With uncharted forts, a unique temple and bustling small-town life, here’s why Orchha has managed to create a permanent space in my heart, despite spending a mere four hours there
One of the most memorable things I’ve done this year was taking a road trip with my mother. The trip has been to a destination on both our bucket lists for a long time – Orchha.
For my mother, Orchha ended up on her bucket list thanks to social media reels and a one-of-a-kind temple there. My love affair began when I was a travel writer with Travel + Leisure India and South Asia, and came across images of the destination on the website.
Orchha called out to me in several ways – its stunning chhatris and the fort appeased to my history-loving traveller, and its simple, small-town charm gave me a sense of peace that only us city-dwellers can (conceitedly) call blissful.
Orchha Fort
My mom and I reached Jhansi around 3:00 pm. After a quick tea break, we left for Orchha – a half-hour drive from the city, with the roads filled with banquet halls (where innumerable weddings were underway). The first place we headed to was the majestic-yet-quiet Orchha Fort – it was scheduled to shut by 6:00 pm, so we were in a massive rush!
Seamlessly blending Mughal and Rajput styles of architecture, the Orchha Fort was built by the Bundela Rajput kings over the 16th and 17th centuries AD, and feature two Mahals – the Raja Mahal and Jahangir (or Jehangir) Mahal. The former was built by Raja Rudra Pratap Singh while the latter was constructed by Raja Bir Singh Deo, in honour of Jahangir visiting the kindgom. However, while Jahangir stayed there for just one night, the structure and its rich history lives on!
Chaturbhuj Temple
After that quick tour, we headed to Chaturbhuj Temple, which was initially built by Madhukar Shah of Orchha for his wife, who was a Vishnu worshipper. Our guide informed us that Lord Rama visited the queen in a dream, directing her to build a temple for him, and while Shah was a Krishna worshipper himself, he heeded to his queen’s wishes and constructed the stunning architectural marvel right in front of the Fort.
When the temple was being built, the queen went to Ayodhya to bring an idol of the deity to Orchha, but legend has it that she situated it in her home, Rani Mahal’s kitchen till the time the Chaturbhuj Temple was completed. She was, however, unaware of the fact that once she rested the idol in her palace, it could not be enshrined in the temple, and thus, the Raja Ram Mahal was built around the idol to house Lord Rama’s Raja (or King) avatar.
Stepping inside the cool sanctum of the Chaturbhuj Temple in Orchha somehow brought about a sense of spirituality in me, despite the fact that we were among the few devotees in the chambers. The naturally cool air, the smell of old buildings and the simple prayers brought about a calmness in my raging mind.
Orchha Cenotaphs
Once out of the Chaturbhuj Temple, we had some time in hand before the aarti at the Raja Rama temple would begin. While we wondered what to do, a local policeman told us that we could simply go on a city tour, visit the other palaces from outside and spend some time at the Orchha Cenotaphs, should they be open (they were not).
We hired an e-rickshaw and headed on our excursion, making 10-minute pitstops at all these destinations for mere minutes as night began to fall and our surrounding grew quieter.
Raja Ram Mandir in Orchha
Around 7:00 pm, we headed back to the Raja Ram Mandir, where we waited for the aarti to begin. Fun fact: This is the only Lord Rama temple in the entire world where he is worshipped as a king, and not a god! What makes this temple unique (and also what we went to witness) was the salaami (Guard of Honour) that the King is given every day. Policemen, who serve as guards, give the guard of honour, after which the aarti begins.
This aarti marked the end of my about four hours in Orchha, for I headed back to my hotel in Jhansi – a mere 30 minutes away but it took us three hours to reach. Why? The weddings that the banquets were preparing for in the afternoon were underway, which meant that the entire road was filled with baraats and baraatis dancing their hearts out!
That being said, the trip has made me want to visit Orchha again and visit all the destinations I just touched upon in my first visit.
(All images credit: Anushka and Seema Goel, unless specified otherwise)
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