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It began with a love for India's past
It began with a love for India's past
Mr. Avinash Tiwari has always been fascinated by the art, architecture and civilisation of India. In 1977, that fascination led him to begin collecting antiques in Khajuraho.
But collecting also meant buying and selling, and it was through this work that he began meeting travellers from around the world. Among them, he found a particularly strong connection with visitors from Japan.
Unforgettable days exploring Japan in the 1980s.
Friendships that grew over time
Friendships that grew over time
The Japanese travellers he met were not simply customers. Mr. Tiwari would often sit with them for hours, talking about one subject after another. Over time, conversations became friendships and friendships became lasting connections.
He learned to speak Japanese naturally through these encounters. Although he never learned to read or write Japanese, he became remarkably fluent in conversation—something that came simply from spending so much time with Japanese friends over the years.
Avinash with his longtime friend Shinchan
One of many lasting friendships
One of many lasting friendships
Among the Japanese travellers Mr. Tiwari met in the late 1970s was Shin-ichi Muramatsu, whom he affectionately remembers as Shinchan.
Shinchan was travelling with his parents, and they could not understand each other. Mr. Tiwari already knew some Japanese and was able to help them. What followed was the beginning of a very close friendship.
Decades later, they are still in touch.
A full winter in Japan—standing outside Furuki Store (Furuki Shoten) in deep snow.
A journey to Japan
A journey to Japan
In the early 1980s, Mr. Avinash Tiwari made his first journey to Japan. Over the years, he returned four more times, visiting Japan five times in total. Each stay lasted roughly three months, and he was welcomed into the homes of friends he had made through his years of meeting Japanese travellers.
The warmth and hospitality he experienced in Japan left a lasting impression on him. His last visit was in 1998, but the friendships he made there have remained an important part of his life.
From a place for friends to a hotel
From a place for friends to a hotel
When Mr. Tiwari returned to Khajuraho after his early visits to Japan, he wanted to have a place where his friends could stay whenever they came to India.
So he had a small place built beside the lake, with a few rooms, a kitchen and a spacious terrace where friends could stay, sit together and enjoy their time in Khajuraho.
At first, it was simply a place for friends and friends of friends. But as more travellers came and the place became increasingly difficult to maintain in this way, it gradually evolved into a hotel.
Hotel Lakeside began in 1988.
A home for travellers
A home for travellers
What began as a place for friends slowly became something more.
In 1988, the place became Hotel Lakeside, welcoming travellers from India and from around the world. Over the years, countless people have stayed with us, shared meals and conversations, explored Khajuraho, and left with memories of their time here.
The hotel has grown since those early days, but the feeling behind it has remained the same: making people feel welcome, comfortable and at home.
Visiting local shrines together—experiencing traditional Japan
The same spirit, after all these years
The same spirit, after all these years
Today, Hotel Lakeside has around 20 rooms, a natural garden, a spacious terrace and the lake just in front of the property. The Western Group of Temples is only a short walk away.
But for us, the most important part of the hotel is something that cannot be measured in rooms or facilities.
It is the feeling of welcoming people into a place with a story—and treating them as guests rather than customers.
That is the spirit with which Hotel Lakeside began, and it is the spirit we hope you experience when you stay with us.
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