Orchha - the palaces of the Maharajas of medieval India. Mysore (Mysore) - Maharaja's Palace, Part 1, India

I came to the city of Mysore from Bangalore by train. The ticket cost 51 rupees, the journey time is more than 2 hours. From the station to the city center I took a bus for 4 rupees. I reached the street where there are many hotels, the price is fixed and bargaining was inappropriate. I chose a small room with shower and toilet for 275 rupees. They even gave me a bath towel. My hotel, naturally without any stars, was not far from the center and from two bus stations- a large intercity terminal in one direction, and a city terminal in the other. The place, I must say, is very busy, but not far from the main attraction - the chic Mysore Palace. It was because of him that I continued my journey here, but as always, I knew nothing more. The tourists said that the Mysore palace was beautiful, so I went.

Mysore (Mysore, Mysuru) or Mysore, Mysore (depending on reading) is the second largest city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located 135 km southwest of South India. I liked this city, there are even rubbish bins here! And the streets are being cleaned and swept!!! I have never seen anything like this in India, except for the station square in. And a brand new air-conditioned bus runs to the large revered temple on Chamundi Hill. The city is quite inexpensive and developed. But first about what to see in Mysore, and then about life.

Attractions Mysore (Mysore)

Maharaja's Palace, castle Jaganmohan, the largest Christian church in India, a mosque, a zoo, yoga centers, beautiful buildings, parks, alleys and many attractions and.

From 1399 to 1947, Mysore (Mysore) was the capital of the Mysore principality as part of the powerful Vijayanagar Empire, its capital was, and in 1564. the principality came out of this empire, which soon disintegrated, and existed independently. Not everything went smoothly in the history of the rulers of the Mysore principality, but in 1881 power was transferred to the legitimate heirs of the Wodeyar dynasty. Started from this year new period the rise of Mysore. The principality of Mysore became the first Hindu principality in what was then British India.

Maharaja's Palace

The main attraction of the city and all of India is Mysore Palace or Maharaja's Palace. This is the real one beautiful palace in India. For me, it’s much more interesting than the famous and all the other palaces that I saw in and.

Spectacular and majestic, in its modern form, the Palace was rebuilt in 1912, after a wooden predecessor that burned down in 1897.
The very first palace, however, was built here in the 14th century, but it was destroyed several times, completed and rebuilt. The Mysore palace was the seat of the ruling Vanar dynasty. Now there interesting museum, and on a vast territory there are several temples (I don’t remember exactly 7 or 12) and three or four entrances (gates), decorated with beautiful arched gates, but you could only enter one and exit the other. On Sundays and holidays in the evening from 19:00 to 20:00, the entire palace is illuminated and sparkles with numerous light bulbs, of which there are 5,000 pieces. (no photo)

A ticket to the Palace itself cost 200 rupees. The audio guide is issued free of charge, though on bail. It is forbidden to take pictures inside the building, I was almost fined 500 rupees, but fortunately I got out, apologized, but did not take any more pictures. But you have a rare unique the opportunity to look at several pictures of the interior decoration and halls of the Palace.

Extraordinarily beautiful decoration and these columns give subtlety, grace, charm, and color palette create comfort and emphasize wealth.

My heart fluttered as I walked large area and enjoying the beauty and scope. And when I walked through the palace halls, I imagined myself as a princess 🙂 And I felt very comfortable in this role.

There are several temples on the territory of the Maharaja's Palace. Here is this one on north side fort Buwandeshwar temple was built in 1951 for symmetry with another temple - Shwetha Varahaswami Shri Shwetha Varahaswami Temple, which is on south side palace fort. I did not go inside, but they say that very old frescoes and paintings have been preserved there.

The huge courtyard of the fort of the Maharaja's Palace, I went around almost the entire - it's very impressive. I saw palace elephants in the distance, but did not dare to come close. They are most likely used for festive ceremonies. The elephants stood in the shade of a tree, hiding from the sun.

And this is the main gate of the fort, but they were closed to the passage. However, you can go there and see, there are very beautiful openwork spiral staircases(I deleted the photo - sorry). And in general, if you have time, you should walk in the shade along the columned passage and look.

