 10th century to 12th century. Khajuraho is popular for several Hindu Temples of medieval period, built between 950 A.D to 1050 A.D.Originally there were about 85 temples, of which only 22 stand now,scattered over an area of about 21 square Kms. The sculptures on these temples are highly sensual and erotic that depict human emotions and relationships. The ancient monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which makes it the most visited place in India.
Architecture :
Khajuraho temples are perfect example of Indian architecture, adhereto North Indian Nagara style and to a Panchayatana plan. The whole area of the temples was surrounded by a wall, with eight gateways flanked by two golden palm trees. The temples are dedicated to the Jain panthe on and Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and various Devi forms. Khajuraho temples were built in coarse granite, grained buff, pink and pale yellow sand stone. The temples of Khajuraho can be divided into three major groups - Western, Eastern and Southern. The Western Group of temples include the Kandariya Mahadeva, Jagadambika Temple, Chitragupta Temple and Lakshmana Temple. The Eastern Group of temples comprises of the Brahma Temple, Vamana Temple and Javari Temple and Jain shrines like the Ghantai Temple, Adinath Temple and Parsvanath Temple. The Southern Group of temples include the Duladeo Temple and the Chaturbhuja Temple.
Attraction in and around Khajuraho :
»Khajuraho Dance festival - Khajuraho dance festival, held every year in February - March for a period of one week. The one week long festival showcases various classical Indian dance such as Kathak, Bharat Natyam,Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali. Modern Indian dances alsoperformed during the festival. Every evening, two accomplished artists perform in the open-air auditorium against the backdrop of magnificently littemples. The dance festival presents a perfect blend of past and present together.
» Panna National Park - The national park issituated at a distance of 57 km from Khajuraho. Panna is famous worldwidefor its diamonds and equally for the national park. The Tiger reserve of thecountry, provides shelter to wildlife species like wild cats, deer andantelope. Due to its closeness to Khajuraho, the park is a major touristattraction. The climate of this region is tropical, summers are too hot andvery uncomfortable, so the best time to visit the park is November to April.
» Bandhavgarh National Park - Located at a distance of 250 Kms, once the park was hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Rewa. Bandhavgarh was declared a National Park in 1968, it covers an area about 450 square Kms. The park is covered densely by Sal trees, Bamboo trees and grasslands. The famous white tigers of Rewa were discovered here. Thepark is the home of several wildlife species, that include Tigers,Chousingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild boar, Foxes, Jackals, Jungle cat, Hyena,Black-faced langur, Varieties of deer and over 250 species of birds. Best time to visit the park is November to June.
Accessibility :
Khajuraho is well-connected with Roads, Railways and Airways of the country. Khajuraho is 395 Kms. from Agra, 210 Kms. from Jabalpur,117 Kms from Satna, 172 Kms. from Jhansi, 350 Kms from Bhopal, 280 Kms. from Gwalior and 480 Kms. from Indore.
» By Road - Direct bus services connect Khajuraho with major cities of Madhya Pradesh. The town is connected by regular buses with Mahoba 63 Kms., Harpalpur 94 Kms., Satna 117 Kms. and Jhansi 172 Kms.
» By Rail - There in no any direct train to reach Khajuraho. The nearest railway stations are Harpalpur, 94 Kms and Mahoba 63Kms. Jhansi 172 Kms is the convenient railway station for travellers ofDelhi and other cities of North India. Satna 117 Kms on the Mumbai-Allahabad railway line is convenient for those coming from Mumbai, Calcutta and Varanasi.
» By Air - Daily return flight of Indian Airlines links Khajuraho with Delhi (35 minutes), Agra (40 minutes) and Varanasi (45minutes). Jet Airways also operates flight from Delhi.
Accommodation :
The city is dotted with many hotels and resorts, which offer various accommodation choices. Most of the hotels are in close vicinity of the tourist attractions of Khajuraho. The main hotels of the town include Hotel Jass Trident (5 Star Hotel), Hotel Taj Chandela (5 Star Deluxe), Hotel Holiday Inn (4 Star Hotel), Hotel Clarks Khajuraho (3 Star Hotel), Hotel Grand Temple View (3 Star Hotel), Hotel Usha Bundela (3 Star Hotel) and Hotel Jhankar Khajurao.
Suitable Time to Visit :
As the Summer season is too hot, so winter is a good time to visit. The best time to visit is October to April, as in March the famous Annual Dance Festival held.
