Orchha (Urchcha) - Living The History Of The Brave Bundela Kings

Light and sound shows at the Fort of Urchha tell the story of the Bundelas. The construction of the fort and palace was started by Rudra Pratap Singh when the capital of Bundela was at Garh Kundra. Upon his death, the constructions were completed by his successor, Bharti Chand, who moved the capital to Orchha

Location of Orccha

The quaint little town of Orcchaa takes you years back into the glorious era of the Bundela Rulers. The state of Orchha was founded by the Bundela Chief Raja Rudra Pratap in the 1500s. Its capital was Tehri (Tikamgarh) located 84 km south of Orchha. Before moving to Orccha, a fort was built at Garh Kundar but the location was abandoned considering easy access by the Mughals. The tiny town witnessed a tumultuous history - the Mughal Siege, the Maratha War, and a golden period. 

The Bundela Dynasty came into existence after the fall of the Chandelas. The Chandelas ruled over the Bundelkhand Region or Jejakabhukti as it was called then between the 9th to 13th centuries. The last powerful ruler of the Chandelas was Paramardi who was defeated by Prithviraj Chauhan and later by Qutub-uddin Aibak's general Ghurid. After Paramardi's death, his successors Trailokya Varman, Vira Varman I, Bhoja Varman, Hammira Varman, and Vira Varman II could not keep invaders away and eventually, the region was neglected, plundered, and left to slow decay which gave the opportunity to the Bundela Clan Kings to rise into power.

The Garh Kundar Fort - Picture source Wikipedia. The fort was originally built by Yashovarman Chandel when he conquered Bundelkhand. When Prithviraj Chauhan defeated the Chandelas, the fort came under him and he appointed Khetsingh Khangar, as the ruler of the fort. Khetsingh founded the Khangar dynasty

Sohanpal Bundela, a powerful Bundela Clan chief in alliance with other small kings in the region, defeated the ruler of Garh Kundar and established himself as the King, thus laying the foundation stone of the Bundela Dynasty. The legend has it, that Sohanpal was the younger son of Arjunpal, the king of Mahoni near current day Jalaun in Uttar Pradesh. When Arjunpal's elder son Birpal succeeded him, Sohanpal rebelled against him with the help of Hurmat Singh Kangar, the then ruler of Garh Kundar but in return, Hurmat Singh forced him for matrimonial alliance and kept him in captivity. Sohanpal escaped, took help from the king of Panwar, Punyapal, and defeated and killed Hurmat Singh thus capturing the fort of Kundar. Punyapal was later married to Sohanpal's daughter Hemavati. Sohanpal's successors, Sahajendra, Nanakdev, Prithviraj, Ramchandra, Mednimal, Arjun Dev, Malkhan Singh, and Rudra Pratap ruled over Bundela State from Garh Kundar before the capital was moved to Orchha.

The Bundela State was spread across the present-day states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The state was further divided into smaller states like Orchha State, Panna State, Jhansi State, and the many share in the map

Orchha, in the local language, means 'The Hidden Place' and stands for its name. It's quite easy to miss this historical treasure but once there it will definitely mesmerize you (provided history fascinates you). The story of Orchha is beautifully presented in the evening light and sound show. One of the best I have seen so far. In 2020, this historic town was included in the Unesco heritage sites list.

LOCATION

Country: India
State: Madhya Pradesh

HOW TO REACH

The closest airport to Orchha is Gwalior (about 110km) 

Khajuraho airport/station is about 180kms. 

The closest station is at Jhansi which is roughly 18-20 km away. Autorickshaws and rented cars are available from Jhansi railway station. 

Bus service is also available for Orchha. 

New Delhi is approximately 450 km from Orchha.

Bhopal is about 290 km from Orchha.

We went to Orchha from Khajuraho by road. It took us almost 3 hours

WEATHER and WHAT TO WEAR

It's mostly warmer to hot in Orchha. Light cotton would go well. During winter, early mornings and evenings may get colder and it's advisable to carry a light jacket. 

BEST TIME TO VISIT 

Anytime is a good time to visit Orchha though summers are extremely hot and winters are mild.

WHERE TO STAY and WHAT TO EAT

Though there are very few restaurants and hotels in Orchha, it does offer a variety of options to choose from Budget hotels, Sheesh Mahal heritage hotel, MPTDC guest house, homestays, and camps with tents along the Betwa river. Remember it's a small town and one won't find the same amenities as in big cities.

