Orchha
Cenotaphs, Orchha, Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh
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Cenotaphs, Orchha, Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh
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We are used to thinking of tombs, particularly Mughal tombs being located beside rivers and other water bodies. But the location of memorials beside rivers and water bodies is a tradition with diverse roots. The settings of monuments is so important to our appreciation of them – a pristine, uncluttered, skyline is so crucial to this beautiful view!
– Swapna Liddle
A) The cenotaphs, originally a tribute to the deceased rulers went on to also assume the status of his successors – following which, the cenotaph of every ruler was raised by his immediate successor.
B) A surreal depiction of the spires that are embellished and adorned from the exterior. The 14 cenotaphs seem to magically spring out from the ground and become one with the horizon – silhouettes of a bygone era.
– Puran Kumar, Studio PKA
The Cenotaphs do not mourn the life we have passed but celebrate it magnificently and instantly pushing the community to do more than they think they can. While we mingle with the earth after we pass away our spirit still reaches for the sky provoking others to look forward and upwards.
– Karan Grover
The memorials are brilliantly structured on elevated platforms that are supported by pillars and have beautifully painted domes and spires.
– Nilesh Narayan
There are 14 cenotaphs, the architecture of which are in a way reflective of shifting allegiances. While the older ones are all built in a style typical of the region, the cenotaph of Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo was constructed in an Indo-Mughal style, reflective of his association with the Mughal Emperor of the time, Jahangir (who, as the son of Rajput princess Jodha, would have been a more natural ally of the Bundelas).
– Annie Sengupta
On the left is the most unique of all the Orchha cenotaphs, because of its ‘eclectic’ appearance. The grass sprouting on its domes adds an endearing touch. Looks even more impressive from across the Betwa river, especially with the contrast of the slim steps of the Kanchan Ghats.
Silhouettes have a certain charm which is unmatched…an aura of mystical that deepens with the shadows. The pointy spires and ribbed domes of the chhatris are highlighted even more in the dark skies.
– Punita Malhotra
Hindu cosmography imagines the center of cosmos to be Mount Meru, as a form of axis mundi or world pillar linking earth with the heavens. The island citadel of Orccha has cenotaphs in archetypal forms signifying the axis mundi churning the oceans in the cosmogonic myth of creation of space and time out of primordial chaos. The cenotaphs on the Betwa River rising out of the watery expanse in fording streams, southwest of the citadel, were built on the cremation sites of Bundela kings. These riverfront commemorative memorial towers were symbolic representations of the world pillar rising out of the waters and reaching the skies, promising renewal and rebirth upon death.
– Sunita Tayal