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Orchha & Khajuraho History – Summer Travel Story

Orchha & Khajuraho – Another year, and a new travel story to share with all of you. This year we decided to travel to the heart of my country, to Madhya Pradesh for Orchha and Khajuraho. We saw some breathtaking views on the way. 

We drove down to Orchha first.  

ORCHHA

Travel - Orchha and Khajuraho

Orchha (or Urchha) is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Rudra Pratap Singh who built the Fort of Orchha. The Chaturbhuj Temple was built during the reign of Emperor Akbar, by the Queen of Orchha Ganeshi Bai.

On the bank of the Betwa River, stands the huge Orchha palace-fort. The fort consists of several connected buildings erected at different times, the most noteworthy of which is the Raja Mahal.  

The Ram Raja Temple is built on a square base, has large intricately carved windows and a line of delicate domes. The Jahangir Mahal has a rectangular base, four circular towers and two lines of graceful balconies. This Mahal is considered to be a singularly beautiful specimen of Mughal architecture. A point worth mentioning here is that the mother for Jahangir was also a Rajput, Jodha.

It is with this in mind that the Rajput king of Orchha had built the Jahangir Mahal. Chaturbhuj Temple is an old temple from the 9th century. A silent walk through these gives one goosebump!

On the Betwa river, many chhatris dot the vicinity of the fort. The more unguarded and neglected of these buildings are popular hangouts for tropical bees, vultures and other such creatures. Our next destination was another 7-hour drive through Madhya Pradesh to the more popular Khajuraho. 

KHAJURAHO

The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometers southeast of Jhansi. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.

Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 CE by the Chandela dynasty. Historically the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century but out of these only about 20 temples have survived.    From the 13th to 18th century, some temples were desecrated by many different Muslim dynasties, followed by a long period when they were left in neglect.

Around 1495, Sikandar Lodi’s destroyed Khajuraho. But the sheer remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho saved the temples from complete destruction. The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern. All temples, except one (Chaturbhuja) face the sunrise.  

The temples have an amazing display of intricately carved statues. The arts cover numerous aspects of human life and values. The most visited temple, Kandariya Mahadev, has an area of about 6,500 square feet and a shikhara (spire) that rises 116 feet. It is huge compared to the other existing temples in the area.

The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. But the most amazing fact is that the builders didn’t use mortar. The stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity!

There was some repair work that took place in the 19th Century with brick and mortar but surprisingly these newer stones have aged faster than original materials. Their color has darkened. They seem out of place. The sculpture has some very fine details that show details even the strands of hair, manicured nails and intricate jewelry.  

Orchha & Khajuraho – We experienced some of the most amazing art & culture sites of India in this trip. Some well maintained and some nearly in ruins. Some were highly visible, visited by numerous tourists every single day and others were lying neglected on sides of the highway or hidden behind homes in villages. But beautiful all the same.

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