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Orchha (or Urchha) is a town in Tikamgarh district in the state of Madhya Pradesh , India. The town was the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River, not far from Jhansi.

History

Orchha was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela chief Rudra Pratap Singh, who became the first King of Orchha.He died in an attempt to save a cow from a lion. In the early 17th century, Raja Jujhar Singh rebelled against the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, whose armies devastated the state and occupied Orchha from 1635 to 1641. Orchha and Datia were the only Bundela states not subjugated by the Marathas in the 18th century. The town of Tehri, presently Tikamgarh, about 40 miles south of Orchha, became the capital of Orchha state in 1783, and is presently the district town. Tehri was the site of the fort of Tikamgarh, and the town eventually took the name of the fort.

Hamir Singh, who ruled from 1848 to 1874, was elevated to the style of Maharaja in 1865. Maharaja Pratap Singh (born 1854, died 1930), who succeeded to the throne in 1874, devoted himself entirely to the development of his state, himself designing most of the engineering and irrigation works that were executed during his reign.

In 1901, the state had an area of 2000 sq. mi, and population of 52,634. It was the oldest and highest in rank of all the Bundela states, with a 17-gun salute, and its Maharajas bore the hereditary title of First of the Princes of Bundelkhand. Vir Singh, Pratap Singh's successor, merged his state with the Union of India on January 1, 1950. The district became part of Vindhya Pradesh state, which was merged into Madhya Pradesh state in 1956. Today Orchha is almost a nondescript town with a small population, and its importance is maintained only due to its rich architectural heritage and tourism.

Places of tourist interest

Betwa

The beautiful River Betwa on whose banks the city of Orchha is founded, is a picturesque site, with its monuments dotting the landscape on either side of the river.

 

Palaces:

Raj Mahal
One of the oldest historical monuments in the fort complex, the Raj Mahal or King’s Palace is famous for its chhatris (cenotaphs) and exquisite murals on the interiors. The palace has a number of rooms that dealt with exclusive functions. There is the private room for the king, a room for the guests who used to receive special favours from the King, and many rooms for his harem.

Jahangir Mahal
Considered the best piece of architecture in Orchha, the Jahangir Mahal is the reminder of friendship that prevailed between the Mughals and Bundelas for a long time. The palace is situated a few steps away from the Rai Praveen Mahal, another important palace of Orchha. The main gate of the palace has two bowed elephants on each side accentuating the Islamic architectural style that is the hallmark of this palace. The palace also gives breathtaking views of surrounding areas from its numerous multi-storeyed balconies.

Rai Praveen Mahal
It is a small, two-storeyed palace mostly in ruins now. Legends say that king Indramani built this palace after his favourite concubine and used to come here after a hectic day\’s work. There was a time when the palace buzzed with beauty and grace of its inhabitants as well as the charm of its gardens. Rai Parveen was a gifted poetess and dancer and it should not have been tough for the king to fall for her charms. The height of the palace has been designed to match the height of the trees in the surrounding gardens.

Temple Attractions:

Ram Raja Temple
The Ram Raja Temple is perhaps the most important—though unusual—of all the temples in Orchha. This is the only temple in the country where Rama is worshipped as a king—that too in a palace. According to legends, once Lord Rama appeared in a dream to king Madhukar Shah and directed him to build a temple for him. The king followed the instructions given by Rama and brought his idol from Ayodhya, the birthplace of the lord. However, the construction of the temple was not complete when the idol arrived from Ayodhya. So it was kept in the palace for the time being. Later, the king remembered that in the dream Lord Rama had specifically mentioned that his idol could not be removed from the place where it has been originally kept. This led the king to abandon the construction of the temple and instead the palace where the idol was kept was converted into a temple.

Chaturbhuj Temple
Built on a massive stone platform, the Chaturbhuj temple was originally built to house the idol of Lord Rama. A number of steps lead to the temple. Up on the platform, one can have a splendid view of the beautiful surroundings.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple
The Lakshmi Narayan temple is at a higher altitude suited more for a fort. The architecture of the temple gives a feeling of ethnic India’s royal taste. The temple also has some very beautiful and rare paintings. The post-mutiny paintings of this temple are very famous.

Climate

Orchha