Orchha
Orchha, Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh
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Orchha, Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh
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Standing at one of the gaping windows of Jahangir Mahal, when one looks down upon this scene of Raja Mahal, Ram Raja Mandir and the town below, ‘brown’ seems like the most glamorous colour of all.
– Punita Malhotra
The Orchha Complex is a royal complex located in Orchha town of Tikamgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, India. The town ‘Orchha’ or ‘Urchha’ is a 16th century princely estate that was founded by Raja ‘Rudra Pratap Singh’ the first King of Orchha, a Bundela Rajput who originally built the Fort of Orchha.
The King: It is believed that Raja Rudra Pratap Singh died in an effort to save a cow from a tiger. While the Raja Rudra Pratap died in 1531 his son Bharti Chand is credited for the completion of incomplete portions of the palace, even as the rest of the final touches of the complex are solely attributed to the successive rulers of Orchha who ruled the state in the later centuries….
Location: the royal complex is strategically situated at an island formed by the confluence of the Betwa River and Jamni River of the Orchha town.
The Complex: The palace is a beautiful blend of Rajputana and Mughal style of architecture, and houses a large number of ancient monuments consisting of the fort, palaces, temples along with other notable edifices and several mysterious ruins. The Palace is best known for its projected balconies, latticed windows and outstanding mural paintings etched in lime mortar that adorn its interiors like anything.
The Palace in perfect square houses two courtyards where the halls are intricately designed featuring Hindu epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata while the outer courtyard has some beautiful arches arranged in floral patterns stamped out in lime mortar. As per local legends the palace has several secret passages.
– Nilesh Narayan
As the legend goes, Jagdas (also known as Pancham, Devadasa or Hem Karan) was a son of the juniormost queen of Kashi’s king Virabhadra. After being denied a share in the Kashi kingdom by the four sons of the elder queen, he came to the shrine of the goddess Vindhyavasini, whose blessings he sought to gain through a long period of tapasya. After failing to evoke any response, he decided to sacrifice his head to the deity. As soon as the first drop of his blood fell on the ground, however, the goddess appeared before him. She declared that his son, a brave hero and a future ruler, would appear from the drop of the blood. This son – Bundela – was named after the drop (bund).
The Bundelas originally ruled from Garh Kundar, but after being ousted by the Tughlaqs, moved to Orchha in 1531.
– Annie Sengupta
I believe that living close to the earth allows one to get strength from the earth and compliments the fact that the whole city with the exception of the Temple is rooted to the ground. The Temple dominates the skyline to remind us that whatever we do individually we are easily identifiable and the doors of the Creator is always open for us.
– Karan Grover
I’ve never been to Orchha, but these images have made me curious to delve into its history. Although then, we didn’t have the far-reaching influences of the Internet and therefore a means to keep in touch with architectural developments across the world, doing a comparative search on the kind of monuments built around the same time in Europe and also Central Asia, which was governed by Islamic precepts, it was a revelation to see how progressive the era leading up to 1500CE was in Europe – post the Gothic style of flying buttresses, pointed arches and vaulted ceilings, alongside the radiantly coloured, richly patterned tile work and asymmetrical silhouettes popular in many parts of the Islamic world, including Russia. Against this backdrop, these monuments at Orchha seem decidedly austere. Yet, by then the Mughal era was thriving as is evident through miniature paintings. Ultra-fine white Muslin jamas teamed with elaborate Jamawar shawls and ruby and pearl necklaces was the style of costume that evolved out of the proscribed ideals of Islamic austerity -especially for men.
The complexity of structures and close proximity of numerous dwellings indicates a highly populated space – a thriving culture no doubt!
– Gopika Nath
Orchha derived its name from the phrase ‘ondo chhe’ meaning low or hidden, apt for a bowl shaped region, enclosed by bluffs and forests. The Bundela citadel was built on an island in the River Betwa, as a jal durg (water fort), one among the fort types discussed in the medieval design treatises, Shilpashastra (Acharya, 1934; Begde, 1982).
The rocky and barren Bundelkhand plateau was ideal for fort building by Rajputs in the medieval period and was their sanctuary from Mahmud of Ghazni’s raids and later attacks by Sultanate and Mughal forces. Orchha, capital of the Bundela Rajputs from 1531-1783 CE, has a number of historic palaces, gardens, temples, and murals representing Bundela achievements in art, architecture, and design.
– Sumita Tayal
Panoramas such as these reveal why it is important to look at historic towns and neighbourhoods holistically. It is not simply individual important buildings, but the entire ensemble that makes the impact. This view is so refreshingly free from any jarring interventions.
– Swapna Liddle
As the synopsis suggests, Orchha truly lives up to its name and stands as an evocative and enigmatic marker with its palaces, temples and cenotaphs in the distance – a cultural landscape that has admirably withstood the test of time.
– Puran Kumar, Studio PKA
The unspoilt landscape of Bundelkhand, with its jungles and rocky rivers, provides a dramatic setting for these splendid monuments. Almost unknown and unvisited a few decades ago, the Orchha palaces are now attracting the notice of tourists and scholars.
– Giles Tillotson
Raja Rudra Pratap, it is said saw the potential of this island while out on a hunting trip from his capital at Garhkundar. He moved the capital but was killed soon after in an accident. Built during Akbar’s expansionist reign, his son Raja Bharti Chand built this palace complex on a river island; it was not only picturesque, the river formed a natural moat. In time Jahangir, still Prince Salim appointed Raja Bir Singh as Raja, quite possibly as a reward for murdering Akbar’s trusted advisor Abul Fazl and sending his head on a platter to the future Emperor in Allahabad Fort.
Bir Singh was a prodigious builder of not only this complex at Orchha, but some 52 forts and palaces including Datia and Narsinghdev Fort to his credit. The Bundhelkhand Rajas were great patrons of the arts, noted poet Keshavdas lived here and wrote the famed Ram Chandrika and clearly there was a great tradition of art which is seen in every building, each narrating a different story.
– Amita Baig
Having read some history of Bundela architecture followed by a visit many moons ago, the real experience of the majestic palaces, many of them still intact, having stood the test of time, however grumpily, in front of me, was a feast for the eyes.
Embedded in their physical form are many socio-political stories challenging us to understand the bond of historical contiguity in time, where we have come from and what we have become.
Think it is time for a visit again.
– Madhu Pandit