THE HIDDEN TREASURE – ORCHHA
One travels in tightly packed in tuk tuks and buses from Jhansi about 18km away and arrives at ‘Orchha’ meaning hidden. And it is really a hidden treasure. A small habitation, with a population of less than 10,000, it’s the place to go to experience a couple of days break from the big bad world. Clustered around the foot of the exotic ruins, a sleepy village of neatly painted houses, market stalls and hotels provide most of the basic amenities. Like in every part of the country, one can witness the disrespect shown by politicians during the elections. The homes, which looked freshly painted, had names of candidates and their symbols splashed all over them. One thing very striking in Orchha is the cleanliness. No liter, no kids harassing you, no beggars. The occasional sadhu would however pose for a photograph at a cost of Rs. 10! The people were all very friendly are available for a little chat. No luxuries in this place, but one can see the town expanding rapidly as the government is promoting tourism this way. For over 400 years the only earning of the local people came from pilgrims to the Ram Temple. Now it is tourism that the locals depend on.
Orchha was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, who chose this stretch of land along the Betwa River as an ideal site for his capital being inspired by a hermit whom he had met living there. The town, surrounded by thick jungle that long made it impregnable, was founded in 1531 and served until 1783 as the capital of the former Orchha princely state. The Bundela dynasty's fortunes depended on the goodwill of the Mughals. Orchha's most illustrious ruler was Raja Bir Singh Deo. During his 22-year rule, he erected a total of 52 forts and palaces across the region, including the citadel at Jhansi, the rambling Narsing Dev at Datia, and many of Orchha's finest buildings.
In the early 17th century it was systematically devastated by the forces of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan following the rebellion of the Bundela chief Jujhar Singh. But long after the rulers left it, Orchha's grandeur has been captured in stone, frozen in time, a rich legacy to the ages.
We were fortunate to arrive on Mahashivratri when the village was abuzz with preparations for the wedding of Lord Shiva. Late in the evening we witnessed “Shivji ki baraat”, the procession of Shivji as a groom to his marriage. One could easily say that this baraat was no different from any other, delays, band baaja, dance, et al. Where the deity would have arrived in resplendent costumes in a big city, here, the young man was painted from head to foot in indigo and rode a mare! The procession went right around the entire village before returning to the little Shiv Mandir, decorated for the marriage ceremony.
On a seasonal island on the bank of the Betwa River, which has been surrounded by a battlement wall, stands a huge palace-fort. The fort consists of several connected buildings erected at different times, the most noteworthy of which are the Raj Mandir and the Jahangir Mahal.
Orchha
The Palaces
The Raj Mandir was started by Rudra Pratap, and completed by one of his successors, Madhukar Shah. Of the two rectangular courtyards inside, the second, formerly used by the Bundela queens, is the most dramatic. Opulent royal quarters, raised balconies and interlocking walkways rise in symmetrical tiers on all four sides, crowned by domed pavilions and turrets. One can find the fragments of mirror inlay and vibrant paintings plastered over their walls and ceilings.
The Jehangir Mahal, Orchha's single most admired palace, was built by Bir Singh Deo as a monumental welcome present for the Mughal emperor Jehangir when he paid a state visit in the 17th century. Entering through an ornate ceremonial gateway, the east-facing facade is encrusted with turquoise tiles. Two stone elephants flank the stairway, holding bells in their trunks to announce the arrival of the Raja. Three storeys of elegant hanging balconies, terraces, apartments and onion domes are piled around a central courtyard. This palace, however, is sort of more airy and lighted since it has countless windows and pierced stone screens looking out over the skyline to the west, and a sea of treetops and ruined temples in the other direction.
The Sheesh Mahal, palace of mirrors, was built during the early 18th century, long after Orchha's demise. It was originally intended as an exclusive country retreat for the local Raja, Udait Singh. Following India's independence the property was inherited by the State government. The low, rather squat palace stands between the Raj Mahal and the Jehangir Mahal, at the far end of an open-sided courtyard and is now run as a hotel by Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Covered in whitewash and stripped of most of its Persian rugs and antiques, the building retains little of its former splendour, though it does offer stunning views from its upper terraces and turrets.
The Rai Praveen Mahal is a small, double-storeyed brick apartment built by Raja Indramani for his concubine in the mid-1670s. This building lies to the North of the Sheesh Mahal. The building, set amid the lawns of the Anand Mahal gardens, it has a main assembly hall on the ground floor (used to host music and dance performances), a boudoir upstairs, and cool underground apartments.
Around the village below the hill are several other interesting monuments most of which have lain virtually deserted now.
