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Raj
Mahal : Situated to the right of the quardrangle, this palace was built
by Madhukar Shah, the deeply religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo. The
plain exteriors, crowned by chhatries, give way to interiors with exquisite
murals, boldly colourful, on a veriety or religious themes.Jehangir Mahal : Built by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo in the 17th century to commemorate the visit of Emperor Jehangir to Rochha. Its strong lines are counterbalanced by delicate chhatries and treillies work, the whole conveying an effect of extraordinary richness.
Raj Praveen Mahal : Poetess and musician, Rai Prqveen was the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani (1672-76), and was sent to Delhi on the orders of Emperor Akbar, who was captivated by her. She so impressed the Great Mughal with the purity of her love for indramani that he sent her back to Orchha. The palace built for her is a low, tow-storeyed brick structure, designed to match the height of the trees in the surrounding, beautifully landscaped gardens of Anand Mahal, with its octagonal flower beds and elaborate water supply system. Sklfully carved niches allow light into the Mahal which has a main hall and smaller chambers.
Ram
Raja Temple : This palace-turned-turned-temple has a charming legend
attached to it. Following the dream visitation of Lord Rama, Madhukar Shah's
wife, Ganesh Kuanwari brought a statue of the god from Ayodhya to Orchha.
While the king was a worshipper of Lord Krishna, the queen was a devotee of
Lord Rama. The image was placed in a palace prior to its installation in a
temple. When the idol proved impossible to move, the queen recalled, too
late, the deity's edict that the image would remain in the place where it
was first installed. Today, with its soaring spires and palatial
architecture, the temple is surely one of the most unusual in India. It is
also the only in the country where Rama is worshipped as a king (Raja).Chaturbhuj Temple : Built upon a massive stone plat form and reached by a steep flight of steps, the temple was specially constructed to enshrine the image of Prakash that remained in the Prakash Raja Temple. Lotus emblems and other symbols of religious significance provide the delicate exterior ornamentation. Within, the sanctum is chastely plain with high, vaulted walls emphassing its deep sanctity.
Laxminarayan Temple : A flagstone path links this temple with the Ram Raja Temple. The style is an interesting synthesis of fort and temple moulds. The interiors contains the most exquisite or Orchha's wall paintings. Covering the walls and ceiling of three halls, these murals are vibrant compositions and cover a variety of spiritual and secular subjects. They are in an excellent state of preservation, with the colours retaining their vivid quality.
Phool Bagh : Laid out as a formal garden, this complex testifies to the refined aesthetic qualities of the Bundelas. A central row of fountains culminates in an eight-pillared palace-pavilion. A subterranean structure below was the cool summer retreat of the Orchha kings. An ingenious system of water ventilation connected the underground palace with Chandan Katora, a bolw-like structure from whose fountains droplets of water filtered through to the roof, simulating rainfall.
Dinman hardaul's Palace : hardaul was a son of Bir Singh Ju and died to prove his innocence to his elder brother Jhujhar who cast doubts on his relationship with his (jhujhar's) consort. This saintly prince was, after his martyrdom, worshipped as a god, and even today, the villages of Boundelkhand contain platform-like shrines where hardaul is worshipped.
Chhatries
(Cenotaphs) : There are fourteen 'chhatries' of memorials to the rulers
of Orchha, grouped along the Kanchana Ghat of the river Betwa.Sunder Mahal : This small palace, almost in ruins today, is still a place of pilgrimage for Muslims Dhurjban, son of Jhujhar, embraced Islam when he wed a Muslim girl at Delhi. He spent the latter part of his life in prayer and meditation and came to be revered as a saint.
Shahid Smarak : Commemorates the great freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad who lived and worked in hiding on Orchha during 1926 and 27.
Other places worth seeing in Orchha are the shrines of Siddh Baba ka Sthan, Jugal Kishore, the janki Mandir and the Hanuman Mandir at Ohharedwara.
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