PLACES OF INTEREST 

Places of interest in Orchha. The Entry tickets are available at Orchha Fort for all historic monuments

1. The Royal Chattris

The Chattris are cenotaphs, the memorial tombs (the actual body is buried or reinterred elsewhere) of the Bundela rulers. There are a total of 15 chhatris dedicated to the 15 of the following rulers in chronological order of rule: Bharti Chandra, Madhukar Shah, Ram Shah Bundela, Vir Singh Deo, Kripa Ram Gaur, Jhajhar Singh Bundela, Pahad Singh Bundela, Sujan Singh Bundela, Indramani Bundela, Jaswant Singh Bundela, Bhagwant Singh, Udait Singh Bundela, Banka Umed Singh (Governor of Bundelas, a family member), Vikramjit Singh, Dharmapal Singh, Sujaat Singh, and, Sawant Singh.

The largest cenotaph belongs to King Sujan Singh Bundela and it's built in Nagar style, The domical Islamic style cenotaph on the left belongs to Vir Singh Deo. The rest of the temples are built in Panchayatana style.

The Chattris or Cenotaphs on the banks of the Betwa

Vir Singh Deo's (Large one) and Kripa Ram Gaur's (Small one) Chattris are seen on the extreme left.

The Rajput Nagara style Chattris named Left to right - Sawant Singh (only a tiny part on the extreme left seen) Bhagwant Singh, Jaswant Singm Pahad Singh, Madhukar Shah (a tiny part on the extreme
right seen)

The location of the 15 cenotaphs

2. Jehangir Palace

Jehangir Palace was built by Veer Singh Deo in honor of Mughal Emperor Jehangir who visited Orchha for a day. It was built in a hybrid of Mughal and Rajput styles which is called the Bundela style of Architecture today. Veer Singh was Jehangir's Vassal and he had orchestrated the murder of Akbar's grand Vizier Abul Fazl at the request of Jehangir. In return, Jehangir helped Veer Singh Deo become the king of Orchha by replacing Ram Shah Bundela, son of Madhukar Shah Bundela who was the rightful heir to the throne and had ruled for a brief period. Ram Shah was given the state of Chanderi Jagir (smaller state of Bundela State)

The Jehangir Palace was built by Veer Singh Deo in the early 15th century

3. The Raj Mahal

The Raj Mahal was started by King Rudra Pratap and completed by his successor King Bharti Chandra and later renovated by King Madhukar Shah in the mid-16th century. It was the residential palace of the Bundela Kings. This palace was also built in the Bundela style - a mix of Mughal and Rajput architecture. Today a part of the palace has been converted into a heritage hotel and a restaurant. The food was decent.

The Raj Mahal Palace, as seen from the Jahangir Palace. The Raja Ram temple, the white monument, and the silhouette of the Laxminarayan temple can be seen at the far end. 

4. The Chaturbhuj temple

The Chaturbhuja temple is a Vishnu temple built by King Madhukar Shah Bundela and his wife Ganesh Kumari. Initially, the temple was meant for Lord Rama but after the Queen's palace, built next to it was converted to the Raja Ram temple, the Chaturbhuj temple was then established as a Vishnu temple. This temple is built in the Nagara style with a high platform and tall shikhara. As the name indicates, the temple has four extended corners. Chaturbhuj means four arms.

The top View of the Chaturbhuj temple shows the four, arm-like extensions

The Chatrabhuja temple, as seen from the Ram Raja temple

5. Ram Raja temple

The uniqueness of this temple as told by the locals is that, here King Rama is worshipped and not Lord Rama. It's a shrine devoted to the human form of Rama. The temple was King Madhukar Shah's wife Queen Ganesh Kumari's Palace which was later converted into the Raja Ram temple. Legend has, that King Madhukar worshipped Lord Krishna but his wife worshipped Lord Rama. After a friendly banter between the two about the legitimacy of Lord Rama, the queen decided to visit Ayodhya and bring along proof of Lord Rama's existence. She returns with a baby claiming him to be the child form of Lord Rama. The queen had plans to establish the temple of Lord Rama in the Chaturbhuj temple she had started constructing before leaving for Ayodhya but the baby Rama said, he would take abode where he was first seated, the Queen's palace. Supposedly the baby turned into an idol and fixed itself there. 

The story also has a funny extended version. It is said initially the idol was in a standing position and the queen would offer prayers to the idol in a standing position but then she would get tired and exhausted, so the idol had pity on her and decided to sit down so that the queen could offer prayers without feeling tired :) Honestly, I did find the story quite amusing but no offense meant for those who believe in it.

6. Lakshminarayan temple

The Lakshmi Narayan Temple was built by Vir Singh Deo. As the name says, it was dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his Consort Goddess Lakshmi. The temple is not like the typical north Indian temples. It is influenced by Islamic Architecture and has a fort-like design with domical roofs and towers on four sides. 

