09 Khajuraho

MP Tour

Khajuraho is a World Heritage Site. It was once the capital of Chandela kingdom. The Chandelas built these temples in a creative century between 950 to 1050 AD, in a remote location; which perhaps helped it survive the Muslim onslaught. This page covers the temples and sculptures of the Western Group of Temples.

12th December 2005

I drove out at 7:10 am from my Hotel in Bhedaghat, near Jabalpur, and headed north on NH-7. Passed Sihora, Katni, and then left NH-7 and headed west joining NH-75 at Nagod and then on to Panna and beyond crossing Ken river and then turning right at some place (?) to head north to Khajuraho.

I reached Khajuraho market area at 3:00 pm and found an ok hotel on th main road just opposite the Shiv Sagar lake. Hotel Gautama room costing Rs 330 per day was ok.

After lunch set out to explore Khajuraho and had a quick look at the Western Group of Temples.

Lakshmana Temple

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After a 2-hour amazing overview tour of Western Group of Temples, it was getting dark and so decided to do a detailed round tomorrow.

In the evening attended an open-air dance drama show by Lokranjan Performers on the grounds behind my hotel. There was an exhibition too on the fair-grounds showing local art, paintings and handicrafts

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Kalinjar Art ... at Khajuraho Paintings Exhibition

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13th December 2005 : Morning

Today spent another 4 hrs, from 7:30 - 11:30 am, in the Western Group of Temples with a rental Audio Guide (Rs 50/-) for detailed explanations of the sculptures. The Khajuraho sculptures are truly amazing and I had no idea that this place would be so wonderful. Its a well deserved status "World Heritage Site" for Khajuraho Temples!

More pictures from the West group is depicted in this page and includes some of the erotic ones too.

Lakshmanan Temple ... Western Group

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Kalinjar Art ... at a Paintings Exhibition

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Khajuraho sunrise ... from my hotel balcony. The Open ground and stage where last evening's Dance-Drama performance was held

By 11:30am kind of completed the west group, came out had lunch and checked emails at a cybercafé and then by 12:30pm drove to Eastern Group of Temples.