Archaeological Museum

Archaeological Museum, also known by the name of Jardine Museum, was built by Mr. W.A. Jardine in 1910. The museum is a display centre of the loose sculptures and architectural ruins, which were collected from the temples of Khajuraho.

Situated near the Matangeshwar Temple, the museum was constructed with an aim to preserve these artefacts. The open air collection was known as Jardine Museum until 1952, when Archaeological Survey of India took it over and changed its name to Archaeological Museum.

Displaying the collection of Khajuraho sculptures in the open air museum, the present museum was established in 1967. It consists of five galleries, including the main hall, showcase antique sculptures of Brahmanical, Jaina and Buddhist faiths. Housing more than 2,000 sculptures, the most prominent one is a seated Buddha figure, which indicates the existence of Buddhist shrine in the destination.

Another prominent piece of collection is a four-headed Vishnu, which is also known as Vaikuntha. The idol depicts that the central head is human, while the other three are of Hayagriva, Narasimha and Varaha. One of the popular sculptures in the collection is the idol of Ambika, the Jain goddess, who was seated under a mango tree laden with fruits.

Travellers can reach this site with the availability of cycle rickshaw and auto-rickshaws in the destination.

Timing:   10 am - 5 pm (Daily except Fridays)
Admission Fees:    INR5
            Free (Children below 15 years)