Well, it's time to leave, and so I spent several hours here. Went to the gate. There is also a tiny temple behind them. These are the exit gates, they are much smaller than the central ones, you go straight to a busy place in the city, close to hotels, bus stations, shops.

As I said, there are many attractions in Mysore and here is another palace

Jaganmohan Palace

Jaganmohan Palace was used as a residence during the construction of the main Maharaja's Palace. For many years, this building has housed a gallery with a collection of paintings, utensils, musical instruments. Inside there is a stage where the holidays are held. When I was there, the children were rehearsing.

There are many more in Mysore interesting buildings and palaces, some of them converted into hotels. And at the crossroads there are such monuments.

Church of Saint Philomena in Mysore

Catholic Church of St. Philomena is one of the most big churches in India. The height of the spiers is more than 53 m. It is believed that one of the oldest Catholic churches, built over 200 years ago, for British soldiers. The ruler Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar II allocated a piece of land where a small church was built. And his grandson Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV founded on this place on October 28, 1933. instead of a small one, this St. Felomena Cathedral, reminiscent in style famous cathedral in Cologne in Germany. Construction ended in 1956.

The cathedral can accommodate 800 people. Inside, under the altar, there are underground rooms where the memory of the dead is kept. There are beautiful stained-glass windows, and in the evening the lights turn on, which makes it simply extraordinary and majestic. He works from 5 am to 6 pm.

In India, in one place you can find the presence of several religions, and most importantly, they do not interfere with each other and their admirers. Here on this street you can see the mosque and in the distance the Cathedral of St. Philomena.

Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV, ruled the city and principality of Mysore for many years from 1902 to 1940. He gave Special attention development of education, new ideas of physical education. Apparently therefore Mysore is also very famous center on the practice and teaching of yoga. There are many yoga schools in the city where people from different countries for training in practice.

The city is very famous for its sticks - incense throughout India and beyond. Sandalwood carvings, bronze works occupy a worthy niche. Also, high-quality silk is produced here, the electrical industry is developed, there is a university.

Prices for Indian food here are very cheap, and freshly squeezed juice cost mere pennies - 20 rupees. I often bought fruits instead of spicy dishes. I stayed only five days in Mysore, and I had a pleasant experience. I recommend visiting Mysore while traveling in India.

About other important and beautiful sights, ancient temples, about the market, as well as about the beautiful garden of Brindavan, which is outside the city, read the article in part 2 - it is very interesting there. I then continued independent travel across India to the city.

The Maharaja's Palace (or City Palace) is one of the main attractions of Jaipur.

The palace was built in 1728 and occupies almost an entire block ancient city. The palace is surrounded by a fortress wall. During the construction of the palace complex, two architectural styles were combined - Rajput and Mongolian.

The palace is decorated with abundant marble carvings and beautiful halls, where clear geometric proportions are observed.

The palace complex includes a lot of attractions for tourists - a museum of costumes and weapons is located here, there is an art gallery where collections of carpets and miniatures are exhibited. Visitors can also see the temples that are part of the complex, apartments ruling family, and after the visit, go to the souvenir center.

Podmin's Palace

Podmin Palace in Chittorgarh in the 19th century was recreated after reconstruction.

The palace is a bright three-story building that looks compact and beautiful. The palace is located in the southern part of Chittorgarhu Fort. The palace is surrounded by a pool where lotuses bloom. Podmina Palace became the first palace-island in Rajasthan. It was with its construction that the tradition of building such palaces began.

The palace amazes tourists with its architecture and the atmosphere that reigns around it. The picturesque landscapes that it opens remain forever in the memory of visitors.

Lalgarh Palace

Lalgarh Palace, impressive with its carved friezes, arcades, colonnades, jali lattices, was built by Samuel Swinton Jacob in 1926. The building is of a remarkable red-pink color, which gave the city of Bikaner its second name - the Red City.

