Places of Interest in Orchha
Jehangir Mahal : Built by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo in the 17th century to
commemorate the visit of Emperor Jehangir to Rochha. Its strong lines are counterbalanced
by delicate chhatries and treillies work, the whole conveying an effect of extraordinary
richness.
Raj Mahal : Situated to the right of the quardrangle, this palace was
built by Madhukar Shah, the deeply religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo.
The plain exteriors, crowned by chhatries, give way to interiors with exquisite
murals, boldly colourful, on a veriety or religious themes.
Raj Praveen Mahal : Poetess and musician, Rai Prqveen was the beautiful
paramour of Raja Indramani (1672-76), and was sent to Delhi on the orders of
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, tow-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.
Sklfully carved niches allow light into the Mahal which has a main hall and
smaller chambers.
Ram Raja Temple : This palace-turned-turned-temple has a charming legend
attached to it. Following the dream visitation of Lord Rama, Madhukar Shah's
wife, Ganesh Kuanwari brought a statue of the god from Ayodhya to Orchha. While
the king was a worshipper of Lord Krishna, the queen was a devotee of Lord Rama.
The image was placed in a palace prior to its installation in a temple. When
the idol proved impossible to move, the queen recalled, too late, the deity's
edict that the image would remain in the place where it was first installed.
Today, with its soaring spires and palatial architecture, the temple is surely
one of the most unusual in India. It is also the only in the country where Rama
is worshipped as a king (Raja).
Chaturbhuj Temple : Built upon a massive stone plat form and reached
by a steep flight of steps, the temple was specially constructed to enshrine
the image of Prakash that remained in the Prakash 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 emphassing its
deep sanctity.
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 contains the most exquisite or 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 an excellent
state of preservation, with the colours retaining their vivid quality.
Phool Bagh : Laid out as a formal garden, this complex testifies to the
refined aesthetic qualities of the Bundelas. A central row of fountains culminates
in an eight-pillared palace-pavilion. A subterranean structure below was the
cool summer retreat of the Orchha kings. An ingenious system of water ventilation
connected the underground palace with Chandan Katora, a bolw-like structure
from whose fountains droplets of water filtered through to the roof, simulating
rainfall.
Dinman hardaul's Palace : hardaul was a son of Bir Singh Ju and died
to prove his innocence to his elder brother Jhujhar who cast doubts on his relationship
with his (jhujhar's) consort. This saintly prince was, after his martyrdom,
worshipped as a god, and even today, the villages of Boundelkhand contain platform-like
shrines where hardaul is worshipped.
oChhatries (Cenotaphs) : There are fourteen 'chhatries' of memorials
to the rulers of Orchha, grouped along the Kanchana Ghat of the river Betwa.
Sunder Mahal : This small palace, almost in ruins today, is still a place
of pilgrimage for Muslims Dhurjban, son of Jhujhar, embraced Islam when he wed
a Muslim girl at Delhi. He spent the latter part of his life in prayer and meditation
and came to be revered as a saint.
Shahid Smarak : Commemorates the great freedom fighter Chandrashekhar
Azad who lived and worked in hiding on Orchha during 1926 and 27.
Other places worth seeing in Orchha are the shrines of Siddh Baba ka Sthan,
Jugal Kishore, the janki Mandir and the Hanuman Mandir at Ohharedwara
