Orchha – Where Ancient Monuments Whisper

Many of Orchha’s temples and palaces are still in pristine condition, notwithstanding their age; most of them were constructed during the 1700s and 1800s. Rudra Pratap, ruler of the Bundela Rajput, as well as successive emperors all contributed to the splendor of Orchha. However, it was Rudra Pratap who picked this site on the banks of the River Betwa to become his capital.

Orchha in Madhya Pradesh was established in 1531 by Rudra Pratap, king of the Bundela and lies only ten miles from Jhansi in the state Uttar Pradesh. The dwellers of magical Orchha city have an interesting explanation for the name of nearby Jhansi; it is derived from ‘jhain-si’ meaning ‘shadow-like’, the words which a former king used to describe it. Today Orchha lies amongst shrubs and low bush, but three centuries ago a thick jungle surrounded it, making it almost impenetrable against Mughal invasions. This made up for the fact that it was not typically situated on a hilltop but rather in a depression in the bend of the river.

Orchha attracts many visitors who marvel at its splendid buildings. The finest amongst these was built by Bir Singh Deo. Many other sites of historical interest can be visited in the area, for example, Gwalior, 74 miles away, and Shivpuri, Khajuraho, and Chanderi. The 45-minute ride by road from Jhansi is worth the while; it wanders through lively villages and through huge green fields.

Entry into the town is through the old royal arched gate, and a little further on, to the left the multi-arched bridge takes the visitor to a quadrangular courtyard, surrounded by enormous palaces built for the Orchha kings. These include the Raja Mandir, Sheesh Mahal, and Jahangir Palace. The fort complex consists of numerous buildings; the Chaturbhuj and pearly Ram Raja Temples, the palaces of Jhujjar Singh and Dinman Hardol, and Sawan Bhadon, Lakshminarayan and Palki Mahal Temples. Phool Bagh is an elegant planned garden with water fountains. A structure underneath the garden served as a retreat for the royals during the heat of summer. The garden leads to a pavilion with eight pillars. On the riverbank are the imposing chhatris, cenotaphs to various rulers.

The town is an interesting mixture of peaceful rural existence with goats and cows roaming around, and the hustle and bustle of tourists hurrying from one magnificent palace to the next. Local residents go on with their tranquil everyday lives in the shadows of history remarkably preserved in these magnificent buildings, all within a one-mile radius. All while the Betwa flows gently past, bearing witness through the years.

Orchha – An Impenetrable Bastion

There are at least two explanations for the origin of the town’s name. Some say that the name itself means ‘hidden’, true to the nature of this land which seems to be veiled in mystery. According to others, a Rajput commander cried out ‘onche’ when he first laid eyes on the land. This means ‘it is low lying or far enough’. In volume twelve of the Imperial Gazette, it tells just how impregnable Orchha once was; even the Mughals with their military powers were deterred by the dense forest, Betwa River, and rugged mountains.

Keshavdas Mishra, Sanskrit scholar and great litterateur of the Orchha court wrote that Orchha was surrounded by the Tumgaranya forest for thirty kos. It was dense like Lord Shiva’s knotted hair. Beyond the forest is an impenetrable jungle, from Tumbavana to Madhuvan and Chanderi across River Madhumati to present-day Datia.

Orchha’s Mythical Betwa River

In olden times the Betwa was called Vetravati. It originates in the village of Vaiton, near Bhopal in the Raisen district and this explains its name, according to some. From Vaiton it continues through the state of Madhya Pradesh, flows past sleepy Orchha town to converge with the Yamuna River in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh. In a doha or rhyming couplet, Keshavdas compared the river to the mythical Sarayu. In it he says that the seven arms of the river join together at Orchha similar to the 9 palaces belonging to Bir Singh Deo’s sons join around Ram Raja, sitting in their flower gardens.

Orchha’s Ancient History

Raja Rudra Pratap recognized the strategic benefits of establishing his new kingdom at Orchha. For many years, between 1531 and 1783 it was the capital city of the whole of Bundelkhand which included Jhansi, Khajuraho, Datia, Sagar, Lalitpur, Orai, Damoh, Banda, Mahoba, Chhatarpur and Narsinghpur. The cultural influence of Orchha stretched as far as Jabalpur, Gwalior, and Bhopal. Hiuen Tsiang, a seventh-century pilgrim describes Bundelkhand in vivid details and calls it Jejakabhukti, the name it was known as from the 10th to the 16th centuries, during the time of the Chandela Dynasty which lasted between the 10th and 16th centuries.

