Erotic temples - just a fantasy or worth the less than sexy travel

Henriette

First trip to India - 10 weeks - two weeks "doing" the sites, Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Gwalior, Orccha - Khajuraho??? , Varanasi then overnight train to Calcutta and on to Darjeeling and Sikkim for some trekking.
I always dreamt of visiting Khajuraho but now I realise how difficult it is to get there - 5 hours on the bus from Jhansi - and then $110 each flight to Varanasi - is it worth it? Or should we consider backtracking from Orccha to Jhansi/Agra and getting the overnight sleeper to Varanasi? Visiting Khajuharo will add a good bit of cost and take time and mainly energy! I don't mind it if it's really worth it - but is it? That's the question. Any thoughts?
Thanks, H.:

Yetijuice

I have visited India 21 times and never been to Khajuharo. I figure I should save something for my old age! There should be a coffee table book available to give you an idea of Khajuharo's erotic art.

I have been to Ellora, Ajanta, Elephanta, and Kanyakumari one time each. I enjoy temples. I don't spend all of my time in India in the Himalaya! Beware that the plains will get hot after the Ides of March.

If you visit Kathmandu Valley you can drive/hike to Changanarayan to view some erotic art in a temple at the top of the ridge. It is not as elaborate as Khajuharo but you will get the general uncensored idea! The weather in Kathmandu is ideal from roughly February 25th to March 25th. Beginning March 25th there usually is a three week interval of haze resulting from slash and burn agriculture and no wind. By April 15th the premonsoon thunderstorms will have started. They usually last for an hour or so. If you are lucky you just might shelter in the Changanarayan erotic temple during a downpour!

aadil

Khajuraho is well worth all the trouble you may endure on your bus journey from Jhansi and it is better than taking the 12 hour bus journey from there to Varanasi as I did once!!! HAHAHA!!! If you see the bus you will run all the way to Varanasi rather than take the bus. It was a tiring journey but still pretty enjoyable for me and my Iranian friend who was hell bent on travelling the cheapest way possible. I guess you could take the train from either Satna or Mahoba to go to Varanasi too. Much cheaper than the flight but definitely not as comfortable. Whatever mode of transport you decide to go by don't miss Orchha and Khajuraho for they are the real wonders of India and I am sure you will enjoy these places for the sheer tranquility and peace that you will get rather than the erotic temples Khajuraho is so famous for. The art in these places is almost unrivalled in India and it is one of the best places to see it without paying much. Hope you enjoy the trip all over India.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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TimMakins

I've been there twice, but really, I wonder if it is worth the bother for you on such a short trip. You've probably seen pictures - there are a few more on my 'A Passage To India - Film Location Notes' site here:

http://www.mapability.com/travel/p2i/khajuraho.html

Are they worth seeing on a longer trip? Most definitely yes, but for you, now, it does seem a waste of time. Are they great carvings? Oh yes. Are they an Erotic experience, worth all the hype? Well, hardly. What you have to understand about Khajuraho is that they have achieved such notoriety primarily because of their location - very handy for the tourist-triangle of Delhi - Agra - Varanasi. If they were another 200 miles south, they wouldn't get a quarter of the visitors that they do. If you are specifically looking for 'Erotic', there are other sites that are much more graphic, such as Konark, on the east coast. There's even some very graphic stuff in the centre of Kathmandu, high up where most people miss it !

I'd recommend you forget Kahjuraho this time, and spend the extra time exploring Amber Fort, near Jaipur, or Sarnath near Varanasi.

Tim in Ireland

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Henriette

thank you for all the replies, all really good in view of the way I put things. Yet, Aadil's lines really struck me "tranquillity and peace" well having sailed across the Pacific Ocean and to many a distant island never visited by humans I can relate to that. So it sounds there is more to anticipate than I had expected. Thank you all. H.

TimMakins

Go to Sarnath as well - you can then make your own judgement of 'tranquility and peace'

Tim in Ireland

Serena

For me Kajuraho is fantastic! I've been there twice ! Love the place and the atmosphere.

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aadil

Yes, Sarnath is also very nice but then you would be going there anyway when you go to Varanasi!!! I was talking about Orchha for the tranquility and peace as well which is totally different from most other places that are so very commercialised otherwise. Khajuraho is sort of commercialised but not so much still and going to the other temples in the Eastern group (Jain temples and museum) and Southern group (not too many people visit these either) is not the same as going to the ones in the Western group which are sometimes the only ones visited by many tourists on a short trip. Sarnath has a lot of the Buddhist temples from all the Buddhist countries having one of their own as well as the ASI museum and the gardens where the famous Ashoka pillar stood along with the great Dhamekh Stupa and a Jain temple nearby too. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Aadil.