Orchha 2 days itinerary

Orchha : An Escape of Two Days

 Today, I am going to take you to the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh. Orchha is a small town in the Niwari District of Madhya Pradesh. Orchha lies on  the banks of the river Betwa and is a Unesco heritage site as well. About 400 kms from Delhi and only 13 kms away from Jhansi (UP), is a perfect destination for weekend escapade. Orchha was the capital of Bundelkhand  from 16th to 18th century. The  Bundela rulers were the descendant of Rajputs, but their friendship with Jahangir inspite being Rajputs, lead to the architectures heavily influenced by the Mughals.

Today, Orchha is a small town around the Ram Raja Temple, where surprisingly Lord Rama is worshipped as a king. Whole town and the surrounding countryside is surrounded with forts, temples, riverside and tombs; the place is quite worth to explore  for a day or two.

 So here’s a quick itinerary to cover Orchha, Madhya Pradesh in two days.

How to reach Orchha

To reach Orchha,  first you have to head to the main connecting city Jhansi, about 13 kms or 30 minutes from Orchha in Uttar Pradesh.

Jhansi is  quite accessible from major cities. As it is on a major railway line from Delhi; several trains heading  to south stations stop at Jhansi . It’s easy to reach Jhansi from Bhopal by train, or from Khajuraho via Chhatarpur.

Once you reach Jhansi, take a private autorickshaw to Orchha for about Rs 250/300. Another way is to take a shared auto costing around Rs 30 each.  You will also find few taxis outside the station at Rs 500-700. Ola and Uber services are not available n Orchha.

Where to stay in Orchha 

Orchha Resort

Orchha offers many budget friendly options starting from Rs 300 per night.I stayed in hotel Sunset, it was a budget friendly clean and decent place to stay.10 minutes away from Raja Ram Temple. Orchha stay options can be divided in two, low budget hotels and resorts. For your surprise Orchha has emerged as wedding destination in recent years and thus, few resorts are adding charm to it. if you are going for a relaxing and extended holiday,you can book resorts like Orchha Resort, Amar Mahal etc.

Food

Orchha being a small town offers stalls offering savoury samosa, chat, panipuri, jhalmuri and local snacks. But still you wont find much options for good food. There is no fancy restaurant, except the one inside resorts and a few cafes for luring foreigners. I ate at Rimjhim Hotel, dhaba style desi khana , open kitchen, economic thali system. Raja Ram named restaurants are in plenty and one can have lunch and dinner there too in the vicinity of Ram raja Mandir. Many shops of Juice and fruit stalls will keep you charged.

Local Transport

Trust me you don't need any transport to visit the places in Orchha. Everything is close by in around 3 kms. So walking is the best thing to do, still you need help? Autos are available.

Best Time to Visit 

Orchha lies in Bundelkhand region which is hot and dry. So summers are hot and dry. September to February is the best time to visit Orchha as the climate remains pleasant. During these months, the average temperature remains around 27 degree Celcius. I have explored this hidden gem in Month of February. 

Itinerary 

DAY 1

• Ram Raja Temple
• Chaturbhuj Temple
• Orchha Fort Complex
• Orchha Bridge
• Back to Hotel

DAY 2

• Laxmi Narayan Temple
• Cenotaphs (Chhatri)
• Departure
  

Day 1 

Ram Raja Temple 

After reaching Orchha around 12 o'clock, I went straight to check in Hotel. After bath and brunch at Rimjhim Hotel , I head towards Ram Raja Temple, a temple dedicated to Lord Rama, here's an interesting fact, people worship Lord Rama As their King in Orchha. There were other deity's in temple too. it is the only shrine in the country where Rama is worshipped as a King. The temple is guarded by a police force and the deity, Lord Rama, is considered as the king and is given a gun salute of honour every day.

Chaturbhuj Temple

Diagonally opposite to Ram raja Mandir is Chaturbhuj Temple.  The name Chaturbhuj is a combination of 'chatur' meaning "four" and 'bhuj' meaning "arms" which literally translates to "one who has four arms" and refers to Rama an Avatar of Vishnu. Basically the temple was built for Lord Rama but according to a folk tale lord Rama took seat outside the temple and the place where he sat, later constructed as the Ram Raja Temple.. The temple is unique due to its pine cone shaped tall spires. As you will enter the temple through its huge door, you can see the idol of Radha Krishna in front. The stairs were steep and narrow and I climbed up and stepped down very carefully. The views from the top of the temple were amazing.

Orchha Fort Complex

The Orchha Fort was the main reason to visit Orchha. You have to take Rs 10 ticket for entry (for Indians). Orchha Fort complex has multiple palaces like Jahangir Mahal, Raja Mahal, and Rai Parveen Mahal but the Jahangir Mahal is the most well-maintained and enthralling. Jahangir Mahal was built in the Mughal style architecture in the honour of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. I loved the most its symmetrical style structure. It is built with white limestones and granite. Its beautiful arches, old rustic look makes it unique. Jahangir Palace is the most beautiful and worth visiting attraction of Orchha. one part of the fort  ie, Sheesh mahal is converted into a hotel with suites on top.

If you want to cover Orchha in 24 hours, watch the video by clicking A day well spent in Orchha 

Orchha Bridge

I was tired after a lot of climbing up and down the steep stairs of fort and wanted to rest. So, rather than going to hotel I dragged myself to Betwa river's bridge. Beautiful place, I can still feel the vibes. You can easily descend down to the bank of river Betwa and enjoy the evening, by soaking feet in water and freeing yourself from the weariness of the day.

Back to hotel

As the evening sun sank down , I had dinner at Ram Raja restaurant and came back to hotel. 

Day 2

Lakshmi Narayan Temple 

After a good sleep , I was ready to explore rest of Orchha. I started by foot, (you can even hire a bicycle for city tour )and reached to Lakshmi Narayan Temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. Its structure exemplifies a unique blend of temple and fort architecture. Built with lime mortar and bricks, the temple has cannon slots on its roof. Its well-preserved frescos portray an amalgamation of Mughal and Bundelkhandi art and the carvings on the inside depict the life of Lord Krishna. The temple also has the famous post-mutiny paintings. Another interesting feature is that it has a flagstone path that connects it to the Ram Raja Temple. 

Cenotaphs (Chhatris)

These are the cenotaphs of the rulers of Orchha, belongs to the Bundela dynasty. There are 14 cenotaphs or chhatris, which date from the 16th to the 18th century. They give an awestruck sight standing on the banks of the Betwa river as cubical structures with temple-like spires. The cenotaphs have shikhars on the top, resembling the temples built in the Nagar style. The most important of these is Bir Singh Deo's chhatri, which is more of like a palace, and draws attention of admirers from all over the country. You can relax yourself with the cool breeze and soothing views. 

 As the evening sun sets in, watch the incredible view of the chhatris (cenotaphs) dramatically getting dark against the orange sky. 

Not everyone has the luxury to take long leaves from their work and engagements. They backpack and use weekends or long weekend trips to quench their travel thirst. If you are one of them, then Orchha is an ideal destination for you. 

KEEP TRAVELLING ..KEEP EXPLORING..

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