On the banks of Betwa River in Madhya Pradesh, lie this wonderful heritage site- Orchha, a medieval town. Even now, the former capital of the erstwhile Bundela kingdom remains obscure to the larger travel world. But whoever has had a chance to visit Orchha will tell you how amazing the site is. From stunning architecture to serene natural beauty, Orchha has much to offer to a discerning traveller. For someone who is planning to visit Orchha, here’s a travel guide with the 6 best places to explore at this hidden gem. Written with first hand experiences of our two trips across two decades, this article sheds light on everything one needs to know before visiting Orchha.
In July 2011, we first visited Orchha as part of a road trip covering the Khajuraho- Orchha- Jhansi circuit. All of these three destinations had a number of stunning heritage monuments, and we had only four days on hand! So, a second visit to Orchha always on the cards.
More than a decade later, last year (Feb 2025) we visited Orchha again, this time especially focusing on Orchha. On the same trip, we also visited Gwalior and Datia. Stories from Gwalior and Datia some other time! Now, let’s come back to the main subject- 6 best places in Orchha.
{However, if you are specifically looking for Khajuraho, check out: Khajuraho Travel Guide}.
Orchha, the hidden gem in Madhya Pradesh
About 20 kms away from Jhansi town, Orchha is indeed a hidden gem from tourism point of view. In fact, the meaning of the word- ‘Orchha’ means ‘hidden’ in local dialect. How appropriate is this!
In 1501, King Rudra Pratap Singh founded one of the most powerful dynasties of central India, specifically in the Bundela region. Though he established Orchha in 1501, his capital was in Garh Kundar for most of his life. As fate would have it, in 1531, when he shifted his capital to Orchha, he died.
Located by the the Betwa River, the capital was easy to fortify and kept it safe from invading armies. So, the place was actually designed to be secluded, and thus the name- ‘Orchha’. Even after centuries, it remains hidden!
After a century of rule by succeeding Bundela Kings, perhaps the most famous King started his reign in 1605 and the kingdom achieved its political and architectural pinnacle. No wonder, he was the one who built all the magnificent palaces and majestic temples in Orchha. Though he had friendly relations with the Mughals, later kings went into conflicts with them. Ultimately in 1783, when Vikramajit Mahendra shifted his capital to Tikamgarh, Orchha went into oblivion.
{For more such obscure heritage places, check out: Gagron Fort}
Orchha: 6 Best places to explore
From a traveller’s perspective, there are 6 best places one must visit in Orchha. They encompass interesting different kinds of places- forts & palaces, temples and river banks. Moreover, since they are close to each other, it’s easy to explore them slow pace in a day. Here’s a list of these 6 best places in Orchha.
1. Orchha Fort Complex:
Among the 6 best places to visit in Orchha, the Fort Complex sits right at the top. King Rudra Pratap Singh built the first palace and fort in the complex. It was only after his death, his son Bharti Chand completed the fort. In course of time, successive Kings added more palaces and other structures in the complex. Now, the fort complex includes four palaces and some other buildings.
The four palaces within the fort complex:
- Raja Mahal: Started by Rudra Pratap Singh, completed by his grand son- Madhukar Shah. Over two hundred years, it remained the main residence of the successive generations of Bundela Kings. Though from outside, it looks simple like a fort, its interiors are rich with fresco paintings. It housed the Diwan-i-Aam, a platform the King used for public hearings.
- Jahangir Mahal: In 17th century, King Bir Singh Deo built this palace, especially in the honour of Mughal King- Jahangir. Hence, the name! But ironically, Jahangir spent only one night in this palace! And then it remained empty; only served as a guesthouse for royal guests later. The three-storied building blended Rajput and Mughal architectural styles. With eight domes and elaborate lattice (jali) work and paintings, the palace looked majestic.
- Rai Praveen Mahal: During the reign of King Indrajit Singh, a poetess- musician and dancer- Rai Praveen rose to eminence in his court. The King was so enamoured by her talent and beauty that he built a palace for her- the Rai Praveen Mahal in 1618.
