Top things to see and do in Khajuraho
Kandariya Mahadev Temple (Western Group). The masterpiece of Khajuraho and the largest, tallest and most richly decorated of all the temples. Dedicated to Lord Shiva and built around 1025–1050 CE at the height of Chandela power, it is the fullest expression of the Nagara style — a soaring central spire (shikhara) surrounded by a cascade of smaller replica spires, the whole composition rising like a stylised mountain. Its walls carry hundreds of finely worked figures in tiered bands: gods, celestial maidens (apsaras and surasundaris), mithuna couples and mythological scenes, all executed with a fluency that has never been surpassed in Indian temple sculpture. Give it time and, if you can, a guide, because the iconography rewards explanation.
Lakshmana Temple (Western Group). One of the oldest completely preserved temples in the group, dedicated to Vishnu and consecrated in the mid-10th century under the Chandela king Yashovarman. It is celebrated for the completeness of its sculptural programme — the base friezes are a particular treasure, packed with scenes of processions, hunts, warfare, music, dance and daily life that amount to a documentary of medieval society, alongside the divine and erotic figures higher up. Its subsidiary shrines at the four corners make it a fine example of the fully evolved panchayatana (five-shrine) temple plan.
Vishwanath Temple and the Nandi shrine (Western Group). A large, elegant Shiva temple built by the Chandela king Dhanga around the turn of the 11th century, facing a separate pavilion that houses a beautifully carved monolithic Nandi, Shiva's bull mount. The Vishwanath is admired for the grace of its female figures — musicians, dancers and women shown in absorbing everyday attitudes — and, together with the Kandariya Mahadev and Lakshmana, forms the architectural high point of the Western enclosure.
Chitragupta Temple (Western Group). Unusually for Khajuraho, this temple is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God, and its sanctum holds an image of the deity driving a chariot. It is the only prominent sun temple in the group and repays a close look for that reason alone, its exterior carved with the same rich vocabulary of celestial and courtly figures as its neighbours. Nearby stand the Devi Jagadambi temple, admired for some of the most sensitive erotic and divine sculpture in Khajuraho, and the monolithic Varaha shrine, a large stone boar (an avatar of Vishnu) covered in miniature figures.
Matangeshwara Temple (Western Group precinct). Standing just outside the ticketed enclosure, this is the one Chandela-era temple at Khajuraho that remains a living place of worship, with daily rituals and a tall lingam at its centre. Because it is an active temple rather than a monument, entry is free and it functions quite differently from the museum-piece shrines beside it — a reminder that these were built as working places of devotion. It is busiest around Mahashivratri, when a large fair and celebration of Shiva's marriage draws big crowds. Dress modestly and remove your shoes before entering.
Chausath Yogini Temple (Western Group area). The oldest surviving structure at Khajuraho, built of coarse granite rather than the fine sandstone of the later temples and dated to the late 9th century. Dedicated to the sixty-four yoginis (its name means "sixty-four"), it is a ruined, open, rectangular arrangement of small shrine cells, quite unlike anything else here. It is austere and much visited less than the great temples, but historically important as the seed from which the later flowering grew.
Parsvanath and the Eastern (Jain) Group. East of the Western enclosure, near the old village, stands the finest cluster of Jain temples, of which Parsvanath is the largest and most accomplished — possibly among the earliest of the developed temples here, and carved with some of the most exquisite figure sculpture in all of Khajuraho, including celebrated depictions of women at everyday tasks. The neighbouring Adinath temple and the older Ghantai temple (named for its bell-and-chain motifs) complete the Jain grouping, alongside Hindu shrines such as the Brahma, Vamana and Javari temples scattered nearby. The Jain temples remain in worship and are maintained by the Jain community.
Duladeo and Chaturbhuj (Southern Group). The most scattered and least crowded of the three groups. The Duladeo Temple, dedicated to Shiva and among the latest built (roughly the 12th century), is noted for the ornate, almost jewel-like treatment of its figures, especially its apsaras. The Chaturbhuj Temple is unusual on two counts: it enshrines a large, striking four-armed image of Vishnu (chaturbhuj means "four-armed"), and it is almost entirely free of erotic carving, giving it a serene, contemplative character. It is also one of the few temples oriented to catch the light of the setting rather than the rising sun.
Archaeological Museum (ASI). Close to the Western Group, this compact museum houses a superb collection of sculptures recovered from the site — pieces that have fallen from the temples or been excavated nearby — displayed at eye level so you can study the carving up close in a way the temple walls rarely allow. It is an excellent complement to the monuments and helps make sense of the iconography. It is typically open around 9 am to 5 pm and closed on Fridays; entry is inexpensive for Indian visitors and higher for foreign tourists, and the Western Group ticket has generally also covered museum entry — verify current fees and timings before visiting.
Sound and Light Show. Each evening the Western Group hosts a son et lumière show that traces the story of the Chandelas and the building of the temples, with the illuminated shrines as a backdrop. It runs in two sittings — one in Hindi and one in English (the English narration is voiced by the actor Amitabh Bachchan) — with start times shifting by season (earlier in winter, later in summer) and a running time of roughly fifty minutes. Tickets are modest, higher for foreign visitors than Indians. It is a relaxed, atmospheric way to close a day of sightseeing; confirm the evening's timings and language slots locally, as they change with the season.