Architectural marvels of central India
There are gems sprinkled over the jungles of Bundelkhand. Diamonds in Khajuraho, golds in Orchha and silvers all over the place. If you are a history or architecture lover, or you see poetry in archeological ruins, “Khajuraho- Orchha- Jhansi” circuit is just for you. From my college days only, I had heard a lot about the comparisons between Konark and Khajuraho. When I had the opportunity of actually witnessing the grandeur of the Khajuraho- Orchha and Jhansi circuit, I couldn’t believe my eyes! The architectural beauty was simply extraordinary.
For nature lovers, there are some beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, forests and wildlife to explore as well. However, it’s the architectural marvel of the region that is world famous, especially the UNESCO World Heritage temple sites of Khajuraho. If you are looking for travel tips on this region, this article is your guide to the “Khajuraho- Orchha- Jhansi” circuit.
Read more on similar UNESCO World Heritage Sites in this website, especially about architectural wonders of India: Hampi || stepwells of India, and from elsewhere in the world: Stonehenge- Bath || Florence.
"Khajuraho- Orchha- Jhansi" circuit plan
Orchha is about 175 kms from Khajuraho, and Jhansi is just 15 kms away from Orchha. Please refer a guide map of the locations below for convenience. The other two notable places not too far from the circuit are Panna and Shivpuri.
One can complete the trip in less than 3 days- one day each in Khajuraho and Orchha, and half-day in Jhansi. However, architecture/ archeology lovers spend some more time in Khajuraho to slowly explore the large number of temples and a day-trip to Panna national park. You can start the trip either from Jhansi or Khajuraho; both the towns are connected by train routes.
If you don’t have a direct train route to Khajuraho, nearest major junctions are Bhopal, Gwalior, Kota and Kanpur, depending on the direction you are coming from. However, if you are inclined to travel back only by flight, it’s better to start at Jhansi and end in Khajuraho, because there is a small airport with direct flights to some major cities in India.
However, in this article, we start at Khajuraho, because that is where we had started our trip in July 2011. Travelling from Ahmedabad by train, we had covered Bhopal as well. It was not at all the right time to visit Khajuraho though. Sweltering heat and extremely humid weather made the trip not-so enjoyable. October to March are the best time to plan for this circuit.
Khajuraho
City of the Gods:
Persian scholar Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni, who traveled to India in 1017, was so enamoured with Khajuraho that he termed it the “City of the Gods”. And almost a thousand years later, when I visited Khajuraho, I had the same feeling. So many stunning temples in close proximity to each other, and lying in a forest setting makes the place look really divine.
The mystery:
Secluded in the forests of Bundelkhand, it’s a mystery why would the Chandelas (Rajput Kings) chose this place as their capital city in the middle of a forest! And where are the palaces and forts? No trace of any non-religious structure exists in Khajuraho. Doesn’t it sound mysterious! Some believe that the Chandelas had kept politics and religion away from each other. So, they might have had a separate administrative town- Mahoba. But Mahoba became the capital only at a much later period!
Architectural excellence of the Chandelas:
A religious hub of the Chandelas during the 9th century through 12th century CE, Khajuraho today is witness to the architectural excellence of an era gone by. Though architectural excellence of the Bundelkhand region goes back to the Gupta rulers in 6th century CE, it especially flourished under the Chandelas. They built at least 85 great temples in an area of 20 square kms. These temples were devoted to Hindu Gods (2/3rd) and Jainism (1/3rd). Of the existing 22 temples, 19 are Hindu temples and the rest are Jain temples.
Khajuraho group of temples are the pinnacle of north Indian Nagara architectural style. All the Hindu temples are built in the traditional Vastu- Purusha- Mandala design, and face the east (for sunrise), except one (Chaturbhuja temple). Considering the richness of architecture, UNESCO has declared the group of temples as a World Heritage Site in 1986. Of the existing temples, prominent ones are the Kandariya Mahadev temple, Laksmana temple, Vamana temple, Adinath temple, and Parshwanath temple.
The rediscovery:
In the early 12th century CE, when the Muslim rulers defeated the Chandelas, they partly destroyed and partly desecrated these temples. As the temples were a little far from the main city of Khajuraho, some of them survived the wrath of the Armies. But they lost their eminence in course of time. However, historians and travelers have reported about the temples being in use in seclusion by devotees for centuries. In the nineteenth century, a number of successive British officers rediscovered and resurrected the temples and brought them to the eyes of the world. Thus, Khajuraho regained its eminence as a great place of architecture, culture and spirituality.
Khajuraho, the inspiration:
Great temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia came up about 200 years later (than Khajuraho) in the 12th century. I guess that Khajuraho temples might have in certain ways inspired the Angkor Wat temples through the visiting traders and officials of the era. Is there any academic studies to establish any organic relationship between the two? Though Angkor is relatively grander in size, Khajuraho temples are finer, more intricate in design and details.
Uncanny resemblance in history:
Interestingly, there’s an uncanny resemblance between the histories of the two greatest Hindu temples in the world. Invading Armies had sacked both in the 12th century. Both remained oblivion to the outer for over 700 years. After remaining in the wilderness for centuries, Europeans (Khajuraho: British; Angkor: French) rediscovered both of them in the 19th century.
