Photograph by the author.

Strategically and aesthetically, the medieval town of Orchha is perfectly situated. With the golden-walled island-fortress on the Betwa river at one end, the quaint hamlet on the left bank of the river unwinds around temples and memorials, before petering off into the undulations of bucolic Bundelkhand beyond. Although an outpost of Chanderi existed here earlier, the first battlement of note was raised in the 16th century by the Bundela chieftain, Raja Rudra Pratap. Thereafter, notwithstanding setbacks due to the odd incompetent ruler, the kingdom’s fortunes spiraled upwards, driven mainly by Madhukar Shah and the swashbuckling Bir Singh Deo. And eventually, by 1783, when the capital shifted to Tikamgarh, the intense saga of the House of Orchha played out, what remained was a unique Indo-Islamic legacy, set in stone and plaster. One and a half centuries later, Sir Edwin Lutyens was to find in these edifices some of the architectural influences that went into the making of Indo-Saracenic New Delhi.

It probably started with Madhukar Shah’s Raj Mahal, one of the palaces within the fort walls, distinguishable from the outside by the uniformly cupola-lined parapets and to be lingered in at the inside for vivid frescoes depicting fantastic religious themes. During Shah’s rule too came to be erected the Ram Raja Mandir, originally meant as a palace for his queen, but eventually abdicated to an image of Lord Rama that pertinaciously refused to budge and relocate to its own brand new quarters. Since then Orchha became the only place in India where Rama was revered as King more than God. Incidentally, attending one of the daily aarti (ritual prayer) sessions at the temple can be quite charming, as uniformed policemen stamp to attention, rifles grounded, in their figurative roles as ‘bodyguards to His Highness’.

Allocated subsequently to Lord Vishnu, the Chatturbhuj Temple is surely Orchha’s most stupendous building. Closer in design to a cathedral than to a traditional Hindu place of worship, the cruciform-planned temple’s soaring spires add to the eminently distinguished skyline more stylishly than even the Jehangir Mahal’s domed kiosks.

Expressions of Mughal influences continue in typical gardens (charbaghs), notable amongst them, the landscapes around the poetess-musician Rai Parveen’s palace, and Phool Bagh, built for Bir Singh’s sons.

Back across the Betwa, tucked away in the heart of town, nestles the shrine of Orccha’s third great hero, Dhiman Hardaul, who gave his life to protect the queen’s honor, and ballads of whose exploits are still sung across this rugged land. A short trudge through the dusty lanes brings you to the town’s peripheries where in splendid isolation, perches the fortress-temple of Laxmi Narayan, streaked liberally with Orchha’s colorful signature frescoes.

Though looked over by only a wizened caretaker and his dog now, here on the lapping shores of the Betwa, one can sense they sleep peacefully over their achievements.

NOTEBOOK: Orchha is well connected to the rest of the country by air and rail. Gwalior (120 km) and Khajuraho (160 km) are the gateway airports and Jhansi (16 km), the convenient railway station. Standard accommodation is available at government and private hotels. For more information, contact Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, Bhopal, at 91-755-778383. About 200 km east of Orchha lies Panna. Once the capital of Chhatrasal, another legendary Bundela warrior, the town is famous now for its temples, diamond mines and the adjacent Panna National Park, spreading along the Ken river. The tiger is, of course, a big attraction at the 542 sq km Project Tiger Reserve that was once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Panna, Chhattarpur and Bijawar.