Orchha , )

Pic: Henry Flower (Wikipedia)

Fast Facts

State: Madhya Pradesh District: Tikamgarh Famous for/as: Heritage Languages: Hindi Best Season: Oct - Mar Weather: Summer 24-48°C, Winter 9-36°C Altitude: 231 m Pincode: 472246 STD code: 07680

Orchha in the Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh was the erstwhile capital city of the redoubtable Bundela kings. 16th and 17th century palaces and temples make Orchha, a famous tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh.

Bordered by the beautiful Betwa River, Orchha reflects the sumptuousness and magnificence of the mighty Bundelas. An artificial island with the meaning a ‘hidden place’ Orchha, lives up to its name. Placed in the lustrous Bundelkhand countryside, this pretty locale is bestowed with natural beauty and splendor.

With its striking forts, regal palaces, poetry carved temples and chhatris, Orchha presents a matchless spectacle and is a delightful place for photographers. An effervescent city with salubrious climate and glorious past, Orchha is renowned for its world class Mural Paintings. The outstanding frescos on the walls of the marvelous temples and regal palace of Orcha makes the viewer spellbound.

The splendor of ancient times hangs all around this historic city, and the remains of numerous palaces and havelis that withstood the beatings of time, fills the town with an air of quixotic reminiscence. Orchha is well known for its graceful monuments, which displays unique and exclusive architectural grandeur. Elaborately decorated monuments with domes, brackets, pillars, arches and ledges shows the influence of different architectural styles.

A sleepy village surrounded by a woody forest, Orchha showcases the rich heritage of medieval times. This exotic city, with garish monuments and majestic temples makes it picturesquely bobbling and fascinating.

History

Orchha, situated on river Betwa, has various historical legends associated with it. However, not much of it is known before the 1501 A.D. when the city was founded by Rudra Pratap sinhg, a Rajput ruler of Bundelkhand. He was the first king of Orchha and built the Orchha Fort.

The city was attacked by the Mughal Army under the generalship of Shah Jahan, in the early part of the 17th century. The Mughals gained reign over the city and ruled here till 1641 A.D. All the attempts of the Marathas to rule over Orchha went in vain and in the year 1783, Tehri was declared as the capital of Orchha.

The city was ruled by Hamir Singh from 1848 to 1874 A.D and in the year 1865, the king gained the title of the ‘Maharaja’. Maharaja Pratap Singh sat on the throne of Orchha in 1874.

Orchha was declared as a part of Madhya Pradesh in the year 1956.