A DAY IN ORCHHA

On the banks of Betwa river, in a peaceful place far away from the maddening crowd lies the ancient capital of the Bundela Rajput Kings - Orchha, which literally means 'hidden place' and stays true to its name. Established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501 this majestic city is a hidden treasure that seems quite content to be hidden away from the throngs of tourists that descend year after year.

The architectural splendor of the monuments in Orchha will give you a glimpse of a bygone era and reflects the glory of its rulers. The historic town seems frozen in time, with its grand palaces, intricately carved temples and striking forts that retain their original grandeur even today. With beautiful monuments, both big and small, revealing tales of battles between kings and emperors, Orchha definitely deserves a trip of its own.

Here's a list of places that cannot be missed by anyone travelling here.

1) ORCHHA FORT

The main attraction of Orchha, is the Orchha fort, located on an island on the river Betwa. Within its complex are 3 magnificient palaces: Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, and Sheesh Mahal. The Orchha Fort is the center of heritage and the narrator of its glorious past.

2) RAJA MAHAL

Constructed by Madhukar Shah this 17th century masterpiece is a great work of art. You're surely going to love Raja Mahal for its flawless architecture that was designed to create different temperatures and moods throughout the day.

3) JAHANGIR MAHAL

With beautiful turquoise tiles on the front wall, Jahangir Mahal is a three-storeyed monument built by King Vir Singh Deo in the 17th century, as a citadel for the Mughals. This magnificent palace is built in an Indo Islamic architectural style, with elements like marvelous sculptures, several courtyards, hanging balconies, delicate chhatris, rooms and domes with elaborate entrances and designed walls adding grace to this finest piece of architecture during Bundela Dynasty.

4) CHATURBHUJ TEMPLE

Built on a massive rock platform, opposite to the Raja Mahal, Chaturbhuj temple is an abode of the Lord Vishnu. The exterior of the temple is intricately decorated with patterns of lotus, dsiplaying a architectural style similar to the forts. It was constructed by Raja Madhukar in the 16th century to house the idols that are now inside the Ram Raja temple.

5) CHATTRIS - A CLUSTER OF ROYAL CENOTAPHS

Chhatris of Orchha are the royal tombs anciently built for the Maharajas of Orchha along the Kanchana Ghat of the Betwa River. Dating back to the 17th and 18th century, these memorials tell the story of the once glorious past of the Orchha rule. In total there are 14 cenotaphs built together and carries more or less the same structure, like a temple.

6) RAM RAJA TEMPLE

The center of Orchha is the Ram Raja temple whose presiding deity is Lord Rama. Legend says that the queen of Orchha was an ardent devotee of Lord Ram because of which idols of Lord Rama were to be installed in the magnificent Chaturbhuj Temple, but as the temple was under construction, the idols were kept inside the queen's palace for the time being. The idols refused to move after being installed here and so a temple was built around the queen's palace. Here, Lord Ram is worshipped not just as a God, but also as a king. Hence the name Ram Raja. He even gets a gun salute!

Located in northern part of the state of Madhya Pradesh, Orchha is 18 km from Jhansi. If the narrow winding roads with fields on either side that lead you to this little town don't transport you back to a more peaceful time, the several monuments that dot the Orchha landscape most certainly will.