Orchha Tourism

Orchha is the erstwhile capital city of the Bundela rulers. The town is steeped in history and is famous for its palaces and temples built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The architectural splendor of the monuments in Orchha reflects the glory of its rulers. The Betwa River, on whose banks Orchha lies, and the forests around it attract tourist to this place.
The history of Orchha is linked with the local Bundela rulers. It has a chequered history. The Bundela dynasty was founded by one of the local Rajput princes in the 11th century. Garkhurar was the earlier capital of the Bundelas. The Bundelas ruled the central part of India from Orchha, from 1531 to 1783. Raja Rudra Pratap moved the capital of the Bundelas to Orchha in 1531. The association of the Bundelas with the Mughals created many problems for the Bundelas. Bir Singh Deo, the ruler of Orchha from 1605-27, got into serious trouble with the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1602, when he was associated with Prince Jahangir, the son of Emperor Akbar. Mughal forces all but destroyed the state of the Bundelas. However, the situation changed in 1605, when Akbar died and Jahangir became the Mughal Emperor. In 1606, Emperor Jahangir visited Orchha. For the next 22 years until 1627, Bir Singh Deo had good relations with the Mughals. In 1627, when Shahjahan became the Mughal Emperor, Bir Singh revolted against the Mughals. However, this revolt was put down by Aurangzeb, the then 13-year old son of Shahjahan. Though the Mughals defeated the Bundelas, they revived their lost empire. In 1783, the Bundela rulers shifted their capital to Tikamgarh.

Jahangir Palace: Synthesises Hindu & Muslim styles, as a tribute to Emperor Jahangir by Raja Bir Singh Deo. Its strong lines are counter balanced by delicate chhatris & trellis work, the whole conveying an effect of extraordinary richness. The main entrance to the palace is from the east, flanked by figures of elephants. The palace has three stories with 136 chambers. It has 3 types of balconies, 4 types of arches, 5 types of domes & 6 types of ceiling. A procession of stone carved elephants attracts the visitors instantaneously. The inner & the outer walls of the palace are decorated with cobalt & turquoise blue tiles. All the chambers had been painted with murals, remain of which are still visible.

Riverside cenotaphs: On the southern bank (Kanchan ghat) of river Betwa, half a km from Orchha bus stand, 15 cenotaphs are located belonging to Bundela kings & members of their clan. Designed in panchayatna (five projections) style, peak of the sanctum is patterened in Nagar (Indo Aryan) style of temple archietecture. Most of the structures are three storyed. All the chambers on four corners have dome shaped tops surrounded by small cenotaphs resting on columns. Though most of them are in a dilapidated condition but a few are well preserved condition but afew are well preserved. One of the cenotaph has a well executed carved marble statue of Madhukar Shah.

Rai Praveen Mahal: Rai Praveen was the favourite mistress of raja Indramani (1672-75) when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was on the Throne. This elegant double-storeyed, brick building seems to be more Mughal than Bundela. It has a main hall, terraces overlooking its formal gardens, little chambers, & is filled with light & air. Rai Praveen was a skilled dancer, singer musician & a poetess who was associated with the great Hindi Poet Keshav Das. River-rafting in Betwa River: Though you can get fairly good views of the chhatris from the land, the best views can be had from the river. Raft & paddled upstream to hit the first mild rapids. This gives newcomers a feel of what white-water is like. The rafting trip covers 3 kms & takes approximately 45 minutes. Even the ghostly horsemen, who are sometimes reported to visit the hamlet, could not have had a more exciting experience of magical Orchha.

Ram Raja Temple: Today with its snoaring spries & palatial architecture, the temple is the only in the country where Rama is worshipped as king. In the Ram Raja Temple, the image of lord Rama sits on a throne, surrounded by Sita, Hanuman & his brother. During the time of Ram Naumi, the temple is a site of hectic activity where lakhs of people from the surrounding areas come to celebrate birth of Lord Rama. Vivah Panchmi in the month of November-December is colourful festival celebrating the marriage of Ram & Sita.

Chaturbhuj Temple: It was specially constructed to enshrines the image of Lord Rama that remained in the Ram Raja Temple. Built upon a massive stone platform & reached by a steep flight of steps, the Chaturbhuj temple dominates the landscape of Orchha & is the largest temple there.

Laxminarayan Temple: With the Ram Raja temple, that incorporates elements of fort’s architecture. The interiors contain the most exquisite of wall painting of the Bundela School. Covering the walls & ceilings of 3 halls, these murals cover a variety of spiritual & secular subjects.

Phool Bagh: A creative system of water ventilation connected the underground palace with a bowl like structure from whose fountains droplets of water filtered through to the roof, simulating rainfall. Dinman Hardaul Temple: He was the younger son of Bir Singh Deo, who committed suicide to prove his innocence to his elder brother jhujhar over an alleged affair with his consort. This saintly prince was, after his martyrdom, worshiped s a god, & even today, the villages of Bundelkhand contain platforms like shrines where Hardol is worshiped.