Offbeat Orchha

Orchha is not a regular or too popular tourist spot with the crowds. In fact, it's an offbeat destination.

It's a small hamlet situated in the Bundelkhand region sandwiched between Jhansi and Lalitpur, M.P. 

I was thinking of visiting some congestion free location during the spring season when I zeroed in on Orchha. It's a place which still seems to be frozen in history.

Soon I decided and discussed the idea with one of my cousin Mr. Deepak Gupta who too nodded in affirmative and we braced ourselves for a magical tour visit to the rustic and charming site.

We landed at the Jhansi railway station and enquired about the conveyance options available for Orchha. Taxi owners normally charge Rs. 300/- for the ride. Someone told us to take a bus to Lalitpur. We reached the bus stand and took a bus for Rs. 20/- each upto Orchha. Very reasonable and comfortable too.

After about half-an-hour ride, the conductor asked us to get down.

Soon after de-boarding the bus, I couldn't believe my eyes on witnessing an architectural marvel just opposite to the lane.  It was Chaturbhuj Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

I was convinced enough that my choice of choosing Orchha for a brief stay will pay off. We hired a lodge for a day namely Sunrise Point.

We placed our bags, got freshened up, ordered some tea and left the room to pay a visit to Ram Raja Mandir which was about 100 metres far.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. One interesting fact about the temple is that Lord Rama is worshipped as a King (Raja) here and not as a deity. Orchha is also regarded as "Chhoti Ayodhya". Further, a 'Guard of Honour' is held everyday by the local police personnel.

No leather item is allowed inside the temple.
We took the blessings of Lord Rama and then proceeded to the nearby food stalls to have breakfast.  Poori-Subzi or Paranthas are the only options available here for breakfast.
A roadside corner sweet shop had different varieties of lassi available. We opted for a fruit lassi at Rs. 25 a glass which tasted great.

We then wended to Raja Mahal which is a 16th Century fort built by Madhukar Shah. It's an opulent and fascinating palace with a number of wall paintings.

Just adjacent to the Raja Mahal lies the Jahangir Mahal. It was built by Raja Veer Shah in 1518 to greet his Mughal friend Jahangeer (Salim).

The forts are restored and renovated by the MP Government on the occassion of Namaste Orchha Mahotsav held in March 2020. Rai Praveen Mahal built by King Indrajeet in the year 1618 for his love interest Rai Praveen lies in a dilapidated condition.

It is advisable to take the services of a professional guide to understand the historical and architectural importance of the monuments of Orchha.

The history of the area is also depicted through a sound and light show scheduled daily at evening time at the Fort lawns.

By the time we left the fort complex, it was around 2:00 pm and we developed an urge for some veggie desi meal. Rimjhim open dhaba behind the Ram Raja Mandir is a very good place to satiate one's appetite.

After a satisfying lunch, we returned to the lodge for an hour long nap and again headed towards the Kanchna Ghat on river Betwa. The pleasant weather and beautiful countryside landscape just mesmerized us. A number of cenotaphs (chhatris) are also situated near the Ghat. The beauty of the site views can't be expressed into words.

The cenotaphs are surrounded by a tiny beautiful garden. The magical sunset view from the garden is a sight to behold.

After spending about 2-3 hours at the Kanchna Ghat, we again went for the Raja Mahal to witness the sound and light show.

The commentary and background music of the show was amazing though I was not much impressed by the flash lights. The timings of the show are 6:30 to 7:30 for English version and from 7:30 to 8:30 for Hindi version.

After a scrumptious dinner at the Rimjhim Dhaba, we felt dead tired and went back to the lodge for sleep.

The very next day, we went to the Lakshmi Narayan Temple which is about 500 metres from the Ram Raja Mandir.
The lack of maintenance and carelessness by the authorities is quite visible at the site. The temple is in a dilapidated state now though it must had been an architectural marvel a few years back.

It was time to leave for Jhansi now. The  Orchha memories won't get away soon from our minds.

A few points to keep in mind while visiting Orchha are :
1. One to two days are sufficient to visit Orchha.
2. The best period to visit is from October to February.
3. Orchha caters to all kinds of travellers from budget to mid-range to luxury.
A number of lodges, hotels, homestays and resorts are available at Orchha.