Category:Orchha

Orchha 

town in Niwari district, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Instance of	Nagar Panchayat town city
Location	Niwari district India
Population	11,511 (census, 2011)
Elevation above sea level	552 ±1 m
25° 21′ 00″ N, 78° 38′ 24″ E
Authority control  Q201631 VIAF ID: 131585566 GND ID: 4742105-8 Library of Congress authority ID: n2009210779 NKCR AUT ID: ge1143959 Reasonator Scholia PetScan statistics WikiMap Locator tool KML file WikiShootMe OpenStreetMap Search depicted

Orchha is a small town in north Madhya Pradesh, about 15 kilometers from Jhansi of Uttar Pradesh. Orchha was founded in early 16th-century by the Bundela chief Rudra Pratap, along the Betwa river. It served as the capital of Bundelkhand till the start of the colonial era, and has been called "the heart of Bundelkhand". The Bundela dynasty built a fort, waterworks, and many temples in a style that is syncretic of Hindu architecture, medieval Rajput culture, Mughal influences, along with Paramara era art.

Orchha is midst lush forest and hills. The river Betwa divides it into two. The main section is located on the western bank and includes the Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuja Temple, Phool Bagh, Lakshmi Narayana Mandir, and cenotaphs. On the eastern bank is the Fort Palace complex on a cone-shaped island between the rivers Jam and Betwa. Within this Palace complex are the Raja Mahal (oldest), Jahangir Mahal with the greatest fusion of Hindu and Mughal style, Sheesh Mahal, Jan Bhavan, Rai Praveen Mahal, two gardens, and Mughal hammam (baths). The northern part of the island complex has buildings that housed the Bundelkhand army, palace workers and numerous small temples. The palaces are known for their chitrakala (paintings, murals) celebrating the legends of Vaishnavism.

By the 17th-century, Orchha hosted celebrated Hindu scholars and poets, its temples became a Hindu pilgrimage destination. Orchha is now is popular tourist destination, with annual arrivals of over 100 tourists per one resident in town.