Weekend Gateways

In the temple architecture of India, the Khajuraho complex remains unique. One thousand years ago, under the generous and artistic patronage of the Chandela Rajput kings of Central India, 85 temples, magnificent in form and richly carved, came up on one site, near the village of Khajuraho. Travel to Khajuraho is usually related to these eternal expressions of love in stone. But the temples of Khajuraho are not the only attractions around Khajuraho. There are other attractions around that should also not be missed is you are planning to travel to Khajuraho. Most of the places nearby the temple complex make exciting weekend getaways from Khajuraho.

Panna National Park
Panna National Park, a mere 30-minute drive away from Khajuraho is a magnificent one. Deep gorges, tranquil valley and dense teak forests combined with the rich flora and fauna make a visit to the Park a memorable one. The jungle today is a home to the variety of species of wildlife such as the Leopard, Wolf and Gharial. The Wild Boar, the Sloth Bear, the Cheetal, the Chowsingha, the Indian Fox, the Porcupine, and a host of lesser fauna are also seen. The park is closed from June to October because of the hot summers.

Dhubela Museum
57 kms on the Jhansi-Kajuhrao road is located an old fort which houses a rare collection of artifacts depicting the heritage of Bundelkhand. This museum houses a wide variety of Shakti Cult sculptures and other sections on garments, weapons and paintings.

Pandava Waterfall
On the Ken River is Pandava Waterfall, 30 km from Khajuraho. It is believed that the Pandavas spent a good part of their exile here. Another waterfall, the Ranch, is situated at a distance of 25 km from the Pandava Waterfall.

Rajgarh Palace
At the foot of Maniyagarh hills is Rajgarh Palace. This palace is around 50 years old and 25 km away from Khajuraho.

Ajaygarh Fort
At a distance of 80 km is the Ajaygarh Fort, once the capital of Chandelas in their declining years. It is built at a height of 688 m. Another fort is Kalinjar Fort, located on the Vindhya Range at a distance of 100 km. It was built during Gupta period and captured by Shri Yashovarman, the Chandela king, in the 10th century

Benisagar and Ranguan Lake
Both are ideal picnic spots suitable for boating. Benisagar Lake is 11 kms and Ranguan Lake is 25 kms away from Khajuraho.

Raneh Falls
Raneh Falls, 20 kms from Khajurao, on the Ken River are famous rock formations. The main attraction is the 5 kms. long, 100 feet deep canyon made of pure crystalline granite in varying shades of colour ranging from pink and red to grey. A series of seasonal waterfalls surrounded by jungle makes it an ideal picnic spot.

Ken Gharial Sanctuary
This is a natural home of the long-snouted variety of crocodiles, 24 kms from the Khajuraho Temples.