What's on in Khajuraho, India through the year

Busy — Winter break in India, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Winter fog delays (15 Dec – 31 Jan (usually))

Peak crowds — Shivaratri at Matangeshwar, Khajuraho Dance Festival

• Festival

  Shivaratri at Matangeshwar

  10 Feb – 15 Mar · usuallyReligious feastCrowded

  The one temple in the western group still in daily worship holds an overnight fair for Shivaratri, and pilgrims from the surrounding districts queue round the compound. It is the only time the site feels like a working temple rather than a monument. Source ↗

• Festival

  Khajuraho Dance Festival

  20–26 Feb · usuallyArts festivalCrowdedBook early

  A week of classical Indian dance staged in the open air beside the western temples, run by the Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad since 1975. The small stock of hotels sells out for it and the evenings are cold enough to want a jacket. Source ↗

Busy — Shivaratri at Matangeshwar, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Shivaratri at Matangeshwar (10 Feb – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Summer vacation (Kerala / far south) in India, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Pre-monsoon heat

  15 Apr – 15 Jun · usuallyExtreme heat

  The Bundelkhand plateau is one of the hotter corners of central India before the rains and the sandstone radiates it back at you. Sightseeing means the first hour after opening and the last before closing, and little in between. Source ↗

Busy — Summer vacation (north & east) in India

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Pre-monsoon heat (15 Apr – 15 Jun (usually))

Busy — Summer vacation (north & east) in India, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Pre-monsoon heat (15 Apr – 15 Jun (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Closure

  Panna Tiger Reserve closed

  1 Jul – 30 Sep

  The core zones of Panna, 25 km from the temples, shut for the monsoon from 1 July to 30 September, and the Ken Gharial Sanctuary closes for the breeding season too. Safaris restart on 1 October. Source ↗

• Nature

  Raneh Falls in flow

  15 Jul – 31 Oct · usuallyHigh water

  The Ken River canyon about 20 km from town only really runs after the monsoon arrives; the falls roar in August and September, and the red and grey granite shows best as the water drops in October. Source ↗

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Panna Tiger Reserve closed (1 Jul – 30 Sep), Raneh Falls in flow (15 Jul – 31 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Panna Tiger Reserve closed (1 Jul – 30 Sep), Raneh Falls in flow (15 Jul – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Autumn break (Dussehra / Diwali) in India, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Diwali

  8 NovCrowdedClosures

  The village strings lights and the fireworks go on for several nights, and it lands just as the season proper opens. Domestic visitors take the hotels for the long weekend around it and guides are hard to get. Source ↗

Still on: Raneh Falls in flow (15 Jul – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Diwali

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Diwali (8 Nov)

Busy — Winter break in India, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Khajuraho International Film Festival

  10–25 Dec · usually

  A week of screenings from around the world, workshops and guest appearances by Indian film people, backed by the state culture department and usually held in mid-December. Source ↗

• Hazard

  Winter fog delays

  15 Dec – 31 Jan · usuallyFog season

  Dense morning fog across northern India delays trains to and from Khajuraho by hours and can disrupt flights. Build slack into onward connections and avoid tight same-day transfers. Source ↗