City of Khajuraho

Khajuraho is a small town in the heart of Madhya Pradesh that holds one of the most extraordinary collections of medieval temple architecture in the world. Built by the Chandela dynasty roughly a thousand years ago, the temples were later abandoned to the surrounding forest and rediscovered centuries afterwards, remarkably well preserved. Today the site is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage treasure.

The temples are celebrated for their breathtaking sculpture, with thousands of figures carved into honey-coloured sandstone. While the sensuous, intricately detailed images draw the most attention, they form only a fraction of the whole, set among gods, dancers, musicians, warriors and scenes of everyday life that together create a vivid stone portrait of an entire civilisation.

The Western Group of temples is the most visited and finest, with the soaring Kandariya Mahadeva temple as its masterpiece, its tiered spires rising like a sacred mountain. The quieter Eastern and Southern groups, including elegant Jain temples, reward those who linger and offer a more contemplative, crowd-free atmosphere.

An evening sound-and-light show brings the history of the Chandela kings to life across the floodlit Western Group. Beyond the monuments, the surrounding countryside is gentle and rural, and Khajuraho sits within reach of the wildlife reserves of central India, making it a natural pause on a wider journey.

We include Khajuraho for its sheer artistic brilliance and its serene, off-the-beaten-track setting. It suits travellers who appreciate art, history and architecture, offering a profound encounter with India's classical past that feels intimate rather than overwhelming, best savoured slowly in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon.