Khajuraho Tour

There are few things in the world,which are beyond compare and certain things that inspired human emotions to give an outlet to his spiritual and physical love. The erotic images of Khajuraho are the expressions of these human inner feelings. Every facade-wall, window, pillar, and ceiling of Khajuraho is carved with figures of mythical and historical origins, and while many of these depict the innocent form of love on these walls. Forgotten and unvisited until the mid-1960s, Khajuraho is now, after the Taj, India's biggest single tourist attraction.

Khajuraho temples in Madhya Pradesh, has the largest group of medieval temples each studded with countless sculptures of extraordinary grace and delicacy. The temples of Khajuraho are indeed, celebrations of the stylized and refined courtly accomplishments of beauty, love and creative arts. Khajuraho temples lies about 385 miles (616 kilometers) southeast of Delhi.

In the temple architecture of India, the Khajuraho complex remains unique. The architectural beauty of the exquisite sculptures at Khajuraho temples are unlike any other in India and today they are an enigma for art historians.

The temples at Khajuraho are divided into three broad groups:
1. The Western Group, which is the largest, compact and centrally located group in Khajuraho, includes some of the most prominent monuments, built by the Chandela rulers.
2. The Eastern Group, which comprises of five detached sub-groups in and around the present village of Khajuraho, and
3. The Southern Group, which is the most distant one comprising of two main monuments near and across the Khudarnala.

The Western Group of Temples
The western group of temples, which the visitor encounters, first, is situated along the main approach road to Khajuraho. This is the largest and most important group with most of its constituent temples laid out roughly in two rows. The Lakshmana Temple, the Matangesvara Temple and the Varaha Temple form one complex and the Visvanatha and Nandi temples are not far from this complex. These temples form an irregular row running north-south, while the Chitragupta, Jagadambi and the Kandariya Mahadeva temples form a more regular, parallel row, about a furlong to their west.

The western group of monuments is best maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India amidst a setting of green lawns, colourful shrubs and flowerbeds. Admission to its enclosure is regulated by a ticket of small denomination, valid from sunrise to sunset. The monuments of the group face east and are arranged in two rough alignments, running north south.

The Eastern Group of Temples
The eastern group of monuments, situated in close proximity to the Khajuraho village, includes three Brahmanical temples known as Brahma, Vamana and Javari and three Jain temples, the Ghantai, Adinath and Parsvanath. The Brahmanical temples are located along or near the Khajuraho-Sagar, while the Jain temples are situated farther south and are conveniently approached by a metalled road.

The Southern Group of Temples
The southern group of monuments comprises the Duladeo and the Chaturbhuja temples. The Duladeo is about a kilometre south of the Khajuraho village and half a mile southwest of the Jain group of temples. The Chaturbhuja Temple is a mile further south and is close to the Khajuraho airport.

Temples of Khajuraho are the biggest pulling factors around, but there are other tourist attractions around like Ranesh Falls, Bhandavgarh, Panna and Kanha National Park for you to travel.

By Air:
Regular Alliance Air (a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian Airlines) flights link Khajuraho with Delhi, Agra and Varanasi. Flying from Delhi to Agra takes 35 minutes and from Agra to Khajuraho, it takes 40 minutes. From Varanasi to Khajuraho, it's a 45 minutes flight. Indian Airlines Office is at Hotel Clarks Bundela, Khajuraho.

By Rail:
There is no direct train to Khajuraho. The most convenient station is Jhansi, which is linked to Delhi and other major northern cities. Satna is another convenient railway head.
The nearest railheads are Harpalpur (94 km) and Mahoba (61 km). Jhansi is a convenient railhead for those travelling from Delhi and Chennai, Satna, on the Mumbai-Allahabad line of Central Railway for those coming from Mumbai, Calcutta and Varanasi.

The Superfast Shatabdi Express train from Delhi to Jhansi takes four hours approximately. From Jhansi Railway station, a number of buses and taxis ply to Khajuraho. The journey of 175 kilometres takes approximately four hours. Satna is on the Bombay to Allahabad line of the Central Railways and is a convenient railhead from Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Varanasi. From Satna station taxis ply to Khajuraho, 117 kilometres away.

By Road:
Khajuraho is connected by regular buses with Satna, Harpalpur, Jhansi and Mahoba. Khajuraho is 391 km from Agra, 117 km from Satna, 176 km from Jhansi, 350 km from Bhopal, 280 km from Gwalior, 480 km from Indore, 210 km from Jabalpur.