Apr 17, 2013

O is for Orchha !

And today, from the mountain passes of Ladakh, I take you to Orchha - In the heartland of India !

Orchha is a small town in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It was established by the Bundela king Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501.

Orchha is near the better known Khajuraho and most people end up bypassing it on their way there. But luckily, thanks to the insistence of a friend we didn't. She suggested we stop over at Orchha and stay the Sheesh Mahal – A palace that has now been converted into a hotel. And what an excellent decision that turned out to be !

The Palace is on top of a hill, surrounded by an almost forest like area. The ambiance was beautiful and incredibly peaceful.



Our hotel rooms were in the actual Palace and although it was not as grand as the palaces in Rajasthan, we did feel like royalty. 

We had a whole floor to ourselves. With a courtyard, a sitting area and a beautifully furnished room ! 




This is actually the view we had from our .. err .. loo :P


The best thing about staying at Sheesh Mahal was that we were actually staying in the vicinity of all the palaces. So to visit them, all we had to do was come down from our room !

We visited the Jehangir Mahal that was built to commemorate the Mughal emperor Jhenagir's visit to Orchha. It is stunning with its intricately carved network of columns, lattice windows and hanging balconies.





Orchha is also famous for the Chaturbhuj Temple, dedicated to lord Vishnu.It was built over a period of 20 years in the late 16th century. 


But the one thing Orchha is most famous for is its magnificent Chattris or Cenotaphs. There are about fifteen cenotaphs of the Bundela rulers and members of their family on the bank of the Betwa river. 


The best time to visit the Chatris is at Sunrise or sunset. The rays of the sun falling on the stone structures make them look really beautiful.

We went there a little before sunset.


After visiting the Chatris, we walked down to the River. Most of the tourists had left by then and we had the place to ourselves. We sat on the bank and watchedthe sun set over the Betwa River.


59 comments:

  1. Pics look absolutely amazing! Especially the loo-wali view :P You are going to do all travelogues from now, aren't you! You should totally direct us to discounted fares of travel for these places too ;)

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    1. No Nandana .. not all travelogues :P But i do like to do them !

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  2. Looks like an amazing place. I had actually never heard of this place as a tourist attraction before, but I guess, it must be visited once.

    Thanks for this post :)

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  3. What a place to stay. Even the loo has a view that's stunning. And you only had to walk down to see other places nearby. Another wow.

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    1. Yes that was the best part. We were in the midst of so many beautiful things !

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  4. Have been to Orchha for an official visit but never got the opportunity to explore the temples and palace. Amazing pics... loo with a view is spectacular :D

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  5. A very much less known place has now been brought to prominence by this blog. No doubt Bundelkhand is a historic place whose territory extended from Jhansi to Varanasi during Sepoy mutiny 1857. I shall now make it a point to suggest to various tourist agencies to include this city in their tourist map. Availability of good and comfortable hotel is added attraction.
    mrinal

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    1. I think a lot of tourist agencies do include it but people by pass it for the more popular Khajuraho !

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  6. Splendid pics. Even I was not aware of this place. Thanks for bringing it out!

    - Dishit from Only the Crazy Survive!!!

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  7. One more added to my list.
    A grand place to stay indeed!

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  8. WOW !! A whole floor to yourself... I can so understand that wonderful feeling you might have got... geez... these royalties did live wonderful lives ! :D

    That is a wonderful place... One I ahve read about a lot but not yet visited... hopefully sometime soon ! :D

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  9. Great pictures, as usual, though how I wish they were bigger in size.

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  10. I judge places by their loos - you have a good place to stay :D

    Scenic ... the story writer in me wonders at the kind of stories these places must be having - the people who lived, fought, loved and worked in these palaces ....

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    1. LOL .. I suppose this loo will pass in your judgement !

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  11. absolutely lovely!!!

    I read about Orchha in my Master's and have been intrigued since!!

    I will call you first when we are finalizing out plans to get the details!!

    http://www.myunfinishedlife.com/

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  12. Gorgeous fort. Reminded me my Jaipur and lucknow trip
    I love History and I SO LOVE the different architecture followed by different kingdoms
    U r making me jealous day by day :D

    AWESOME IT IS TO STAY There !!

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    1. I love history and architecture too ! That is why I am always attracted to these places !

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  13. Travelogues all the way Ruchira - I am totally in love with your lodging, and of course your clicking skills:)

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  14. Lovely pictures.. and a beautiful place. Am pretty much tempted to go there now :)

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  15. Wow! The buildings are amazing. How tiny a person must feel standing next to one as she gazes up at it. And to think how old they are!

    Don't be a Hippie
    Take 25 to Hollister

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  16. Wow...what fantastic architecture and views. Amazing!

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    Replies
    1. Thats what makes Orchha so beautiful. Great views and fantastic architecture.

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  17. Nice pics, lovely place. There is something about places less explored, isn't there!

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  18. Thanks for sharing this..... We are planning to visit Gwalior soon at it seems near to it. Staying there must have been awesome :)

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  19. What an amazing place! India is so full of little known sites such as these that most of us didn't know about. Now thanks to you, we do.

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  20. Amazing.. I have immediately added it to my places to visit list. Thanks for sharing.. The idea of staying in a palace in itself is eclectic ..

    Your fellow A toZer
    Visit my post at http://precari0us.wordpress.com/

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  21. Splendid pictures and an informative post :)

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  22. Incredible! Long time no travel and tourism.

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  23. Wow girl, Loo ka view aisa tha so the rest I can just imagine. I honestly feel you ought to be a travel writer. The sooner the better. You certainly have a way with pics and words. They make the narration come alive. I didn't know this place existed. Now another one for a must visit.

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  24. Ruchira, I will be the first one to buy your travel book, seriously. I just love the way you describe the view and the pictures speak volumes too. DO IT NOW, JUST DO IT.

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  25. Incredible India and amazing pictures. I loved the view from the loo.

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  26. A loo with a view. That would be a nightmare for my better half, I might never come out !!

    PhenoMenon
    http://capturedalive.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/orange-orb/

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  27. WOW, You have literally done places :P

    View from loo was spectacular :)

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  28. My goodness!! This is truly a hidden gem!! Why don't people advertise these places better?!!

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  29. The architecture is similar to the Rajasthan palaces. Very interesting

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  30. I have never heard of this place before. Loved the pics of the palace. And the Loo view is amazing.

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