To See & Do
A visit to the royal citadel is a must. A scenic heritage trail, well-marked with signs, leads you around the citadel, taking in the major palaces and smaller havelis along the way. You can also wander off the path and explore the ruins to seek out some of the more secluded spots.
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The Royal Citadel |
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The first palace to be built within Orchha's fort complex was the Raja Mahal. But don't neglect to check out the Rani-ka-Mahal of Raja Madhukar Shah's queen, who was a great devotee of Ram and decorated her bedrooms with vividly painted murals of scenes from the Ramayana and the Dasavatars of Vishnu. Dauji-ki-haveli nearby, a well-preserved example of a nobleman's house, is like a miniature version of the royal palace.
Perhaps the most striking of the structures is the Jehangir Mahal. Jehangir stayed here on a visit to Orchha, and the palace had been built by Rudra Pratap's successor Bir Singh Deo to commemorate Jehangir's coronation.
The painted palace of Rai Praveen Mahal is associated with Jehangir's father, Akbar. It belonged to a beautiful courtesan, also an accomplished poetess and singer, whose story is especially romantic. Though desperately in love with Raja Indramani, Rai Praveen was ordered to go to the court of Emperor Akbar, who had heard of her legendary beauty. When she arrived at the Mughal court, she is said to have bravely challenged the great emperor with the question, Who but a crow and a dog eats off the used plate of another? Akbar understood the message and gave her permission to return to Orchha to her lover.
Entry fee: Indians Rs 5, foreigners Rs 30; Cameras: Still camera Rs 20, video camera Rs 50; Timings: 9 am to 5 pm.
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The Mandir Circuit |
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First among the major temples within Orchha's fortified walls is the Laxmi Narayan Temple, of unusual shape and form and profusely decorated with murals in the Orchha style of painting. The Chatturbhuj Temple dominates Orchha and is the largest temple here. It was meant to house an idol of Ram brought to Orchha from Ayodhya by Raja Madhukar Shah's queen. While the temple was being built, she installed the idol in her home, the Rani-ka-Mahal. When the Chatturbhuj Mandir was ready, however, the image refused to be moved. Even today, the idol of Ram is worshipped in the Rani's palace.
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Not a Camel Farm |
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The Bundela rajas were wise to the ways of war elephants and maintained stables full of tuskers. They also had an unth khana, or camel stable, but the name comes from the building's elongated, arched doorways and not from former occupants. It was possibly a pleasure pavilion, since it has some of the loveliest views of the citadel's other ruins as well as of the River Betwa.
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Royal Chhatris |
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At the southern end of Orchha, on the riverbank, are the royal chhatris, memorials to the kings. They include a well-executed carved marble portrait of Madhukar Shah and the crumbling chhatri of Bir Singh Deo. The best view is from across the bridge, where you can sit on the rocks, dangle your feet in the cool river waters and watch the colours of the sun as it sets behind the chhatris.
If you do indeed get charmed by the many magnificent painted palaces, temples and chhatris in the Orchha citadel, you'll have much to rejoice about as these are now being restored to some semblance of their former splendor by Intach.
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Martyr's Memorial |
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Freedom-fighter Chandrashekhar Azad is revered in these parts, where he lived in hiding in 1926 and 1927, agitating against the British. A memorial near the fort commemorates his time in Orchha.
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The River and Beyond |
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Just across the Betwa and Jamuni rivers, a half hour's drive east of Orchha, is a stretch of reserve forest with a monoculture of khadai trees. This tree is used, among other things, for gold-smelting as it yields good, slow-burning wood. The former royal hunting lodge also lies in the reserve forest, beside a lake. It has been abandoned, but makes for a nice picnic spot though it is not advisable to visit the area after dark. You can also picnic on the rocky banks of the pretty Jamuni River. Avoid plucking the inviting, plump custard apples weighing down the trees, though.
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Content Source:
Outlook Traveller
Contributed by:
Shobita Punja
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