Ram Raja Temple, as seen from the Jehangir Palace (White building with domes), Lakshmi Narayan Temple seen on the far right

7. Sunder Mahal

Sunder Mahal was built by Prince Dhurbhajan Singh, son of King Jhajhar Singh. He was in love with a Muslim girl and faced resistance from the royal family for their marriage. After this, he gave up his royal life, embraced Islam, became a hermit or fakir, and spent the remaining years of his life as a saint but married his beloved against his family's wishes. He was venerated by both the Muslim community. His abode Sundar Mahal became a hermitage and to date, it's a popular pilgrim place for muslims.

8. Dinman Hardaul Palace and Phool Bagh

The Palace and garden were built in memory of Hardaul Singh, who was the younger son of Vir Singh Deo. Vir Singh's elder son Jhajhar Singh was the ruler after Vir Singh's death. However, Hardaul was the most popular with the people among the two. The jealous Jhajhar fell for the rumors spread by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who was conspiring against the Bundelas, that there was a clandestine affair between Hardaul and his wife. He ordered his queen to poison Hardaul to prove her innocence. When the queen informed Hardaul of the same, the heartbroken Hardaul drank the poison himself thus honoring the queen. He was deified after his death and was called Lala Hardaul. Even to this date, he is worshipped and songs called Hardaul songs are sung in Budelkhand. The Songs dedicated to him tell the story of his life and the many stories of the Bundela rulers. 

Another legend has it that after being refused help by her brother Jhajhar, Princess Kunjawati in desperation prays for help from his dead brother during her daughter's wedding. Miraculously, Hardaul's spirit helps her, and even attends the wedding. Many locals believe Hardaul is still alive or his spirit is present in Bundelkhand. It has become customary to invite Hardaul to weddings and seek his blessings. The first wedding invitation card is addressed to him.

9. Rai Parveen Palace 

Rai Parveen was the beloved of Madhukar Shah's youngest son Indrajeet. Indrajeet Singh was the ruler of the Kachhaua Estate, near current-day Gwalior - a part of the Bundela State. While on his daily rounds, one day Indrajeet comes across a beautiful girl performing Bhajans and dance. He was so enamored, that he offered to take her back to his palace and take all responsibilities for her education and her training for music and dance. The girl, Puniya came from a very poor family and the father accepted the offer without any hesitation. Puniya grew up in the palace. She was trained as a court dancer and singer. Her voice was so melodious, that she was called the Nightingale of Orchha. She was rechristened as Rai Parveen. Over the years Indrajeet and Rai Parveen grew to love each other but the Royal family forbade their union. Indrajeet then built her a palace close the the Raj Mahal.

Her beauty was known all across the region. The then Mughal Emperor, Akbar also heard about her. He called for her and asked her to perform in his court. The Bundelas could not refuse the powerful Akbar her audience. Rai Parveen consented and performed in Agra, at Akbar's Court. After the performance, Akbar summoned her to his royal chamber. Rai Parveen knew the Emperor wished to spend a night with her. She requested the emperor to answer a question first. Emperor agreed. She sang a song that translated as "The leftovers of an upper caste are picked by the lower caste, the leftovers of the lower caste are eaten by the crows, and the leftovers of the nobles are fed to the dogs, the emperor belongs to which category?" She implied, that she was taken and belonged to another, so why would an emperor want something that belonged to another. Akbar took it in good humor and sent her back to Orchha with due respect. However, on returning from Agra, something bothered Rai Parveen, and unknown to all she took her life. Consumed by her death, Indrajeet, fell into deep depression and died shortly after. Their story also is sung by the locals in the form of ballads like the Hardaul songs.

10. Wildlife Sanctuary and gardens

Orchaa Sanctuary is home to many animals, exotic birds, and medicinal plants and some of them are on the endangered list. The animals and birds found here include Chital, tigers, leopards, nilgai, jackals, bears, peacocks, langurs, and many others. This region is also home to endangered vultures and has been listed as one of the vulture conservation areas. The Critically Endangered, long-billed vultures, white-backed vultures, and Egyptian Vultures are found here. These vultures have nested over many of the monuments here, particularly, the Chaturbhuj temple, the cenotaphs, and Ramnagar gate. The renovation of the monuments had led to loss of habitat for these rare birds and now, strict rules have been imposed that vultures and nests cannot be killed or destroyed. Vultures and scavengers are crucial for the ecosystem since they feed on rotting bodies and carcasses which if left untended or disposed of properly will spread diseases like rabies and anthrax.

We headed back to Delhi by road Via Jhansi