The Chaturbhuj Temple was built upon a massive stone platform and is reached by a steep flight of steps. Raja Madhukar built the temple for Lord Rama between the years 1558 and 1573. While the king was a worshipper of Lord Krishna, Maharani Gansh Kunwari was a devotee of Lord Rama. As a charming tale goes, the King being annoyed at the Queen’s refusal to go on a pilgrimage with him to Mathura, instructed her to go to Ayodhya and not return without the idol of Lord Rama. Thus she spent a number of years interceding with the Lord to return with her. When she could not find a way, she attempted suicide. This is when Lord Rama agreed to return with her, but on three conditions. One, that she would carry him all the way back on foot, second, he would be installed at the place where he was first installed and third that he would be worshipped as a King, thereby the name Ram Raja. In Ayodhya he is worshipped in the form of a child, Ram Lala. The Queen accepted all conditions it took her 12 years to return to Orchha. Getting a vision, the King began building a temple. It was not ready by the time the Queen returned and so they temporarily installed Lord Rama in her private apartments. Finally when they tried to relocate the idol of Rama to the temple the idol refused to move. The king recalled the deity's edict that the image would remain in the place where it was first installed. Thus, the King instead of Lord Rama placed the idol of Lord Vishnu, with four arms in the temple. That is how; it got the name of Chaturbhuj. Lotus emblems and symbols of religious importance provide the delicate exterior ornamentation. With its huge pointed shikharas soaring high above the village the temple, in cruciform shape, representing the four-armed Vishnu, with seven stories and spacious courtyards ringed by arched balconies, it epitomizes the Bundelkhand style.
The Ram Raja Mandir, the Queen’s palace-turned-temple, which now has the idol, stands at the end of the small bazaar, in a marble-tiled courtyard. It is also the only temple in India where Ram is worshiped as a king, as per his second edict. This temple is a popular pilgrimage site. During major Rama festivals, thousands of worshippers gather in front of its ornate silver doors to await darshan of the garlanded deity inside. It is believed that according to promise, Lord Rama returns to Ayodhya at night and returns to Orchha in the morning. Worship hours are restricted. The locals believe that Ram is worshipped only as a King in Orchha, the reason why ultimately The Budelas left the town as there can be only one King. They say, next to Ayodhya this is the most important pilgrimage spot for the hindus.
Laxminarayan Temple
A flagstone path links the Laxminarayan Temple with the Ram Raja Temple. The style here is a mix of fort and temple architecture. The interiors contain the most exquisite of Orchha's Wall Paintings. On the walls and ceilings of three halls, these murals are vibrant compositions and cover a variety of spiritual and secular subjects.
The structure of the temple is pretty complicated. Viewed from the outside it is triangular in shape. I was informed by the guide that being the Lakshmi temple, it was designed to resemble her vehicle, an owl in flight. Hence viewed from the front the entrance has a bird head with a beak and feathery dome. The two wings forming the triangle are the wings and in the centre at the back is the tail as viewed from the outside, but inside a eight sided tower with a feathery dome.
On the inside is another story altogether! A small arched passage and one has four arched passages viewed in ‘V’ shape on either side, at whichever corner you stand which means you end up a square courtyard on the inside of the building! The passages have beautifully painted ceilings depicting the Ramayana, Mahabharata, life in the times of the Bundela Rulers and the British rule as well. The lower wall panels were done later. Crushed shell formed the plaster which was then covered in red dye. The paintings were etched through the dye. The outer walls are simplistic with carved arches and pillars and only red paintings on the fringes which were done perhaps the same time as the lower panels.
All that remains of the altar is the wooden frame on which hung the swing with the idols of the God and Goddess which were stolen. The rest of the idols were moved to the Ram Raja temple. There is no worship carried out here and the temple is now maintained as a historical monument by the Archeology Department.
One can climb up to the upper floors of the temple and tower and get an exquisite view of Orchha on all side. Canopies and other structures have been added on the upper level.
Temples and Chattris
The Chhatris or Cenotaphs - A solemn row of pale brown weed-choked domes and spires, the riverside Chhatris are Orchha's most melancholy ruins. The fourteen Chhatris, memorials to Bundelkhand's former rulers, are best viewed from the narrow road bridge (on the Betwa) or from the boulders on the opposite bank, where one can see the full effect of their reflection in the still waters of the Betwa. They form a fantastic picture at sunrise or sunset. Hollywood has discovered them and presently the place is being readied for the shooting of a film with velvet curtains being fitted into the arches. I wouldn’t be surprised if cenotaphs are turned into the bedrooms of James Bond! The kings whose remains lie below would definitely wake up to another era!
On the other side of Ram Mandir, a path leads through the Mughal-style Phool Bagh ornamental garden to Hardaul ka Baithak, a grand pavilion where Bir Singh Deo's second son, Hardaul, once held court.
Orchha is quite a photographer's delight. It turns absolutely magnificent during the evenings when the monuments look like silhouettes against the sky. Most of what has to be seen in Orchha lies within a comfortable walking distance.
In 2008, a community radio station, Radio Bundelkhand was launched in Orchha. The radio station broadcasts programs daily in the Bundeli dialect and devotes significant amount of its broadcast time to local issues, culture and rich tradition of Bundeli folk music. The station is available on 90.4 MHz.
There are a couple of nice hotels available for tourists. We stayed at Orchha Resort, by far a great experience.
Source of Information: Tourist information at site and tourism office, guides, people, wikepaedia
Photographs: Taken at site
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The Palaces
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Temples and Chattris
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LN Temple
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Labels: Places of Interest
posted by Sunshine @ 11:10
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