Orcha-Abandoned but not forgotten

This travelogue was written a long time back but I had not published it for some reasons. Now its for everybody to have a look....provided they want to, otherwise thanks for reading all this.

Last weekend I decided that now its time to go on a sojourn. The time was appropriate as there were no classes and exams scheduled for the next week. Earlier I had decided to go to Mathura but there was a change of plans and the place which came up after much delibration was Orcha.

The night before the trip, the preparations started with searching the internet for the places worth looking for in and around Orcha. So at about 2 in the night all the plans were chalked out and I decided to start the journey at 8.

At 6.30 I got up and got ready for what was going to be an exciting day. I went to the mess and picked up a packet of bread and butter but the mess manager warned that the road is dangerous and recently an ASI was kidnapped from there. Instantaneously I decided to return before it gets dark. So around 8.15 I started my 125 km drive from Gwalior to Orcha.
On way to Orcha
The road was not as smooth as expected , the scenery not as picturesque but the journey from Gwalior to Orcha was enlightening with a number of tombs, forts and temples to be seen all along the road.

I stopped to have breakfast, for short photo sessions and after traversing the labyrinth of roads I entered into the town of Orcha at about 10.30. The one thing which catches the eye the moment you reach there is the architectural splendor of the buildings be it the temples or the fort. The historical monuments, temples and forts of Orcha still hold their pure charm and tell tales of war and peace, of love and devastation.

Among the temples I decided to visit the Ram Raja temple. Inside the temples hordes of pilgrims can be seen worshipping Rama, it is the only temple in the world where Rama is worshipped as a king. Even temples of Maa Kali and Hanuman are present in the temple. The temple is spread in a huge compound with big open spaces. An ancient tree inside the temple believed to be about 500 years is also worshipped and highly revered by the devotees.

After the Ram Raja Temple I visited the Laxmi Narayana Temple which blends a perfect mix of fort and temple architecture and the interiors contain exquisite wall paintings. On the walls and ceilings of three halls of the Lakshmi Narayana Temple murals are vibrant compositions and cover a variety of spiritual and secular subjects.

Then I visited Phool bagh which is laid out as a formal garden thus testifying to the refined aesthetic qualities of Bundelas. A central row of fountains in the garden culminates into an eight-pillared palace-pavilion. It is believed that the garden acted as a summer retreat of Orcha Kings.

About 2 kms from Phool Bagh is the Chaturbhuj temple, a temple built on such a massive stone platform that it can be seen from a distance appearing as an ostrich. The temple has been built at the summit of a hill so I had to ascend about 500 feet inorder to reach the main entrance of the temple. The wall carvings, long tomb, huge staircases are built to perfection thus portraying the architectural bent of mind of the Bundela rulers. The temple consists of three floors and commands a panoramic view of the whole city of Orcha.

With the digital camera the trip was more or less like a photo session with pictures being clicked every second irrespective to the place I was near to. After visiting the temples I along with a group of friends I made while visiting the temples decided to have a bath in Betwa, the river which flows through Orcha. For me it was the most enjoyable part of the trip as the water was flowing really fast and we had to hold each other hands to avoid being pushed by the water. So after the ablution I decided its time to visit the forts that Orcha has on offer for the tourists. Orcha houses forts built by the Bundela rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries. The fort complex comprises of three palaces viz. Jehangir Mahal, Raj Mahal and the Rai Praveen Mahal. The palaces still retain their pristine perfection inspite of utter neglect of the present government and archaeology department. The palaces are a depiction of exquisite craftsmanship but the winds of time coupled with the government behavior have reduced them to ruins.



The museum inside the Rai Praveen Mahal has ancient artefacts, pictures depicting centuries old traditions of Orcha and its nearby places. The view of Lakshmi Narayana temple from the Parveen Mahal left me awestruck. I could barely imagine how majestic the view would have been in olden days when the fort and the temple were mighty beautiful.

I had gone to Orcha during the monsoons so the river Betwa was at its mighty best. The river amazingly encircles Orcha and its waters can be seen from every place but no avenue can boast of a better view of Betwa than the Raj Mahal. The river Betwa flowing ferociously over stones as small as a pebble to as big as huge boulders produced a thundering sound that could be heard from a distance. Inspite of the dangerous flow teams of adventurous and risk taking rafters were enjoying river rafting along the river. The brown coloured water flowing inbetween the green forests felt as if a huge snake was crawling along the herbs and shrubs inorder to avoid being caught.

Orcha has plethora of hotels, private guest houses having room for tourist of all budgets. So after visiting and checking hotels to suit my needs and budget, I decided to spend my night at Sheesh Mahal, a heritage hotel under the administration of MP tourism department. The hotel presents the view of ancient Orcha, its culture, its heritage, its art and great past is depicted to perfection by the ambience in the room, evenings dances, dresses of the attendees and the fort which has been turned into Sheesh Mahal makes the whole setting complete.

So after a tiring day and a comfortable night's sleep at Sheesh Mahal I got up at 5 am to get ready in time for the morning Aarti at the Ram Raja Temple. Inside the temple there were about 500 devotees chanting the bhajans of Lord Rama. The morning aarti left and indelible mark on me and left me in a state of tranquillity and calmness. The morning aarti ended at 8.30 am and I returned to the hotel. Then I had my breakfast, packed my bags and started my journey back home.

The legend surrounding Orcha has it that the king abandoned it but the reason of its forsake by the government remains unanswered. The place presents contrasting pictures of hunger, of prosperity, of poor localities to affluent foreigners in search something that has been reduced to ruins due to the utter neglect of the concerned departments. Orcha was abandoned by its king, is being neglected and overlooked by the government but has not been forgotten. Inspite of the ruined forts, dilapidated roads, ill maintained temples Orcha still remains a place to be seen to experience the splendor and the architectural might of the ancient Indian rulers. The temples and the mythology related with them make it a place suitable for god seekers as well.

All along the journey these thoughts reverberated in my mind and I thought that Orcha as a place offers Indian religious tourist a place to worship, adventure seekers a place to enjoy, history lovers a place to ponder upon and foreigners a nice cheap destination to come to.

Hope you are one among those.

Orcha Factfile

Air : Nearest airport is - Gwalior 125Kms.
Rail : Nearest Rail Head is Jhansi (25Kms) which is connected to all major rail head of India
Road : Orcha lies on the Jhansi - Khajuraho road. Regular bus services, taxis and auto rickshaws connect Orchha with Jhansi.