There are different explanations for the origin of the Bundela’s name. One legend has it that, after his brothers expelled him from his empire, Hemkaran, Gaharwar ruler of Benaras decided to pray to the goddess Vindhyavasini. His sacrifice to her was 5 human heads. This pleased the deity and she bestowed the title Pancham Vindhyela on him, where pancham means ‘the fifth’ and vindhyela ‘knowledge’. It is believed that the name Bundela is a distortion of Vindhyela.

The second explanation also involves Hemkaran. According to this version he tried to offer himself as a sacrifice and slashed his own throat with his sword. Bundela refers to his blood or bund that flowed down his throat.

The Bundelas were the fiercest Rajput warrior race of the time and like the others placed great value on virtues like loyalty, weaponry, like astra (weapons) and the sacred texts or shastra.

The Rulers Who Determined Orchha’s Destiny

• Rudra Pratap Singh, founder and first king of Orchha ruled from 1501 to 1531 and built the fort.

• Bharti Chand, son of Rudra Pratap ruled from 1531 to 1554 but died without leaving a son and heir.

• Madhukar Shah, younger brother of Bharti Chand, succeeded him. During his and his elder brother’s rule the kingdom suffered many attacks from the Afghan Islam Shah Suri and the Mughal Akbar. He reigned from 1554 until 1592.

• Ram Shah ruled from 1592 to 1604.

• Due to internal strife between the different clans, Madhukar was forced to declare Orchha a tributary state of the Mughal Empire. The emperor Jahangir appointed Bir Singh Deo, his vassal as the ruler of Orchha from 1604 to 1627.

• Jhujjar Singh rebelled against the occupation of Orchha by Shah Jahan and was eventually installed on the throne to reign from 1627 until 1635.

• Indramani Singh was the 10th Raja of Orchha and was a ruler from 1672 until 1675.

The Legacy of Bir Singh Deo

It was Bir Singh Deo who was responsible for putting Orchha on the map. Under his rule, the region entered its golden period and reached heights of architectural splendor previously unknown. He initiated the erection of many grand buildings like colossal palaces and magnificent temples, amongst them the beautiful Phool Bagh gardens, Jahangir Palace and Lakshmi Temple.

He was also responsible for the turnaround of the decline of the town of Jhansi during the Chandela dynasty’s downward spiral in the 1700s. He built the fort and re-established the town to its former prominence in the northern part of India. Relations with Mughal emperors improved; in fact, Bir Singh Deo and the emperor Jahangir became close allies. Unfortunately, his incompetent successors Jhujjar and Indramani Sigh, with their frivolous and arrogant behavior caused Orchha’s decline.

Orchha – Noble State of Old

In 1783 the Maratha’s surging power threatened Orchha and therefore Raja Vikramajit moved the capital to Tehri, present-day Tikamgarh. This protected Orchha and it was almost the only town, except for Datia which did not yield to the Maratha.

In 1802 the British took control of the central Indian states after the Bassein treaty between them and Peshwar Bajirao l of the Maratha. In 1854 the British created the Central India Agency and started to interfere in the internal matters in Orchha. The jostling for the throne continued until the British Secretary of State for India installed Bir Singh Deo ll as ruler in 1930. After independence in 1857, Orchha became part of the Indian Union.

Explore Orchha: What Not to Miss in Orchha

All of Orchha’s major sites can be split into 4 groups:
• Palace complex: Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, Rai Parveen Mahal, and Sheesh Mahal

• Complex of Ram Raja: Chaturbhuj Temple and Ram Raja Temple, Sawan Bhadon and the Dinman Hardol Phoolbagh Palace

• The complex consisting of Sundar Mahal and Laxminarayan Temple

• The Chhatris (Cenotaphs) on the River Betwa

How to Reach Orchha

Flights are available to Khajuraho Airport, (105 miles) and Gwalior (74 miles) away. There are regular bus services from Jhansi to Orchha. Orchha is also connected to Jhansi by rail, the nearest train station (10 miles). Trains from Agra and New Delhi stop at Jhansi. Time tables are available on www.irctc.co.in

Where to stay

There are various options, like the Bundelkhand Riverside Retreat, Amar Mahal, MP Tourism Betwa Retreat, and the Orchha Resort.