- Sheesh Mahal: In 1706, King Udait Singh built a new palace for royal guests and dignitaries. Sheesh Mahal, meaning ‘Mirror-Palace’, assumed its name from the glazed blue-green tiles and mirror works in the palace. Now, it has been converted into a heritage hotel.
{For more details on the magnificent fort, read: Orchha Fort}.
2. Chaturbhuja Temple:
Next on the list of 6 best places in Orchha is the chaturbhuja temple. Surging over the skyline of Orchha, the Chaturbhuja Temple looks majestic from a distance. In the 16th century, the temple was commissioned by King Madhukar Shah at the request of his queen Ganesh Kunwari. But he couldn’t complete it. Years later, their son- King Bir Singh Deo completed the temple.
Legend:
Though the temple was built for Lord Ram, it actually houses Lord Krishna and Radha. Why? There’s an interesting story.
While Chaturbhuja Temple was still under construction, the queen had a dream prompting her to visit Ayodhya and get an idol of Lord Ram from there. So, she went to Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram. {To know more about Ayodhya, read: Ayodhya- Ram Mandir}
By the time she got back, the temple was still incomplete! Hence, she had no option but to keep the idol in a portion of the palace- Rani Mahal. Legend has it that when Chaturbhuja Temple got completed, the idol of Lord Ram didn’t move from its place! After many efforts, the queen left the idol there only and modified the palace as a temple, later known as Ram Raja Temple.
Architecture:
Standing at 105 feet (~344 ft), Chaturbhuja Temple is among the tallest temples of India. Built in cross-shape with conical spires, the temple has a mix of Nagara- Rajput and Mughal architecture styles.
To get into the temple, one has to climb stairs over 15 feet. On reaching the base of the temple, I was absolutely surprised to see the interiors. It’s like no other temple in India that I have visited. From inside, it looked more like a fort/ palace than a temple! The ceiling is really very high, but not ornate. Much like a fort, one can climb stairs to reach the top floor. In fact, it’s from that floor, we had the best panoramic view of Orchha town.
3. Ram Raja Temple:
As mentioned above, the idol of Lord Ram permanently got established in a part of the palace. And the portion was called Ram Raja Temple, ‘Raja’ meaning ‘King’- the only temple where Lord Ram is worshipped as a King. We noticed policemen guarding the temple as security persons for the deity. Everyday, in the morning and evening,they give guard of honour (with gun salute) to the Lord.
The temple itself is not that magnificent, but cute and colourful. But of course, it has great spiritual value. We saw people offering wedding invitation cards to the deity. The campus was abuzz and vibrant with groups of devotees singing praises of the Lord. Interestingly, devotees believe that spotting and looking at the big toe of left foot of Lord Ram’s idol fulfills their wishes.
4. Laxmi Temple:
Late in the afternoon, when we reached Laxmi Temple, I was surprised to see yet another temple in Orchha, very different from other temples elsewhere. Again, it looked more like part of a fort than a temple! But once inside, I was thrilled to see the richness of fresco & mural paintings. In fact, they are the best paintings in all of Orchha. Hence, Laxmi Temple sits pretty in the list of 6 best places in Orchha.
In 1622, King Bir Singh Deo built the temple in a hybrid design model- a fusion of spiritual symbolism (shree yantra) and features of a military bastion. But why? Goddess Laxmi has nothing to do with battles/ warfare! If you have any idea, please let me know in the comments section.
While talking to the temple workers, I realized that the original Laxmi idol was stolen sometime back. And in its place, they have kept some other idols.
5. Cenotaphs (Chhatris) of Orchha:
One of the iconic views of Orchha is the line of cenotaphs on the bank of Betwa River. From across the river, they look absolutely majestic. From the main town, we walked across a stone bridge/ causeway to the other side and had the best view.
These cenotaphs (or, chhatri) were built in memory of the Kings and other important members of the royal family. Of the 14-15 cenotaphs, the ones of Bir Singh Deo and Madhukar Shah are very special. Built in Rajput- Mughal fusion style, the square buildings with domes or conical temple-like spires, these cenotaphs charm the eyes. Thus, these iconic cenotaphs are definitely among the 6 best places to visit in Orchha.
