Orchha Fort, situated on river Betwa, has various historical legends associated with it. However, not much of it is known before the 1501 A.D. when the city was founded by Rudra Pratap sinhg, a Rajput ruler of Bundelkhand. He was the first king of Orchha and built the Orchha Fort. The city was attacked by the Mughal Army under the generalship of Shah Jahan, in the early part of the 17th century. The Mughals gained reign over the city and ruled here till 1641 A.D. All the attempts of the Marathas to rule over Orchha went in vain and in the year 1783, Tehri was declared as the capital of Orchha.
The fort was built following the founding of the Orchha State in 1501 AD by Rudra Pratap Singh, a Bundela rajput. The palaces and temples within the fort complex were built over a period of time by successive Maharajas of the Orchha State. Of these, the Raja Mandir or Raja Mahal was built by Madhukar Shah who ruled from 1554 to 1591. Jahangir Mahal and Sawan Bhadon Mahal were built during the reign of Vir Singh Deo The features of "pepper pots and domes" seen in the fort complex are believed to have inspired Lutyens in the architecture of the structures which he built in New Delhi.
By Air : The nearest airport is Khajuraho. Several airlines connect it to other major cities of India like Delhi, Varanasi.
By Rail : The nearest railhead is Jhansi which is an important junction in central India. Several train links connect Jhansi to the rest of the country.
By Road : Orchha lies on the road between Jhansi and Khajuraho. Gwalior is only 120kms away from Orchha by road.
Orchha is a ever-green tourist destination as it has historical monuments as main attractions which can be visited any time throughout the year. Still to enjoy the its adjoining nature and river-rafting, winter & springs are considered as best time to visit Orchha. Tourist prefers to visit Orchha from October to April as during this time climate remain cold and surrounding natural beauty of Orchha remains at their best. Tiger Reserves of Central India are also remain open during time that allows Orchha to be a part of Wildlife Tour. In summers, Orchha and its nearby areas like Khajuraho, Chanderi etc. remains hot along with dryness in surrounding natural beauty. Betwa river water also remain low during summers that poses difficulty in any kind of river rafting. So winters & spring seasons are the best time to visit Orchha.
