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- Weekend Getaways
Weekend Getaways From Lucknow to Khajuraho
Most of the tourists in India as well as abroad, like to travel to destination which have a monumental significance, rather than visiting a place which is just known for the natural beauty. If the monuments are located in picturesque scenic backgrounds, then it surely tempts them to pay a visit to such places. For weekend getaways, such places present a good prospect as people get to know more about the culture of the place and also have a rejuvenated feeling due to their visit to such a place. In India, there are plenty of such locations, which are under the scanner of travellers, interested for weekend getaways. Many of the states of the country have such sites, which suit well for the tastes of those going out on weekend getaways, so that they can enjoy for a couple of days and return in time for their work. It is also necessary that the place offers something substantial to the memory of the tourists and Khajuraho promises to be one of such places that can mesmerise the visitors, who are certain to go back with the architectural brilliance etched out in their memories.
Located in the central state of Madhya Pradesh in India, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Known for its temples and the sculptures on the walls and the architectural style of making these monuments, the Khajuraho group of temples have been mentioned in the seven wonders of the world. Till the 19th century, the Khajuraho temples were in obscurity, until the britishers found out the beauty and serenity of the place and the incumbent structures, so much so that these were further excavated and worked upon by the Archaeological Survey of India, which existed from the time of the british establishment. Originally, the Khajuraho temples were constructed in the era of the Chandel dynasty, who ruled the areas of central India from the 5th century AD till about 12th century AD. During the peak of their rule, there were many constructions, in the city of Khajuraho, which was the capital city of this dynasty. Also, in the neighbouring regions, the Chandels came up with important construction, each of which had some kind of architectural specialty. Most of the Khajuraho temples were built from the period of 950 AD to 1150 AD, about 200 years. It is said that about 80 hindu temples existed in the region in the past and of which, there are only 25, which are in well preserved state. most of these temples were built with sandstone, without using any mortar, while the stones were placed with the help of gravity and mortise and tenon joints. After the era of Chandela rulers came to an end, the local people drew the attention of the English officers towards the temples, who took over the restoration work as much as possible. With splendour of the place, travellers on weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho are in for a special treat, with tourism department and government of Madhya Pradesh, doing its best to attract more number of tourists. As part of the history of Khajuraho temples, it is believed that the erotic depictions in the sculptures are a reflection of the human desires amalgamated with the tantric rituals, on which the Chandela rulers had a lot of faith. During their visit to Khajuraho, while coming for weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho, one can presently find that the temple complex has been well decorated with grassy lawns, surrounding walls and lustrous monuments, with light and video shows being held in the evening for the tourists.
Getting there
Tourists interested for weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho have plenty of ways to come into the city of Khajuraho. By air, the access is quite good due to the presence of Khajuraho Airport, about 5 kms from the city, where flights come in from Delhi and few other major airports. With the establishment of a new railway station in Khajuraho, connecting it to Jhansi, a lot of trains are now turning towards the temple city, bringing many tourists along the way. nowadays, many cities in the north India as well as in Madhya Pradesh have their connections to the city. Buses and taxis are good communication portals for reaching Khajuraho and for their weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho, many people prefer to take the road route to reach there. Buses are run by the state government and also by private transport services, connecting many of the cities in MP with the city of Khajuraho. Taxi services are also available for people, who can either arrive from the nearby towns or can hire one to travel from the airport or railway stations to the Khajuraho temples.
Accommodations
At different places in the city of Khajuraho, mostly along the Jain Temple road, there are budget hotels and lodges for people to stay. A few star hotels are also found in the nearby regions, allowing the tourists to pick the places of accommodation. They can have both AC and non-AC rooms as per their requirement and the temperature outside. But, if tourists wish to stay in the accommodations, these are quite affordable, although prices might go up during the peak seasons.
Famous sightseeing places
When visiting on weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho, tourists will not miss out on the number of temples in the region, which are scattered over a larger area. These temples are having an architectural style, which is different from the others built during the era. As a custom, most of them are built on a high platform, built with a height, which tapers at the top, with the top part of the roof being made on the chief compartment of the temple, while the rest of the part is skilfully built to represent the other smaller rooms. The range of Khajuraho temples are divided into three important portions, depending on the direction of their location, into Eastern group, Western Group and Southern group.
