Adinath Temple

The Adinath Temple, Khajuraho is dedicated to the founder of the Jain religion Adinath. The exterior of the temple is decorated with Hindu gods and goddesses, but this temple is strictly Jain. It is part of the Eastern Group of Temples and there are plenty of gorgeous Yakshis or the female mythical beings that are partners of the Yakshas grace the entire structure. This is definitely somewhere that you would want to come and visit if you are interested in different religions of the world and if you want to see something stunning.

Availability:

The Adinath Temple, Khajuraho can be visited from sunrise until sunset every day of the week. However, most of the tourists come between 8 am and 530 pm, which is the same timing for this location. There is also a museum here that you can visit and that is open from 8 am until 5 pm and it is closed on Friday.

History

This temple is extremely old and it was constructed in 950 to 1150 A.D. by the Chandela Rulers. It is thought that it was built during the 11th century and is dedicated to a Jain saint by the name of Adinath. However, the likelihood is that this temple was most likely built a bit later than the nearby Vaman temple. These days only the corridor roofs and the sanctum of the temple have survived. The porch and mandapa of the temple were damaged, but more modern entrance chambers have been built. The arched doorways that are here are close to those that were originally built.

Architecture

The design of the Adinath Temple, Khajuraho is close in terms of the style of the Vaman Temple and there are just a few differences between them. The top row found on the outer wall of this temple shows a Vidyadhara flying while the other one has diamond-shaped decorations. The curvilinear of this temple has better proportions and that means a more evolved style was used in creating this one, which proves it was constructed later. These help to represent the long culmination of the Indian architecture along with the sensuous sculptures used as decoration. The sanctuary here is under a tower that has vertical bands with arch-shaped motifs while the outer walls have 3 different bands of sculptures that depict celestial beings and deities.

Festival:

In February you would be able to enjoy the dance festival that goes on for a week, but there is also light as well as sound show that happens. There are 2 shows that are available in Hindi and English and the timings are different for the winters that are 630pm to 735pm and the summer timings are 730pm to 825 pm. The entry fee for these shows is Rs 250 for Indian visitors and Rs 700 for foreigners and children under 5 are free.

Best Time to Visit:

Adinath Temple, Khajuraho should be visited during the winter months of October until March. However, if you want to visit when there is a festival going on, then you would want to come in February for the Khajuraho Dance Festival. It is a celebration of all of the classical dances of India and it is important to visit here if you want to see these against the ancient temples as a backdrop.

How to Reach?

Khajuraho is in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh and it is easy to access since there is an airport here, which is 2 minutes away from the center of town. However, another easy way that you can arrive here is by taking a bus that starts in Chhatarpur, which is 44 kilometers away and there is a bus stand just 1 kilometer from the temple. You can get buses from a wide variety of locations, such as Bhopal, Indore, Agra and even Delhi depending on where you are coming from.

There are also plenty of trains that you can take and you just need to go to the Khajuraho station. You can get trains from Delhi, Varanasi, Agra and much more and there are numerous trains that you can book tickets on the Bundelkhand Link Express, UP Sampark Kranti Express or the Khajuraho-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express to easily arrive in the city.

Nearby Attractions:

Make sure that when you come here you are also thinking of what other popular attractions you are going to want to visit and some of them include:

• Kandariya Mahadev Temple

• Chitragupta Temple

• Archaeological Museum of Khajuraho

• Lakshmana Temple

• Devi Jagdamba Temple

• Viswanath Temple

• State Museum of Tribal and Folk Art

• Raneh Falls

• Lakshmi Temple

• Jain Museum

• Matangeshwar Temple

• Ajaigarh Fort

• Kalinjar Fort

• Javari Temple

• Vamana Temple

• Chausath Yogini Temple

• Gangau Dam

• Shilpgram

• Dhubela Museum

Ensure that you are starting to plan where you are going to be interested in visiting and what you want to visit at one time and these are just a few of the best places to make sure you are visiting.

The FAQ and Important Information:

You should make sure that if you are trying to book a ticket into the Adinath Temple, Khajuraho that you know the prices. For access to the Western temples, Indian nationals would have to pay Rs 40, while the foreigners would have to pay Rs 600 and those from BIMSTEC and SAARC countries would pay the same as Indian nations. There is also a museum here that you can visit and the tickets for Indian nationals, BIMSTEC and SAARC tourists are Rs 10 and the fee for foreigners is Rs 250.

Go ahead and start thinking about your trip to visit the Adinath Temple, Khajuraho and what you are going to need to know about it. Consider how you are going to reach here and what other sites you want to visit and if you want to come to the dance festival or see the light show. Start planning everything now so that you can come during the best time of the year, which is the winter or even the monsoon season.