Symbol of religious harmony:
Experts have found out that the Hindu and Jain temples were being constructed at about the same time which shows a great degree of religious harmony in those days. Moreover, it depicts how the Chandela rulers practiced the policy of secularism more than a thousand years ago! Indeed, a great lesson for present day governments across the globe.
Khajuraho is not all about eroticism:
People often discuss and quote Khajuraho temples for their erotic sculptures depicting sexual themes, though there are only about 10% such sculptures. One of the explanations of such erotic sculptures is that in those days with growing influence of Buddhism, people were turning ascetic. So, the Kings, in order to stop such influence, depicted eroticism as part of sex education for masses at religious places.
However, my interpretation is a bit different. The sculptures depict the whole life cycle of human beings- from birth to death including everyday-activities. It’s but obvious that love and sex are parts of a normal life. Thus, the 10% erotic sculptures represent the ‘recreation’ part of life.
Khajuraho was not the only temple with eroticism:
More importantly, Khajuraho was not the only temple with such sculptures depicting eroticism. Temples built in the same period at Konark (in Odisha) and in south India also had similar sculptures. There is no proof till now if there was a common manual that the architects of the period followed. Or, were the travelers across the regions influenced the sculptures? Or, maybe the Kings and their officials traveled across India and got inspired by such sculptures elsewhere. Whatever it was, most probably there was some common connection.
In any case, don’t get fooled by the numerous vendors selling books depicting Kamasutra. The temples don’t intend to portray Kamasutra in anyway. The vendors are just making a living by selling those books, and they know ‘sex’ sells well!
This debate fascinates me so much that I would like to study this further and write a separate article sometime later.
Raneh Waterfall:
The sheer number of awe-inspiring monuments/ temples in Khajuraho is easy to overwhelm anyone. In order to give respite to your intellectual senses, there’s enough serenity around.
One can easily cover the group of monuments in one day. There is a waterfall (called Raneh) within a jungle trail nearby (around 20 kms away) which one can cover in the same day, or the next day. The Ken river flowing nearby forms a canyon there. Along the canyon, a series of waterfalls on the granite rock bed make for a wonderful sight.
Yes, for us, this was the best part of being there in July. The waterfalls were full with monsoon rains and looked really beautiful. Besides, the forests looked lush green.
In case you have more time, or you want to explore wildlife, there’s a Gharial (crocodiles) sanctuary in the downstream. Panna national park and tiger reserve is also just 50 kms away. So, wildlife enthusiasts can have a great day-trip.
{Interested in more similar national parks of India? Read: Sundarbans ||| Kaziranga.}
Orchha
Though Khajuraho has got its eminence back, Orchha still remains a hidden gem; most of the tourists still give it a miss. Interestingly enough, ‘Orchha’ means ‘hidden’ in local language. However, the small compact place is no less in terms of heritage and architectural point of view. If Khajuraho was all about temples, Orchha was primarily a seat of power, and was more diverse with palaces, forts and temples.
{More such offbeat destinations: Maheshwar ||| Gagron fort.}
King Rudra Pratap Singh and his successors of the Bundela dynasty had built the city in early sixteenth century CE as their new capital. Situated on the bank of river Betwa, Orchha group of monuments look absolutely majestic.
We walked around the most important monuments- Orchha fort complex, Jahangir Mahal, Royal Cenotaphs (Chhatris), Rama Raja temple, Chaturbhuja temple and Lakshmi temple. It was peak of summer; so, the walk was never going to be easy, but we did manage somehow.
I remember walking over a small bridge across the Betwa river to go to the other side. From there we had a stunning view of the monuments overlooking the flowing river.
Sitting on the big boulders sprinkled across the river bank and playing with the water had a calming effect on us. It was such a respite from the sweltering heat and high humidity! Besides, one can choose to take a boat ride in the river from the jetty in front of the royal cenotaphs (chhatris).
Jahangir Mahal:
Orchha fort complex includes two main palaces- Raja Mahal and the Jahangir Mahal. Though fresco painting in Raja Mahal is really special, I liked the architecture of Jahangir Mahal more than Raja Mahal’s.
Jahangir Mahal, built in the Indo-Islamic architectural style, was named after the Mughal King Jahangir whose mother was a Rajput Princess. After the completion of the palace, King Bir Singh Deo had invited Jahangir to the palace and Jahangir had spent a night there.
Interestingly, they never used the Jahangir Mahal for regular residence purpose again after Jahangir’s visit. Rather, guests of the king and other important officials used to stay here during their visits.
Within the fort complex, you will see an impressive heritage hotel- Sheesh Mahal, which was actually, the queen’s abode in those days.
One can enjoy a light-and-sound show at the palace in the evening; but unfortunately, we couldn’t attend the same.
Temples of Orchha:
Orchha is not only about palaces, its temples are equally grand. Though there are a number of beautiful temples in Orchha, we liked three of them especially- the Chaturbhuja temple, the Rama Raja temple and Laxmi temple.
