Orchha

Orchha is a town in Madhya Pradesh near the banks of the Betwa River. The medieval city of Orchha seems to have frozen in time, its palaces and temples still retaining their original grandeur. Orchha had the distinction of being the capital of one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms of Central India. The Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, founded the city, located by the side of the beautiful Betwa River, in the 16th century.

The word Orchha means 'hidden'. When the Tughlaqs, who were ruling Delhi in the 15th century, pushed the Bundelkhand rajas out of Garkhundar, they retreated to distant Orchha.

Get in
From Agra/Delhi/Gwalior: Take a train to Jhansi station, and then you have two options. The easier but more expensive option is you can hire a car or auto-rickshaw to Orchha which is 15 km away. By auto-rickshaw, it takes about 40 minutes; by car, 20 minutes. The listed price at the pre-paid taxi stand was ₹200, however, you'll have to negotiate the price with the driver that you take. A cheaper way is to pile into one of the auto-rickshaws outside the train station which serve as a bus shuttle-- see if it's going to the bus station, which should only cost ₹10 this way. From the bus station there are other shuttle auto-rickshaws that head to Orchha for ₹20 per person, though you might have to wait a few minutes till it leaves; they only go when full.

You can reach Orchha while returning to Jhansi from Khajuraho, as a detour. While coming to Jhansi from Khajuraho, when you reach on the outskirts of Jhansi city, take left on the Orchha Tigaila(triangle). That road will lead to Orchha. There is a small railway station at Orchha in which only very few trains stop. Jhansi - Khajuraho Passenger (229A) has stoppage at Orchha. Khajuraho - Jhansi passenger (230A) reaches Orchha by 4:45PM. Orchha railway station is 5 km away from Orchha town. Hire a rickshaw and pay ₹50 max to get to Orchha.

Get around
The village is small enough that you can walk just about anywhere.

See
Orchha is a tiny farming town dotted with historical sites. Of note:




 * Jehangir Mahal: Built by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo in the 17th century to commemorate the visit of Emperor Jehangir to Orchha. Its strong lines are counterbalanced by delicate chhatris and trellis work, the whole conveying an effect of extraordinary richness.
 * Rai Parveen Mahal: Poetess and musician, Rai Parveen was the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani (1672–76) and was sent to Delhi on the orders of the Emperor Akbar, who was captivated by her. She so impressed the Great Mughal with the purity of her love for Indramani that he sent her back to Orchha.
 * Raj Mahal: Situated to the right of the quadrangle, this palace was built in the 17th century by Madhukar Shah, the deeply religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo. The plain exteriors, crowned by chhatris, give way to interiors with exquisite murals, boldly colourful on a variety of religious themes. Get a good guide inside here to take you all over the complex, including locked rooms, for a tip.
 * Raj Mahal: Situated to the right of the quadrangle, this palace was built in the 17th century by Madhukar Shah, the deeply religious predecessor of Bir Singh Ju Deo. The plain exteriors, crowned by chhatris, give way to interiors with exquisite murals, boldly colourful on a variety of religious themes. Get a good guide inside here to take you all over the complex, including locked rooms, for a tip.

Buy
A very small market starting from the main crossroads in front of the Ram Raja temple, coming towards the temple compound, is full of small shops selling souvenirs, handicrafts, beaded chains, gemstones, and other such items. If you are good at bargaining, you can enjoy the shopping here.

Do be aware of fake coins being sold by these market sellers. They will present you with a large number of coins, many of which are genuine but some of which are relatively good fakes of old East India Company coins.

Eat
There are a number of small quaint street restaurants near the entrance to the palaces, serving inexpensive Indian, Asian and assorted "Western" cuisine.



Drink
Orchha has a booze shop in the prominent market place. Don't expect big brands here. If you stay at the pricier accommodations suggested here, you have an attached bar option. But otherwise there are no bars or private pubs.

Go next

 * Jhansi - You can get an auto rickshaw driver to take you to Jhansi for around ₹200, or tell them you want to share the rickshaw (meaning you wait for it to be filled with 8-13 more people) and pay ₹20 total. Rickshaws go to the bus stand, from where you need to take another rickshaw to the railway station.
 * Khajuraho - The only train to Khajuraho leaves Orchh train station at 7:25AM every day. It's a local train and makes many stops.  The trip takes around 5½ hours and is generally not very crowded; you can safely buy a ticket a half-hour before the train arrives and be assured of getting a seat  Reaching the Orchha train station costs between ₹10-₹20 in a shared rickshaw which can be found near the bus station. A round trip to Khajuraho by taxi can be arranged at any of the travel agencies for around ₹2000.
 * Pranpur. 60 km from Orchha. A good place to buy Chanderi silk saris directly from the weavers at affordable prices. Accommodation is provided at the Amraee Guest House, run by the village tourism committee. Weaving & craft workshops can be arranged on prior notice. Advance booking is required & can be made at +91 8527 141 626.