Orchha, also known as, Raja Ram ki Nagri is a Little Ayodhya, or Second Ayodhya, place is a hidden gem in the state of Madhya Pradesh…..
I found Orchha quite accidently, actually I wanted to visit Jhansi….to experience the fort from where Rani Laxmi Bai had fought so bravely against the British, and, was looking for a nice and peaceful hotel to stay while visiting Jhansi….but strangely I could not find anything good at Jhansi to stay….
Then, I did manage to find a beautiful resort at Orchha by the name of Hotel Bundelkhand Riverside……https://www.bundelkhandriverside.com/
This Hotel is a luxury resort just on the banks of Betwa River and is a lovely place to live….just keep in mind that in these times when the tourist otherwise is low they are giving the property for Pre Wedding photoshoots, so if these pre wedding teams are not considerate enough you might few of them creating some nuisance otherwise is a very good place to stay if you want to cut your self from the outer world and relax….(just a small tip…do speak with the hotel directly and ask them for a discount instead of going through different websites…they would give the best price)…And do remember that you don’t get strong mobile signal at the resort which makes it more relaxing and peaceful
Now coming back to Orchha again, it was ruled by Bundel rulers and you can experience the richness of their art and architecture in Orchha Fort, why is it called Raja Ram Nagri…because this is the only place where Lord Ram is given guards in his service apart from the priests…yes…you read it correct, there is a separate contingent of MP Police who is deputed in the service of Lord Ram in Orchha, they are supposed to be present with their guns when the priests do the prayers in temple. It is said by locales that in the morning Hanuman ji attends the Puja at Orchha and then go to Ayodhya for the evening prayers of Lord Rama…..
Apart from the temple in Orchha, in which locales and people from other places have a lot of faith, the fort of Orchha is another monument which should be seen, it was built somewhere in 1501 and has very beautiful paintings in some parts of the fort and amazing architecture…..which leaves one amazed at the thought and foresight of the people of that time….
In the fort, you can take the audio guide…which when I visited was free of cost…probably they were trying to propagate the audio guide or you can take the local guide also….I took both…so had the chance of hearing to a lot of local stories also….the local guide is also not very expensive they have fixed prices and if you show interest to them they love to tell you all the stories they know….( a tip….I generally take an old guide…generally they have more knowledge of the place and they are in the business since long so they know their craft well)
In the fort compound, you have Jahangir Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Rani Mahal( which was the original abode of Lord Ram when was first brought to Orchha), you also have few monuments outside the fort compound like Raja Ram Mandir, Samadhis of the erstwhile rulers to see and admire the grandeur of the architecture….
At Orchha, you must try the Alo Puri and Milk Cake at Raja Ram Mandir compound.….both are equally good and gives you the taste of local food
In all, you would need at least a day to experience the place, and if you like the Light and Sound program,Orchha does have that which is quite well presented and is scheduled from 7:30PM in English and post that in Hindi in Fort Compound….Light and Sound program is something which I like to see where ever I can, it is a different feeling altogether…I feel as if am witnessing the history when I see these programs…
Once seen all of Orchha you can also see Jhansi fort, which is at 30 minutes drive from Orchha but was a dampener for me, there were no proper guides who could share the rich history of that magnificent structure, you would find few but they would look like rookies to you and you would find that they don’t have the knowledge which you would have found in Orchha,
You can relax and see around Orchha very comfortably in 2 complete days, you can reach Orchha by train and by Taxi also…both can be taken from Delhi or Agra, from Agra it would be 5 hours by car, from Delhi would be another 3 hours making it 8 hours and by train from Agra or Delhi you would have to go to Jhansi and then come to Orchha…..
But, the place is worth visiting…..peaceful, relaxing, small and rich in history and heritage
Would be back soon with my travel diary of India’s Heaven…till then do visit https://vagabondexplorer.com/?page_id=453 to enjoy my past experiences