Western group of temples are well known among the tourists and also contains the maximum number of temples. Lakshmana temple is the oldest among these all and the name has been derived from the ruler, who built the structure. The trilogy of Indian gods, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are portrayed in different parts of the temple. Kandariya Mahadev temple is having a masterpiece of art and sculpture and is said to have the tallest roof, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devi Jagadamba temple is small yet artistically brilliant with three storeys, the top most storey having many erotic structures. The Chaunsat Temple is the only temple made up of granite, in the entire conglomerate. Some of the other notable temples in the group are Matanageswara Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Varaha temple and Chitragupta temple.
Parsvanath Temple is the largest temple in the Eastern group, with exquisite carvings and especially the northern wall make for a great view with all the sculptures. The roofs of this temple are a depiction of the Buddhism, Hinduism and Islamic traditions. Most of the jain temples are located in this part of the group, such as the Ghantai Temple, Adinath Temple, Brahma temple, Vamana temple and the well known Hanuman Temple.
Towards the western part of the complex are a few temples, which are also quite brilliantly structured. Some of these are the Dulhadev temple, which is one of the last temples built in Khajuraho and contains a shivalinga. Beejamandal Temple is now almost in a dilapidated condition. Jatkari temple or Chattarbhuj temple is well known for the absence of any erotic sculptures and was built towards the 11th century, which has a huge 9 foot idol of Vishnu.
In the western group of temples, every evening, there is a light and sound show, where the narration has been provided by Amitabh Bachchan and is one of the highlights of the tour. Tourists visiting on their weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho can time their trips during the month of February, when the annual Khajuraho Dance Festival is organised.
Nearby tourist places
Although Khajuraho is well known for the temples, there are many more important sightseeing places around the city limits. Tourists on weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho do get to stay in the hotels and then go out for a day’s excursion into these places, which are not only beautiful with abundance of nature but also have much interest due to the picnic spots. Panna National Park and Bandhavgarh national Park are two sanctuaries, which are small but well known for the dense tiger population. Panna National Park is about 25 kms from Khajuraho. Along the Panna Road, at a distance of about 34 kms from Khajuraho, there is the Pandav falls, which provide scintillating waterfall sceneries and is a well known picnic spot. Raneh Falls is another beautiful picnic spot, over the river Ken, which is about 20 kms from Khajuraho. Ajaygarh Fort is a well located fort in the region, at about 700 mts above sea level and was occupied by Chandelas during their rule. Kalinjar is another fort, which also served as the capital of Chandela dynasty for a few years. Few dams are also in the vicinity of Khajuraho, such as the Gangau dam, Ranguan Dam and Benisagar Dam.
Best season to visit
Temperature of Khajuraho is quite in the extreme, with high morning temperatures while the night has cooler winds. It is sufficiently hot in the summer seasons, which can get uncomfortable for tourists arriving for weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho and hence, the summers see a lower turnout of tourists. Winters are cooler with low temperatures and the major part of tourism in Khajuraho is seen during the winters, starting from September, till the end of February. During February, in the first week usually, there is the organisation of Khajuraho Dance Festival, during which most of the tourists arrive and can simultaneously have a look at the temples and the dance programs.
Local commute
Khajuraho is a small township, without much extension and even settlement. It can be covered entirely on foot, although there are autorickshaws for those who wish to move around. Also, the temple complexes are near to each other, so that the tourist can go from one temple to another on foot. Those who wish to go out can rent taxis from the local cab agencies or it would be a good idea to have the weekend getaways from Lucknow to Khajuraho on one’s own car or hire a taxi from Lucknow. This also helps in going out for excursions, without the worry to hire a new vehicle. Bicycle and bicycle rickshaws can be seen to be moving around as tourists get the bicycles on hire from local stores.
Eating joints
The region of Khajuraho is well known for the sweet dishes and other menus of Madhya Pradesh and tourists can enjoy these in plenty. Variety of sweet items is available for tourists in the restaurants and roadside stalls. People can either sit down comfortably in one of these restaurants and have their fill of lustrous cuisine or taste the vegetarian and non vegetarian delicacies from Madhya Pradesh as well as other parts of India.