Have you ever been to Orchha? Do you like to revisit the history and want to know about the culture, time, customs and everything about this place then you should definitely stay with us and read this entire article till the end, you will get to know everything about the place and the history of Orchha. Orchha a town placed in Niwari district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is a town that resides on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
These are the two states of India, whose border are joint with each other. And on this border Orchha is present. This town was established by the Bundela Rajput Chief Rudra Pratap Singh somewhere in the year 1501. The entire town lies on the river nearby that is the Betwa river. Later Rudra Pratap Singh became the king of Orchha and also established the Fort of Orchha.
There are mainly four places to visit in Orchha that is Raja Ram Temple, Royal Chhatris, Laxmi Nayaran Temple, Jahangir Mahal and Orchha Fort Complex. If you have not visited any of the places or not even visited Orchha then you should visit it. These places are the best historical places in Madhya Pradesh. The architectural work done in several monuments is just truly amazing.
Places of Tourist Interest in Orchha:
Jahangir Mahal – A place with incredible architectural work
If you are new to India and want to explore India from its roots then you should definitely start your journey with the core of the country that is from Madhya Pradesh. Here lies the Jahangir Mahal that is present in Orchha, this is a place where you must visit. The beauty and architectural work you will see here is just incredible and you can’t see it anywhere.
According to the records, the Jahangir Mahal is dated back in 17th century A.D. and it was constructed by the Vir Singh Deo as a warm symbol for the Mughal Emporer Jahangir. The entire palace is made with complete precision and with correct accuracy you will not find any sort of loophole or any mistake in the entire structure. This is because it was made for Emperor Jahangir who likes the things to be made perfect.
The palace front wall is faced in the east side and the entire structure is completed with high quality of marble type flooring. The palace is well-equipped to handle all sorts of canon and the main entrance of the palace is so big that even an elephant can also walk in.
Here you will find stylish balconies that are still intact and are in perfect condition. The palace is a three-storied with incredible Mughal work that can be seen till this date. So if you have not visited the palace then you should definitely visit the place.
Also read: Places to Visit in Madhya Pradesh
The New Raja Ram Temple, Orchha
In Orchha, there are two Raja Ram temple, the one you will read in this article is the new one because everyone is visiting the new temple. As there is the old temple also but it is located at a certain height on a mountain. However, the more developed one is the new Raja Ram temple, which is a temple of Lord Ram.
The entire temple is colored in bright orange color. There are no particular entry fees for entering into the temple, it is free for everyone and anyone from any caste can easily enter into the temple. This new temple is very big and once you enter the temple then you have to visit the entire temple.
There are several statutes of different Hindu lords in the temple but the main lord that is mainly worshipped there is Lord Ram or Krishna. However, there is an interesting history of this temple. The King of Orchha Madhukar Shah Ju Dev (1554) and his Queen Ganesh Kunwari were the devotees of Lord Ram and Krishna, according to the story they have no kids so the queen asked and worshipped Lord Ram for a child but God never appeared. So one day after fasting for one month she jumped into the river and saw that Lord Ram was sitting in her lap in a form of child and said that where ever you will stop it would be my final place.
So the Queen traveled with the child from Ayodhya to Orchha and stoped at the Rani Mahal and from that time the idol of Lord Ram is there in the Rani Mahal. Many people tried to shift the idol but it was impossible for everyone to shift the idol. So later on the new temple was built next to the Rani Mahal where presently everyone goes.
The Laxmi Nayaran Temple, Orccha
Orchha is a place that is filled with many structures of older times, if you are planning to visit Orchha then it would take approx one-week to completely admire what Orchha gives you because there are soo many historical monuments that are totally incredible. Similarly, The Laxmi Nayaran Temple is one of them, it is one of the most significant temples but with an interesting history.
Many people who visit here think that the Laxmi Nayaran Temple is a temple that contains the idol of Lord Vishnu with his wife but when they enter into the temple, they see a completely different picture.
When entered into the temple there is no idol or statue of lord Laxmi Nayaran. Now you may be thinking that why is it so, and to answer your question, there was never an idol of goddess Laxmi because in the year 1622 the King Vir Singh Deo constructed the entire beautiful temple but it was never completed due to its heavy maintenance.
Later on in the year 1793, Prithvi Singh again re-constructed the entire temple but he also never established an idol of Goddess Laxmi. However, the temple is a mixture of fort and temple, it was built so beautifully that it can be used as an attacking fort when the situation was worse. Thus from that period of time the temple is still empty, you can see the amazing architectural work done in that period of time. If you are planning to visit Orchha then definitely visit this amazing Laxmi Nayaran Temple.
Also read: Sanchi Stupa, Buddhist Complex Located at Sanchi Town of Madhya Pradesh
Chaturbhuj Temple Orchha
As the name suggests itself that this Chaturbhuj Temple is dedicated to which Lord, yes you are right it is of Lord Vishnu. According to name itself “Chatur” means four and “Bhuj” means who has four hands and according to Hindu mythologies god Vishnu has four arms. Similarly, like the Laxmi Nayaran Temple, this Chaturbhuj Temple is also a blend of temple, fort and palace but the kind of design and construction it has is totally incredible.
The history of the temple is quite amazing according to the legends, Queen of Orchha wanted to relocate the idol of Lord Rama from Rani-Niwas to the Chaturbhuj Temple but it was impossible to move the idol from one place to another. So the King decided to put the idol of Lord Vishnu instead of Lord Rama. The structure of Lord Vishnu that King placed in the temple is of a four-handed God. This is how the temple got its name.
The temple is a collection of fine art-work, you will find amazing descriptions on the walls of the temple. The design that is been encrypted on the outer and inner walls is brilliant. To reach the temple is not a big thing the entire city is well connected with public transport, so you will not find any difficulty while traveling any of the structures or historical monuments.
In the end
Orchha is a place whose history is filled with amazing legends, all these stories and legends are been described in ancient books. One of the best things you will notice about this place is that all the amazing structures are still intact and preserved well by the government. Even every part of the palace and temple is designed beautifully and is a lifetime experience to watch all these historical monuments. So whenever you make a plan to visit India do visit Orchha, it is really a place that is been forgotten in history. So for more travel-related articles do visit IndiaImagine.
