Orcha is indeed a hidden treasure situated on the banks of Betwa River. This small town is located in Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state in India. The town is 80 km from Tikamgarh & 15 km from Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh). The city has a lot to offer. It has a temple built during the reign of Akbar, the Royal Chhatris, and the beautiful Orchha fort complex! Explore the historical beauty of this place in this blog.
Historical Significance
Orchha city foundation can be dated back to 1531 A.D. The Bundela Rajput chief, Rudra Pratap Singh, was the first King of Orchha, and he laid the foundation of this beautiful city. It is said that he is the one who built the beautiful complex of the Orchha fort.
Jahangir Mahal: Specimen Of Mughal Architecture
The story behind this beautiful palace is very intriguing. It is believed that mother of Jahangir, Jodha was also a Rajput. To envisage this, the foundation stone of Jahangir Mahal was laid. Another prevalent story behind the construction of this palace was to honor Jahangir on his first visit to Orcha. Since the palace was built by a Rajput ruler for a Mughal emperor you will get the glimpse of Indo-Islamic architectural style. It is a three-storied building with beautiful hanging balconies. You will see several domes and chhatris adding beauty to the whole structure. The show displays you will get to be well versed with the history of the city of Orchha and the Jahangir Mahal and a part of the history by a spectacular light and sound show in the evening hours in the Jahangir Mahal. The best time to visit the palace is anytime between the months of October and March as the temperature is pleasant. The visiting hours of the palace are between 7.30 am and 6.00 pm.
Chaturbhuj Temple: A Blend Of Temple & Fort
Chaturbhuj Temple is situated at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu. Chaturbhuj is made from a combination of two words ‘chatur’ and ‘bhuj’ , where ‘chatur’ means “four” and ‘bhuj’ means “arms” which literally translates to “one who has four arms” and refers to Rama an avatar of Vishnu. It is believed that a Bundela Rajput king Madhukar Shah built the temple for his wife, Rani Ganesh Kunwari. Chaturbhuj temple structure has a tall spire that resembles a pine cone. It is built on a high platform of 4.5 metres and has an overall height of 105 metres. You have to climb steep and narrow steps which are total sixty seven in numbers, each of about 1 metre height, to reach the temple.
One can reach Orcha very easily as it is well connected with the rest of the cities by train and road. The Nearest Airport to Orchha is the Gwalior Airport (113 km) and Khajuraho Airport (155 km). Orchha is 250 km (about 4 hours) drive from Kanpur Airport. It is just 15 km away from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
Looking at the architecture of fort and temples in Orchha, one can definitely vouch for the fact that Orchha town exhibits some of the most prominent architecture marvels that are still unexplored from tourism point of view. This small beautiful city can be undermined for its remote location or for its competition with its contemporary places like Ujjain, Khajuraho, Gwalior, Indore, and Bhopal. But if one happens to visit this place, will not be disappointed!
