En route from Gwalior to Orchha is a little-known town called Datia that’s home to a majestic palace that’s been abandoned for more than four centuries. In fact, the palace was used for just a single night and has remained unoccupied ever since. This is the story of the Datia Palace.
When he was still a prince, Salim rebelled against his father, the emperor Akbar, and set up court in Allahabad. Akbar dispatched Abul Fazl to persuade Salim to return home. Fazl was one of the emperor’s Navratnas or nine jewels, as Akbar’s nine most powerful ministers were known.
Abul Fazl was also believed to have been secretly against the idea of Salim ascending the throne after Akbar. And so even though his mission was to bring Salim back to Akbar, he was plotting the prince’s assassination.
Aware of what was coming his way, Salim secretly hired Bir Singh Deo of Orchha to assassinate Abul Fazl first.
Who was Bir Singh Deo of Orchha and why did he construct the Datia Palace?
At the time, Bir Singh was a jagirdar or minor landlord. But he was no fan Akbar and had led multiple rebellions against the Mughals much to Akbar’s bother. This little family dispute between Akbar and Salim gave Bir Singh Deo a good reason to stick it to the emperor one more time.
Bir Singh Deo promised to assassinate Fazl for young Salim.
Everything went to plan. One evening when Fazl’s guard was down, Bir Singh and his men managed to corner and kill him. As evidence, he carried the severed head of the once powerful Mughal courtier in a bag and presented it to Salim.
While this may have earned him brownie points with Salim and even his friendship, Bir Singh Deo had earned the emperor’s wrath. Furious at having lost one of his favourite courtiers, Akbar launched a manhunt for Bir Singh Deo. The little-known chieftain was no longer a minor irritant, he was now an enemy of the state.
Over the next few years, Bir Singh Deo was on the run. With a bounty on his head placed by the most powerful ruler on the subcontinent, Bir Singh Deo would likely have been captured or killed very quickly but for the help of his friend Salim, who secretly leaked all plans to capture him. That and just sheer good fortune helped Bir Singh survive these attacks. But just barely each time.
Just when it appeared that all may have been lost for Bir Singh Deo, Akbar breathed his last, leaving his throne and empire to the man who owed Bir Singh his life, Salim. Soon after Salim ascended the throne taking on the reginal name of Jehangir, he called off the hit on his friend and placed him on the throne of Orchha.
Several years later when Jehangir announced his intention of arriving in Orchha to meet his old friend, Bir Singh Deo commissioned the construction of 52 buildings in the kingdom. One of them was the palace at Datia that would serve as a pitstop for the emperor.
The Datia Palace is known by several names, including Bir Singh Deo Palace and Satkhanda Palace. It was, however, presented as a gift to the emperor and is occasionally referred to as Jehangir Palace just like the one at Orchha Fort.
Why is Datia Palace, a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture, abandoned?
Perched on a low-lying hill, the Datia Palace is impossible to miss when you’re driving along the National Highway 44 from Gwalior to Orchha. A network of narrow lanes lead up to the palace that towers over you in its full glory.
The seven-storey palace features intricate designs resembling Persian carpets and paintings of nobles and Hindu gods. Inside, a multiple-storied chamber tower stands bang in the middle of a central courtyard. Ornate pillars support the wide corridors. At the very top, you can enjoy panoramic views of the town that lies at your feet.
It is in this palace that Emperor Jehangir arrived and set up camp for all of one night. The next morning, the party proceeded to Orchha where Bir Singh Deo was waiting to welcome his friend.
Since it was a gift, neither Bir Singh Deo nor his family ever used the palace for their personal use. And the Datia Palace remained abandoned and unused for more than 400 years.
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