6. Betwa River:
To wind up the 6 best places in Orchha, let me take you to the serene Betwa River flowing nonchalantly by the town. It’s a great idea to take a stroll by the river either in the morning or evening. If you love taking pictures, both sunrise and sunset are great times to enjoy the view and take lovely pictures of the river with the cenotaphs in the backdrop.
There are two main places to enjoy the river view. As I said above, take a walk over the causeway to the other side of the town. Or, go to the ghats near the cenotaphs. On the backside of the cenotaphs, there’s a boat jetty. One can take a lovely boat ride in the river at sunset. Apart from that, the ghat is abuzz with monks singing, vendors selling street food, camels offering rides and more. I still remember the beautiful rendition by the local artists.
While coming back from the cenotaphs, do remember to visit a lovely old tree nearby. The Baobab tree, locally called the Kalpavriksh tree, is believed to fulfill wishes. For me, it was interesting to see local devotees tying red- yellow threads around the tree trunk.
Orchha: Nearby Places- Beyond the 6 best places
If you are in Orchha, it’s a good idea to keep one or two days more to explore nearby places like Jhansi and Datia. In fact, we stayed in Jhansi and went on day trips to Orchha, Datia and Sonagiri.
- Jhansi: At a distance of only 20 kms, there is this historic city of Jhansi, famous for queen Laksmibai’s valour. Major places of interest: Jhansi Fort ||| Rani Mahal ||| Government Museum ||| Mahalakshmi Temple.
- Datia: About 45 kms from Orchha, there’s another historic city- Datia. Places of interest: Palace (Bir Singh Deo Mahal) ||| Peetambar Peeth.
- Sonagiri Jain Temples: In the vicinity of Datia, over a hill there are 108 ancient Jain Temples.
Orchha Travel Tips
Best time to visit Orchha:
- Orchha gets really hot in summer months from April to September. So, it’s good to plan your visit during October- March months.
- For culture lovers, look for festival dates of Ram Rajya Prakatya Utsav (Mar- Apr), Ram Vivah (Nov- Dec), Orchha Festival (spring time), Dussehra- Diwali (Oct- Nov).
How to reach Orchha:
- Nearest airport: Gwalior, about 130 kms away.
- Train: About 20 kms away, Jhansi junction is the nearest railway station. Though there’s a small station in Orchha, very few trains stop here.
- Bus: Again, Jhansi is the nearest town for buses.
Where to stay in Orchha:
Though it’s a small place, there are a few good budget hotels in Orchha. Here are a few suggestions: MPT Betwa Retreat ||| Hotel Saanjh Haveli ||| Amar Mahal ||| Bundelkhand Riverside ||| Hotel Sunset ||| Orchha Best Homestay ||| The Arc Riverside ||| Mridul Homestay.
How to get around:
- Since it’s a small place with most of the 6 best places close to each other, walking is the best way to explore Orchha.
- However, Laxmi Temple and the Cenotaphs are a bit far away. So, one may take an auto-rickshaw to visit these places.
- Besides, one may hire a bicycle/ scooter to get around easily.
Where/ What to eat:
- Best restaurants/ cafes: Mediterraneo Restaurant (Fort & temple view) ||| Citta Cafe & Restaurant (photogenic ambience) ||| Ram Raja Restaurant (good coffee) ||| Open Sky ||| Indiana (Vegetarian Thali) ||| Belpatra (pure vegetarian).
- Also, try the pedas of Orchha; get them near the Chaturbhuja Temple.
Concluding Thoughts
I hope you would love these 6 best places in Orchha, and the places around it. Undoubtedly, Orchha is among the best offbeat destinations in India. Especially if you are a history, heritage or architecture lover, this region is quite wonderful to travel across. Along with Orchha, Jhansi, Datia, Morena, Gwalior, Chanderi and Bateshwar are some of the extraordinary heritage sites in the region. And yes, Khajuraho is not far as well.
Apart from the heritage sites, the region is blessed with forests, rivers and rich fauna and flora. The Orchha Wildlife Sanctuary is nice to explore. So, if you want to ditch the touristy places, plan a nice trip to the Orchha region for 3-4 days. We have visited the region many times and have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the various aspects of the region.
If you want to have more travel tips, do write to us.
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