The Lalit Temple View Khajuraho Review

How to go to Khajuraho, things to do, stuff to eat, shop from, and a review of Lalit Temple View Khajuraho

How To Reach Khajuraho

First things first: how do you reach Khajuraho? Amongst a list of ways to reach there, the convenient ways are as follows:

a) fly to Khajuraho airport directly from Varanasi or Delhi – these are the two major airports from which you can get a direct flight.

b) fly to Kanpur and then take a hired car to Khajuraho. It will take about 4-5 hours to reach, and the roads are quite easy to navigate, especially if you have Google maps. You can always take an Ola outstation to Khajuraho, which is what I thought would work the best at first, and hired cabs generally take about 12-20 rupees per kilometre.

c) though Khajuraho does have a railway station, the closest Junction is Mahoba, and a lot of trains stop there. I returned via Chambal Express from Mahoba to Kolkata, which was a roughly 16-hour journey.

Of course, there are plenty other ways to reach Khajuraho – there are trains from both Kanpur and Varanasi that reach the station directly and is quite cheap. However, this time, the trip was a sudden plan at the end of my vacation, so I have to admit I chose the quick exit and took a car from Kanpur to Khajuraho.

A Brief History of the Temples of Khajuraho

Originally built as a temple town and cultural centre of the Chandela dynasty, the temples of Khajuraho were made between 950 and 1050 AD. Over a span of 20 kilometres, around 85 temples were situated, and today, around 25 still stands. Ideally, the time to visit the temples is October to March, when the weather is pleasant, and winters are quite cold here. The best time to visit the temple grounds would be early morning, before the sun shines too bright (by 10 am, the sun will be brutal, especially during summer months).

Al Biruni was one of the historians who had mentioned the temples of Khajuraho as well as the inhabitants of the temples in his works and as per his notes during 1022 AD (roughly the period when he was writing about), this was a thriving space for religion and culture. Later, Ibn Batuta’s records show a different side of the temples – where it becomes a centre for healing and spirituality during the decline of the Chandela empire. Over time, Khajuraho was mostly forgotten amidst the forests and it was in the 19th century when TS Burt rediscovered the grounds and found the remains of the temples.

Out of the 85 temples, only about 20 remain, and most of them are now uninhabitable. But, a few temples still survive and are impressive, to say the very least. The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, the Lakshmana Temple and several other temples, amongst these, are still quite a sight, and definitely worth going to. The sculptures on the exterior as well as interior parts of these temples reflect upon the culture of that period, food habits, war scenes, as well as sexual habits of the time, and is an invaluable source that remains, to date, one of the most impressive architectural wonders I have been to.

What to See Around Khajuraho

Apart from the temples (And don’t miss out on the Jain Temple nearby that also has an incredible history), the other options to go include Pandava Falls, Raneh Falls, Kalinjar Fort, and a few other places. The best time to go would be between late September and early April, and the weather will be quite pleasant during this time. More about this comes later.

Going to Khajuraho from Kanpur

My car journey from Kanpur to Khajuraho was about 4.5 hours. A number of car services are available online, as well as Ola Outstation, and you can avail either – the costs match pretty closely. The Lalit Temple View Khajuraho was my destination, and we stopped briefly at Mahoba, after a rather smooth 3.5 hour journey from Kanpur, to drink tea, before hitting the last few kilometres. Unfortunately, here’s where I ran into a snag – there was a procession that didn’t allow any passer-by for the better part of an hour. Exhausted and befuddled, Khajuraho was another hour and half’s journey, and by the time I had reached, it was already late afternoon.

Checking into The Lalit Temple View, Khajuraho

As soon as I entered through the plush walkway, I was greeted at the doorway and ten minutes later, I was checked into my room. The executive room I was assigned to overlooked the gardens, and as I entered, I saw a small note and an assortment of desserts lying in wait for me in my room, together with a plushie of the Lalit brand mascot, Elphie. Rather delighted by the fact that my room was close to the pool, my first instinct was to jump into the cold water for a refreshing dip, but I restrained myself, and allowed M to lead me to Panna, the all-day dining restaurant.

The executive rooms are air-conditioned and rather comfortably large, with a big, king-size bed. In the evening, a knock on the door indicates a turn-down service, where the extra pillows and knick knacks are removed from the bed, and the bed is readied for sleeping.

I liked the view of the gardens and the work desk right beside it – I could totally imagine getting distracted by the greenery while at work. I also quite appreciated a well-stocked minibar, a set of assorted toiletries from Kronokare, and a clean and functional bathroom.

A Brief Overview of The Lalit Temple View, Khajuraho

There are quite a few categories of room at the property – pick from the Deluxe rooms, Executive rooms, or the two presidential suits – depending on the season, the room rates fluctuate. There is a pool outside, plus gardens to walk through, and the temples can be seen from the property itself – which makes it easy for anyone to navigate to and from the property.

