Foreign tourists hit by shut-down in Khajuraho

Awestruck foreign tourists walking among ancient temples known for exquisitely carved erotic sculptures is not an unfamiliar sight in Khajuraho.

But foreigners quenching their thirst by working road-side handpumps is.

However, these scenes were witnessed in this famous Madhya Pradesh town on Thursday as local residents observed indefinite shut-down to press the demand of better air and rail connectivity.

No bottled water was on sale, so tourists had to work the roadside hand-pumps themselves.

The guides too were missing at the famous temple complex built between AD 950-1050 by the Chandela Dynasty.

"This is a non-political protest, which began on Wednesday," said Narendra Sharma, a government-authorized guide who works in the town.

Shops and road-side eateries were closed, he said.

"A flight comes from Delhi here thrice a week. People want it on daily basis," he said.

MP Tourism Corporation's Regional Manager Mahesh Kumar Samadhiya said talks were underway with Air India.

Asked about the inconvenience caused to foreign tourists due to the strike, he said hotel owners were taking care of them. The foreign tourist influx is thin as this is a lean period, he added.

Khajuraho gets the largest foreign tourist footfall in Madhya Pradesh, he said.