ORCHHA

Orchha is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state. Orchha, meaning a "hidden place", certainly lives up to its name. The town was the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Languishing amid a tangle of scrubby dhak forest, 18 km southeast of Jhansi, Orchha lies on the Betwa River. Architectural gems, however, abound in this town. Clustered around the foot of the exotic ruins, it is a sleepy village of neatly painted houses and market stalls.

Orchha was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela chief Rudra Pratap Singh, who became the first King of Orchha but he could not finish it as he was killed trying to rescue a cow from the clutches of a tiger. However, the construction continued. Orchha's most illustrious ruler was Raja Bir Singh Deo. During his 22-year rule, Bir Singh Deo erected a total of 52 forts and palaces across the region, including the citadel at Jhansi.

Maharaja Pratap Singh (born 1854, died 1930), who succeeded to the throne in 1874, devoted himself entirely to the development of his state, himself designing most of the engineering and irrigation works that were executed during his reign. It was the oldest and highest in rank of all the Bundela states, with a 17-gun salute, and its Maharajas bore the hereditary title of First of the Princes of Bundelkhand.

Orchha's grandeur has been captured in stone, frozen in time, a rich legacy to the ages. In this medieval city, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces and temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries retain much of their pristine perfection. Today Orchha is almost a nondescript town with a small population, and its importance is maintained only due to its rich architectural heritage and tourism.

The Jehangir Mahal -

Orchha's single most admired palace, the Jehangir Mahal, was built by Bir Singh Deo as a monumental welcome present for the Mughal emperor Jehangir when he paid a state visit in the 17th century - a singularly beautiful specimen of Hindu domestic architecture. Entered through an ornate ceremonial gateway, the east-facing facade is encrusted with turquoise tiles. Two stone elephants flank the stairway, holding bells in their trunks to announce the arrival of the Raja. Three storeys of elegant hanging balconies, terraces, apartments and onion domes are piled around a central courtyard. This palace, however, is sort of more airy and lighted since it has countless windows and pierced stone screens looking out over the skyline to the west, and a sea of treetops and ruined temples in the other direction. Its strong lines are counterbalanced by delicate chhatris and trellis work, the whole conveying an effect of extraordinary richness.

The Raj Mahal –

Situated to the right of the quadrangle, this palace was started by Rudra Pratap, and completed in the 17th century by one of his successors, Madhukar Shah, the deeply religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo. The plain exteriors, crowned by chhatris, give way to interiors with exquisite murals, boldly colorful on a variety of religious themes. Of the two rectangular courtyards inside, the second, formerly used by the Bundela queens, is the most dramatic.

Opulent royal quarters, raised balconies and interlocking walkways rise in symmetrical tiers on all four sides, crowned by domed pavilions and turrets. One can find the fragments of mirror-inlay and vibrant painting plastered over their walls and ceilings. Some of the friezes are still in remarkable condition.

The Rai Parveen Mahal –

Poetess and musician, Rai Parveen was the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani (1672- 76) and was sent to Delhi on the orders of the Emperor Akbar, who was captivated by her. She so impressed the Great Mughal with the purity of her love for Indramani that he sent her back to Orchha. The palace built for her is a low, two-storeyed brick structure designed to match the height of the trees in the surrounding, beautifully landscaped gardens of Anand Mahal, with its octagonal flower beds and elaborate water supply system. Skillfully carved niches allow light into the Mahal which has a main hall and smaller chambers. It has a main assembly hall on the ground floor (used to host music and dance performances), a boudoir upstairs, and cool underground apartments.

The Sheesh Mahal -

Built during the early 18th century, long after Orchha's demise, the Sheesh Mahal ("Palace of Mirrors") was originally intended as an exclusive country retreat for the local Raja, Udait Singh. Following India's independence the property was inherited by the state government. The low, rather squat palace stands between the Raj Mahal and the Jehangir Mahal, at the far end of an open-sided courtyard.

Covered in whitewash and stripped of most of its Persian rugs and antiques, the building retains little of its former splendor, though it does offer stunning views from its upper terraces and turrets. Now converted into a beautiful hotel - each room of the hotel provides a magnificent view.

The Chaturbhuj Temple –

Built upon a massive stone platform and reached by a steep flight of steps, the temple was specially constructed to enshrine the image of Rama that remained in the Ram Raja Temple. Lotus emblems and other symbols of religious significance provide the delicate exterior ornamentation. Within, the sanctum is chastely plain with high, vaulted walls emphasizing its deep sanctity.

The Ram Raja Mandir –

The Ram Raja Mandir, standing at the end of the small bazaar in a marble-tiled courtyard, is a popular pilgrimage site. During major Rama festivals, thousands of worshippers gather in front of its ornate silver doors to await darshan of the garlanded deity inside. With its soaring spires and palatial architecture, this temple is surely one of the most unusual in India. It is also the only place in the country where Rama was worshipped as a King. At the time of evening ‘darshan’, the Lord Rama is given a gun salute as was given to all the kings in the medieval period.

The Laxminarayan Temple –

A flagstone path links this temple with the Ram Raja Temple. The style is an interesting synthesis of fort and temple moulds. The interiors contain the most exquisite of Orchha's wall paintings. Covering the walls and ceiling of three halls, these murals are vibrant compositions and cover a variety of spiritual and secular subjects. They are in excellent state of preservation, with the colors retaining their vivid quality.

The Chhatris (Cenotaphs) –

A solemn row of pale brown weed-choked domes and spires, the riverside Chhatris are Orchha's most melancholy ruins. The fourteen chhatris, memorials to Bundelkhand's former rulers, are best viewed from the narrow road bridge (on the Betwa) or from the boulders on the opposite bank, where one can see the full effect of their reflection in the still waters of the Betwa.