Panna, The Lalit Temple View, Khajuraho

My meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) were mostly eaten at Panna, and I quite enjoyed rifling through the rather interesting collection of food – the menu is a mishmash of Indian, Continental, with a touch of Asian food thrown in, but Chef Rajesh Pawar is rather proud of his version of the local chicken, the Matka Murgh, which was what I had as part of my first meal at Panna. With a couple of pieces of naan, this made an excellent repast. As he hailed from Madhya Pradesh, he was quite conversant with the local food scene, and later on, I was treated to an excellent Bundelkhand thaali, that featured a fascinating assortment of local dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Eating local may be the scene, but this didn’t stop me from eating bacon everyday, and I have to admit, the bacon here was crisp and addictive, and I had to have some every single morning, because it was THAT good. The other thing I absurdly liked about Panna was the poultry – the meat was absolutely tender and flavourful every time I had it here. On our second day, lunch was a simple affair of Grilled Chicken and a platter of bruschetta, and the tenderness of the bird’s flesh was what left me really satisfied.

I did check out the wine selection at Mahua, their wine bar, and they do have a good assortment of Indian, old world and new world wines. I did partake a few glasses of wine on day two, and the outdoor setting, together with charred food cooked on grill and a glass of chardonnay was the perfect way to set the mood for some music.

I was also treated to a huge Bundelkhand thaali, which was a study in simplicity – whether it was the crisp boondis topping a bowl of creamy yogurt, or the tiny vegetable fritters, that had a almost austere simplicity that definitely called upon the Jain roots of the region. The Bundelkhand mutton was redolent with pepper and ginger – that prominently stood ahead of the rest of the ingredients. I might have asked for a second set of pooris to finish off everything on my plate.

From time to time, local dance performances are conducted here, and on the first day, I was treated to one them indoors, and it was quite entertaining.

The dance is conducted by a group of performers, and I was strongly reminded of the dance performances I have seen in Rajasthan. However, keep in mind that the two states are besides one another, and therefore, the influences are unmistakable.

Raneh Falls

On our second day, we headed to Raneh falls, also known as the Niagara Falls of Madhya Pradesh. Situated on Ken River, the falls are about 20 kilometres from Khajuraho, and it takes about 30-35 minutes to reach. You can see a really interesting mix of five different igneous rocks here, including dolomite, basalt, quartz, jasper and granite.

The Ken Gharial Sanctuary is nearby, and while Gharials (a form of fish-eating crocodile) are not indigenous to this region, they were brought from other parts of India to be bred here.

Kalinjar Fort

We took a tour to the historic Kalinjar Fort in Bundelkhand, that contained several temples that dated back to the Gupta period, and the fort itself had served the Solankis and the Chandelas till during the British rule, where, after the defeat of Rani Laxmibai, the majority of the interiors of the fort was destroyed.

The road leading up to Kalinjar fort is rather rocky and it is advised to come here in a car, because commuting is difficult. The fort, so far, is mostly in a state of disrepair, and its about 100 kilometres (3 hours) from Khajuraho. Built on top of a hill, you can see a panoramic view of the terrain from up here.

The Kotitirth tank is one of the several tanks built to keep a steady water supply to the inhabitants in the fort. The tank is surrounded by several temples, which perhaps indicates that people would primarily do their bathing here, followed by religious rituals.

The palace of Raja Aman Singh, once the king of Kalinjar, was closed to tourists, but it was an impressive structure nonetheless.

Pandava Falls

About 35 kilometres from Khajuraho, on the way to Kalinjar Fort, is Pandava Falls, which is allegedly a place where the Pandavas stayed near the end of their exile.

Panna National Park

Forest lovers would love to visit Panna National park for tiger citing. Heralded as one of the oldest tiger reserves, this is also home to various types of flora and fauna, the park is open between 6.30-10.30 am, and then 2.30 to 5.30 pm every day, and the best time to travel is during October to February. This is one of the popular destinations for bird watching, and the best time for that is November-January, where migratory birds can be found.

The Jain Temple Group of Khajuraho

The Jain temple group of Khajuraho are an incredible source of history, and the Parshvanath temple is a glorious architectural wonder, ensconced within a much larger structure. Built around 950 and 970 AD by a prominent Jain family, the temple featured Adinatha, and is the largest temple in the collection. With incredible architectural detailing that reflect the Hindu temples of the region, it is noted that this was built around the time of the Chandela king Dhanga’s reign.

Places to Shop from in Khajuraho and What to Buy from There

Some of the things you can buy from Khajuraho are local artwork made of brass and metal. You can also check out clothing made of Bamboo – there are a number of shops outside the Jain Temple (another really interesting temple of Khajuraho) where you will get cute artefact and stoles as well as sarees. It goes without saying that the Government emporium, Mriganayani, will give you good prices and a variety of things you can pick up. There are also a few shops that sell local chillies and powdered chillies, and that is definitely worth exploring.

Given its heritage and diverse history, Khajuraho should definitely be in your radar, for not just architectural glory, but also for the natural history and geological wonders around it. The Lalit Temple View, Khajuraho, is a great place to stay in Khajuraho, especially because of its location and convenience, in general. My stay was a very pleasant few days, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them for my stay.

Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee stayed at The Lalit Temple View, Khajuraho, at the invitation of the management. Her opinions are factual and unbiased, based on her experience.