Kiradu Temples
Ruined 11th-century Solanki temples alone in the Thar
Best time to visit Kiradu Temples
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, off-season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Kiradu Temples season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
At 9-26 C you can climb over the Someshvara temple's carved plinth in near silence; the ASI caretaker may be the only other person.
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June runs to 45 C on bare rock with no shade and no water stall, and there is no dependable bus back to Barmer after mid-afternoon.
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
July-September brings under 300 mm so the scrub greens briefly, but 38 C with humidity makes wandering the open ruins punishing.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October-November cools fast and late-afternoon light on the sandstone is the best of the year, with almost nobody there on a weekday.
What Kiradu Temples is actually like
ASI ruins with a caretaker and a village tea stall; local legend says do not linger after dark, and nobody does
Getting to Kiradu Temples
Barmer railhead 35 km by road; no dependable bus, so share a jeep or hire a taxi for the half day
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 240 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 25.7528, 71.0977
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Kiradu Temples?
November to February is peak season in Kiradu Temples. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October-November cools fast and late-afternoon light on the sandstone is the best of the year, with almost nobody there on a weekday.
How many days do you need in Kiradu Temples?
1 day is the usual stay. ASI ruins with a caretaker and a village tea stall; local legend says do not linger after dark, and nobody does.
How do you get to Kiradu Temples?
Barmer railhead 35 km by road; no dependable bus, so share a jeep or hire a taxi for the half day. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Kiradu Temples expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Barmer
Rajasthan
Thar frontier town of hand block prints and Kiradu ruins
40 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly under an hour by road
-
Balotra & Tilwara
Rajasthan
Luni-river print town and the Mallinath horse and cattle fair
150 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Jaisalmer
Rajasthan
Golden fort rising from the Thar dunes
170 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Jodhpur
Rajasthan
Indigo lanes stacked under Mehrangarh's 120 m clifftop fort
260 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes)
Rajasthan
Village that feeds 20,000 demoiselle cranes each winter
270 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Mount Abu
Rajasthan
Rajasthan's only hill station, oasis from the heat
310 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 8 h by road
-
Osian (Osiyan)
Rajasthan
8th-century Jain and Hindu temples in a Thar oasis
280 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Jawai Bandh (Bera)
Rajasthan
Leopards on granite hills above an Aravalli reservoir
290 km from Kiradu Temples, roughly about 6 h by road
More places to visit in Rajasthan
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Ajmer Rajasthan
- Alwar Rajasthan
- Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
- Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) Rajasthan
- Barmer Rajasthan
- Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
- Bhangarh & Ajabgarh Rajasthan
- Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
- Bikaner Rajasthan
- Bundi Rajasthan
- Chittorgarh Rajasthan
- Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) Rajasthan
- Dungarpur Rajasthan
- Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
- Hanumangarh (Bhatner & Kalibangan) Rajasthan
- Jaipur Rajasthan
- Jaisalmer Rajasthan
- Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
- Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
- Jodhpur Rajasthan
- Karauli Rajasthan
- Khejarla Rajasthan
- Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes) Rajasthan
- Kishangarh Rajasthan
- Kolayat Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
- Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan
- Merta City Rajasthan
- Mount Abu Rajasthan
- Nagaur Rajasthan
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan
- Pushkar Rajasthan
- Ranakpur Rajasthan
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan