In pictures | 6 things to do in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
With forts, palaces, temples, and a bit of river rafting, Orchha in Madhya Pradesh has options for history buffs as well as adventure seekers. Here are six things to do in the town on the banks of Betwa river.
Chhatris of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh. Rudyard Kipling famously drew inspiration from the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh for his Jungle Book. Legend has it that Orchha, around 500 km away but still in Madhya Pradesh, too, informed some of the structures - including temples - in the book about Mowgli's adventures growing up in the jungle amid jaguars and bears and wolves. Orchha, on the banks of the Betwa river, is a cluster of temples, palaces, and cenotaphs built by the Bundela Rajput kings in the 16th century. The word Orchha means ‘hidden’. The town was founded in 1531, as a new capital for the kingdom of Bundelkhand by Raja Rudra Pratap Singh. (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
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Start at the Cenotaphs: The Chhatris of Orchha with rain-stained walls, are a series of cenotaphs or royal tombs, with domed pavilions and high platforms, that look like parasols, built in honour of the Bundela kings and queens on the banks of the Betwa River. There are 14 chhatris with surrounding gardens, with Mughal and Rajput influences, some conical, some square, built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Look out for endangered vultures roosting on the towers and spires. Be here at sunset to see the buildings bathed in an orange glow. (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
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Visit the Orchha Fort: The Orchha Fort complex with latticed windows and projecting balconies, was built in the 16th century, and has the Raja Mahal, Sheesh Mahal and the Jehangir Mahal. The four storey Jehangir Mahal with its domes inspired Lutyens in the structures he built in New Delhi. The Jehangir Mahal, a fusion of Muslim and Hindi architecture, was built to accommodate Emperor Jehangir, who reportedly spent just one night here! Don't miss the elaborate murals depicting gods and goddesses, social themes and mythological stories, painted on the walls and ceilings in the Raja Mahal, where the royal family stayed till 1783. (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
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Catch the one-hour light and sound presentation about the life of the Orchha Kings projected on the walls of the fort every evening. (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
Get a taste of rural life: MP Tourism has embarked on an ambitious rural tourism initiative, offering subsidies to local villagers to set up rustic homestays in surrounding villages. Homecooked local food, activities like bird watching, bullock cart rides and folk music and dance are on the cards here. Most of them are run by local women, and can be booked on portals like Airbnb and makemytrip.com. Surrounded by mustard fields and hills and a mahua tree in the compound, is Mahua Hill View Homestay; not far from here is another called Rekha and Kamala homestay run by two brothers, their wives and children (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
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Evening at the Ram temple: Stalls selling mounds of kalakand, flowers, and religious paraphernalia and devotees dressed in finery, lead to the Ram temple complex which includes both the in-worship Ram Raja Temple where Lord Rama is worshipped as a king, holding a sword and shield and the old Chaturbhuj Temple (above). The Chaturbhuj temple was constructed by King Madhukar Shah in 1600, with rising towers and stark interiors, as Lord Ram for whom it was built chose to reside in the queen’s palace. Listen to the story behind the Ram Raja Temple, where the queen was a worshipper of Lord Ram and he manifested as a child in her lap. (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
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Go river rafting: Emerging from the Vindhyas, the River Betwa has a placid flow but also offers Grade 1 and Grade 2 rapids at various points to raft downstream and also see the sights of the town from the chhatris to the fort and temples from a different angle. (Photo credit: Kalpana Sunder)
Kalpana Sunder is an independent travel writer. She is on Twitter @KalpanaSunder