There is an interesting story behind the construction of Chaturbhuja temple and Rama Raja temple. When queen Ganeshkuwari requested the King Madhukar Shah to construct a temple for his favorite god Rama, he agreed instantly. While construction was on, the queen went to Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama to bring an idol of Rama. After coming back, she kept it in her palace till the temple would be ready.
However, once the temple was ready, they realized that an idol kept in a palace cannot be enshrined in a temple. So, Chaturbhuja temple got another idol of Lord Vishnu later. Lord Rama’s idol was kept in another temple in the palace campus only, named as the Rama Raja temple. It’s the only temple where devotees worship Rama as a King, and not a God!
Laxmi Temple:
Architecturally unique, Laxmi temple is a masterpiece of Bir Singh Deo’s legacy. (See below) Doesn’t it look more like a fort/ palace than a temple?
Even though it’s a Laxmi temple, we didn’t see any idol of the goddess inside! Maybe they have shifted the idol to somewhere else. Like the Raja Mahal, inside walls of the temple have very rich paintings.
Anyone visiting Khajuraho must plan a day in Orchha. However, it’s a pity that very few tourists visit this amazing place. We noticed that there were more foreign tourists in Orchha than Indian tourists! Foreign tourists, it seems, do their research well before visiting a place.
Jhansi
Jhansi is well worthy of being included in the Khajuraho- Orchha circuit. Just about 15 kms from Orchha lies Jhansi, across the border in Uttar Pradesh.
Jhansi was part of the kingdom of the Chandela Rajput Kings between 9th – 12th century, and lost significance with the decline of the Chandelas. King Bir Singh Deo (Bundela king who also built the Jahangir Mahal in Orchha) revived the fortunes of Jhansi and built the Jhansi fort in 1613.
It rose to such a prominence that in the 18th century, it became the capital of the Maratha empire. In later period, it became part of the British empire and the Gwalior state. In 1857, Jhansi was home to the first Indian War of Independence led by Rani Laxmibai.
Jhansi fort and Rani Mahal:
Situated on a hill top, Jhansi fort is impressively built in the north Indian architectural style. It sprawls over 15 acres of land with 10 entry gates. It will take 2-3 hours to explore the fort. Learn how in 1857, Rani Laxmibai got enraged with the British policy- “Doctrine of Lapse” and waged a war against the mighty empire. It proved to be the first uprising against the British, and inspired more such efforts in later period. Besides, do notice the point where Laxmibai had incredibly jumped off the fort on a horseback!
Once you are done with Jhansi fort, head to Rani Mahal in close proximity. Once the residence of Rani Laxmibai, now it is a low-key museum. One doesn’t need much time to spend here, but a sense of history will keep you interested. If you are a history-buff, there is another government museum in Jhansi to explore.
After witnessing glorious heritage of the medieval central-India, leave for your home from Jhansi with a sense of enrichment.
Khajuraho- Orchha- Jhansi circuit : Travel Tips
Best time to visit: Autumn-Winter-Spring months of November to March. Khajuraho Dance Festival happens from February 20th- 26th every year; a great time to visit.
How to reach/ schedule: Refer the first section above
Budget accommodations:
- Khajuraho: Syna heritage hotel | MPT Payal | Khajuraho Temple View | MPT Jhankar | Karma hostel
- Orchha: Orchha Palace & Convention Center | MPT Betwa Retreat | Bundelkhand Riverside
- Jhansi: The Grand Tulsi | Bundelkhand Pride | Jhansi Hotel
Where to eat:
- Khajuraho: Raja Cafe | La Bella Italia | Mediterranean | Levant by Chandela
- Orchha: Ramraja | Amar Mahal | Indiana | Jharokha | New Mediterraneo | Cafe NoMads
- Jhansi: Lazeez | Vrindavan | Opium | The Baker’s Factory
Concluding Thoughts
Though Khajuraho- Orchha- Jhansi circuit is one of the finest travel circuits in India, it’s not proportionately popular among tourists. In fact, we saw more foreigners than Indians in Khajuraho and Orchha!
The “Khajuraho-Orchha-Jhansi” circuit will leave you in awe of the glorious architectural past of India. One wishes we had more real historical texts available on Khajuraho and Orchha circuit. But unfortunately, Indians didn’t have a great appetite for recording events in those days! Though we did have good oral traditions, they tend to be intermixed with local myths and hearsay, thereby diminishing their reliability factor.
Do write to me if this article was helpful. And also share your experience.
Yashobanta swain
I loved this post. This piece of writing is well described and gives lots of information about this place.
stampedmoments
Coming from you, this means a lot! Keep connected.
Dhara
I like the way of writing. Just the highlights of each place to visit and how one can plan the trip.
The suggestions for planning the trip are really useful.
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Suma for your encouraging words. Will be happy if the tips help you sometime in future. Keep connected.
Ajita Sharma
I really enjoyed the way of writing.The beginning itself is very engaging .Very informative and helpful piece of work.
stampedmoments
Hi Ajita. Thanks a lot for reading, and sharing your feedback.
Himanshu Nagpal
On my list now
stampedmoments
Yes, a travel enthusiast must visit this at least once.
Thanks for the engagement; keep connected.