Orchha Fort Complex

The palatial residence has projecting platforms and balconies, latticed windows, murals and paintings with Gods and other mythological creatures, high ceilings with pavilions and ceilings with carved mirrors. The monuments that followed were built by the successive kings of the Bundela dynasty.

Raja  Mahal
The King’s Palace, Raja Mahal or Raja Mandir was where the royal families resided till 1783. While the exterior adheres to simplicity, the interior is languid with paintings and murals with religious themes, mythological creatures, high ceilings and ceilings and walls with interspersed mirrors. The architectural design of the palace allowed a variation of temperature and mood with the amount of sunlight that entered. There are many in-built secret passages in the fort too.

A section of the fort was converted into a Rama Raja temple. There is a historical legend behind this conversion. It was built during Raja Madhukar Shah’s reign form 1554 to 1591. He was a devotee of Lord Krishna, while his queen, Rani Ganeshkuwari was a devotee of Lord Rama. According to a local folktale, Lord Rama asked Rani Ganeshkuwari to build a temple for Him in her dream, and thus began construction of the Chaturbhuj Temple. Rani Ganeshkuwari went to Ayodhya to get an idol of Rama for the temple. She placed it in her palace because the Chaturbhuj temple was still under construction. However, she was unaware of the injunction that an idol that would later be deified must not be placed within the four walls of a palace.
Once the temple was constructed, the idol of Raja Rama refused to be moved. Therefore, that section of the palace was converted to Rama Mandir while the Chaturbhuj Temple stayed idle.

This is the only temple in the country where Raja Rama, even though deified to being a God, is worshipped as a king.

Jahangir Mahal
The four-levelled construction of Jahangir Mahal was completed in 1605 by Raja Bir Singh Deo. It was built as a gesture of gratitude towards the Mughal Emperor Jahangir upon his visit to Orchha for one night. The architecture is fused between Mogul and Rajput style. The symmetrically square shape is ornamented with eight domes, latticed windows, projected balconies and a steep stairway that provides a magnificent view of the Betwa River flowing by. The entrance is mounted with turquoise tiles and has an artistic gateway decorated in a traditional style. The palace has a small archaeological museum housing artefacts from the 16th century.

Rai Praveen Mahal
The Rai Praveen Mahal follows the Jahangir Mahal. It was built in 1618 by Raja Indrajeet for his escort, Rai Praveen. She was also a poet, musician and a remarkably beautiful woman. She was also referred to as the ‘Nightingale of Orchha’. There is a luscious portrait of her decorating the Mahal’s walls. Several other portraits of her in different dancing positions and those of Raja Indrajeet horse-riding are also a common attraction.

Sheesh Mahal
The Sheesh Mahal adorns the Jahangir Mahal on one side, and Raja Mahal on the other. It has now been converted into a hotel with eye-catching colour schemes, high ceiling dining hall and two royal suites that provide a splendid view of the city.

Phool Bagh
The Phool Bagh is a garden glistening with colourful flowers and a line of fountains mystifying its beauty. Under the Phool Bagh is situated the ‘royal summer retreat’ where a raised bowl-shaped structure called the Chandan Katora is a base for water from which water droplets trickle down, creating a rainy semblance.