Khajuraho
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Khajuraho Group Of Monuments (1986); Monument Of National Importance Under The Archaeological Survey Of India · Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
A group of Hindu and Jain temples built by the Chandela dynasty roughly between 950 and 1050, in what is now rural Madhya Pradesh, and a World Heritage Site. Of perhaps eighty-five temples, around twenty-five survive, clustered in western, eastern and southern groups around a small village. Their fame comes from their sculpture: thousands of figures of gods, dancers, musicians, warriors and animals carved in sandstone, and a small proportion of explicit erotic scenes that gave the site its reputation and that most visitors find are a minor part of it. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple in the Western Group, its towers rising like a mountain range, is the finest. The temples were left largely undisturbed because the area was remote, which is still true: Khajuraho is well off the main routes, with a small airport, limited trains, and a slower pace than anywhere in the Golden Triangle. The Western Group is ticketed and fenced in a lawned park; the Eastern Jain temples are still in worship. Panna Tiger Reserve is close by, and the dance festival in February is held against the temples.
Western Group of Temples, Rajnagar Road, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, 471606, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED AND ALL TIMES MUST BE CONFIRMED. The typical pattern: the ticketed Western Group opens at sunrise and closes at sunset every day, with last entry about half an hour before closing. The sound and light show runs in the evening with separate English and Hindi slots. The Eastern and Southern groups are open in daylight, with the working temples closing for a midday break. ASI site museums typically close one day a week, often Friday. Panna Tiger Reserve runs morning and afternoon safaris and closes for the monsoon, roughly July to September. The traps: arriving at midday in the heat, and missing the few flights or trains out of this remote town.