Stay duration in Khajuraho?

I need either an idea of how many days I should stay in Khajuraho to see and visit all of the temples and other attractions or would like someone to provide me with an itinerary, which would cover all the temples and attractions. I don't have a limit to the amount of days I can stay, so if possible I would like to cover everything which is there to see.
I would also like to know to more about the place, whether it is more of a traditional or modern place.

 

The temples are really the main attraction of Khajuraho and in order to see the temples two full days would be enough. Any less time than this you would have to rush to see things which you would not enjoy.

 

I would also suggest two days for Khajuraho at least. If you like taking lots of pictures then extend it further because the amount of pictures you can take there is enormous. I hear people talk about lot about Orchha but I have not been there so cannot comment on that.

 

A lot of people go to Khajuraho mainly to see the temples and take pictures, but some temples do not allow photography now, so be prepared to be told not to take your camera inside the temple.

 

Found out today that there is a Southern set of temples as well, so you would need to make your trip duration for three days now.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Typically, the whole Khajuraho Temples can be visited in a whole day. If you'd like to visit the village of Khajuraho itself, you can add in another day. Other destinations nearby Khajuraho would be Orchha and Bandhavgarh. You'd need to add in another two days for these destinations. A possible itinerary for you would be:

Itinerary for Khajuraho

Day 1 - Arrive in Khajuraho. Check in at your hotel and proceed to visit the following attractions:

• Benisagar Lake - This is about 7 kms away from Khajuraho's city centre. It is also very near the Khuda River. You can enjoy a picnic in here or ride a boat to tour the entire lake.

• Rajgarh Palace and Museum - This is just 20 kms away from the city of Khajuraho. This was built by King Shatrujit Bundela. Now, it's a heritage hotel and a museum. The museum holds some important archeological and cultural items.

• Panna National Park - This is your last attraction for the day. This is about 30 minutes away from Khajuraho. There are about four tigers in the national park at the present time. Aside from animals like leopards and sloth bears, various species of birds can also be found in the park.

Return to the hotel and rest for the night.

Day 2 - Have an early breakfast and proceed to the Khajuraho Temples. You have the whole day to explore the temples.

The Khajuraho Group of Monuments were built from the 9th to 12th Century during the reign of the Chandela Dynasty. About 85 temples were built then but only 20 were able to survive due to harsh weather conditions. These are the different temples:

Western Group of Temples (Entry Fee of Rs. 10)

• Lakshmana Temple - This is the best preserved one out of all the temples in Khajuraho. This temple alone took about 20 years to complete. It was completed during the reign of Dhanga. Although this temple is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu, you can find a variety of sculptures in here. Battle and hunting scenes, festivals, deities, ceremonies and even couples are just some of the sculptures you might see here.

• Kandariya Mahadeva Temple - This is the biggest temple in the complex. It is a temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva, as you can see from its structure, like a range of mountains reaching to the sky or the Shiva. You can find figures of other deities in here as well, primarily of Shiva. Besides the deities are sculptures of women engaged in day to day activities.

• Devi Jagdambi Temple - This is a smaller temple beside the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple. Despite that, the sculptures here are quite intricate. Various figures of women can also be found here, some are putting on makeup or looking at herself in the mirror. In the darker parts of the temple, you'll find sculptures of lovers embracing or in other positions.

• Chausat Yogini Temple - This temple is dedicated to the 64 Yoginis who are manifestations of the Mother Goddess. There are small shrines in the temple dedicated to the Mother Goddess. This is also the only granite temple out of all the temples in the complex.

• Chitragupta Temple - This temple is dedicated to the Vishnu and Sun God. There's an image of Lord Vishnu in his form with 10 heads in the temple as well.

• Matangeshwar Temple - This is probably the simplest of the temples in the complex. However, there's a polished lingam of about eight feet in here.

• Varaha Temple - The Varaha is the the boar incarnation of Vishnu. The Varaha Temple is an open pavilion dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. At the top, you'll see the lotus ceiling of the temple.

• Vishwanath Temple - This temple is dedicated to the Lord Shiva riding a Nandi. It is said that the carvings here are the finest of all the temples in the Western part.

Eastern Group of Temples

• Javari Temple - The name of the temple is said to have been derived from the former owner of the land. You would find its exterior walls lined with sculptures like the other temples.

• Vamana Temple - This is a temple dedicated to Vamana, an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu into a dwarf. Like with the other temples, this is also filled with sculptures of animals, women and mythical figures.

• Brahma Temple - The roof of this temple is shaped like a mandap pyramid with an image of the Lord Shiva and his five manifestations. It's not clear whether this temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Lord Shiva though.

• Hanuman Temple - There's a statue of Hanuman or The Monkey God in the temple, it's about eight feet in height.

Jain Group of Temples

• Adinath Temple - This temple is dedicated to the Jain Saint, Adinath. You would see sculptures of court musicians in the walls of the temple.

• Parsvanath Temple - Unlike the other temples, this temple was built on a low platform so it's easy to see its sculptures. There's also an inscription here dating as far back as the 954 AD.

• Ghantai Temple - Its name came from its carved bells and chains in the pillar. Much of the temple is in ruins now though.

Southern Group of Temples

• Dulhadev Temple - In its exterior walls, you'd see images of the Divine Bridegroom and his consort. Celestial musicians, deities, lovers, couples are just some of the sculptures you can see here. Perhaps what is most unique about the sculptures here is that they wear more jewellery than the sculptures in the other temples.

• Beejamandal Temple - There's not much information about this temple because it is mostly in ruins and there's not many artefacts excavated here. However, it is longer than the Kandariya Temple in diameter.

• Jatkari Temple - This is the only temple that faces the west. It's placed lastly here so you can witness the sunset in this temple at the end of your journey. The ornamental doorway and figure in the sanctum is quite beautiful, some days it looks like the combination of deities Hari and Hara. As the sunset sheds some light in the figure, it's as if it comes alive.

You can then view the light and sound show at the Western part of the temples. It is conducted every night for an entry fee of Rs. 100 for Indians and Rs. 400 for foreigners.

Rest for the night.

Day 3 - Have breakfast and explore other areas or markets in Khajuraho. You can then depart to go back to your city.

I hope this helps!

 

Although the number of days mentioned is sufficient for staying in Khajuraho, I would actually extend the number of days to 4 days. The reason for this is that if for any reason the weather turns out to be bad, it would actually shorten the number of temples you can see or you may not be able to visit any temples. Sightseeing when it is raining is one of the worst things to do. You also mentioned that there is no limit to the number of days you can stay, so its best to be safe and make it a four-day trip.

 

It is best to have a single day trip and also the accommodation facilities around are pretty limited. If you are able to reach there by 9am in the morning, by 6pm you would be able to finish your entire tour. Also, from the nearby cities you would be able to easily get such a tour which would finish on the same day and allow you to return as well.

It would be somewhat hectic but would save you an entire day while traveling. I had explored the place in the same way and hence know that it is the best option instead of staying.