The palace combines styles European Renaissance and classical Rajaput elements. The interior of the building is dominated by modernist style. Inside the building there are living rooms, halls, rest rooms, pavilions, a dining room that can accommodate up to 400 visitors. Also in the building there are beautiful fireplaces, magnificent columns, Italian colonnades.

Now in one part of the building there is a hotel, and in the other (western wing) - a museum that stores hunting trophies and old photographs, as well as a library. The palace is surrounded by a park, perfect for relaxing.

Palace of the Winds

The Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal is truly considered the symbol of Jaipur. It is also called the main miracle of this city.

The palace was built in 1799 and is part of the city's palace complex.

It was originally built as a harem wing for Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. He wished that each of his wives could observe the events on main street Thus, numerous closed balconies appeared, which now adorn the palace.

The Palace of the Winds has five floors. The building is made of pink sandstone and its shape repeats the crown of Krishna.

It got its name "Palace of the Winds" due to the numerous small window openings through which air passed, which provided salvation on hot days.

Of course, the Palace of the Winds is one of the most visited tourist spots. It is simply impossible to pass by, because he is the embodiment of oriental tale for numerous visitors from all over the world.

India has many beautiful palaces. Each of them is magnificent in its own way - whether it's bright colors, arches and domes, or beautiful gardens. Many of the palaces are still official residences for members of the royal families, while others have been converted into luxury hotels. From famous palace Mysore to the floating Jal Mahal, here are some of the most beautiful palaces of Indian palaces.

Shesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) is the most famous part of Jaipur's Amber Fort. Pictures and flowers carved from glass cover the walls and ceilings, giving the palace its name.

The intricate construction of the five-story Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds in Jaipur, is due to the fact that it was supposed to allow the women of the royal family to look at the festivities at the palace, since they were not allowed to appear in public.

Udaipur at the City Palace is a complex of 11 beautiful palaces with gardens, gates, courtyards, terraces and corridors on the banks of Lake Pichola.

The Mysore Palace in the state of Karnataka in southern India is still the official residence of the Maharajas of Mysore. The palace was completed in 1912 and is a mixture of several styles of architecture: Hindu, Muslim, Raiput and Gothic.

Mysore is the most impressive and most beautiful of Indian palaces at night.

awesome architectural masterpiece built from white marble, Taj Mahal is the most famous monument India. It houses the tomb of the wife of the former Mughal emperor.

Both a luxury hotel and the residence of the royal family of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawwan Palace is set on 26 acres and built entirely of sandstone, giving it a unique look.

Known as the Palace of Water, Jal Mahal looks like it's a floating city in the middle of the Sagar River in Jaipur. The building has four floors below the surface of the water. majestic palace has now developed into an exclusive high class restaurant.

Fatehpur Sikri is translated as the city of victory. Built by the Mughal emperor in the 16th century as the capital of the empire - and then abandoned due to lack of water - the complex of temples, palaces and monuments is made entirely of bright red sandstone.

The City Palace, built in the 18th century by the ruler of Amer, is now part of Jaipur.

In the City Palace, there are other palaces: Chandra Mahal, which now houses a museum and Mubarak Mahal.

Built in the city of Hyderabad in the late 19th century during the reign of the Nizams, Chowmahalla Palace was the place where the royal family entertained their guests.

The Nizams were part of the Asaf Jahi dynasty which ruled until 1948.

Lakshmi Vilas Palace is one of the grandest in Vadodara - formerly known as Baroda - a city located in the western state of Gujarat. The Vadodaroi royal family still resides here.

It took 6 million rupees to build this beautiful palace. The palace boasts gardens, a golf course and magnificent interiors filled with chandeliers, artwork and mosaics.

The Bangalore Palace is located in the southwestern state of Karnataka and is owned by the same family, which also owns the Mysore Palace.

It is built in the Tudor style, which makes it an interesting landmark that contrasts with many other buildings around it. The floor ornaments are simply fantastic.

Originally built in 1835 for the Queen's favorite maid of Jaipur, Rambaj Palace was later rebuilt into hunting lodge and renamed by the reigning Maharaj: Sawai Ram Singh II. Now it is a luxury hotel.

A 17th-century palace converted into a luxury hotel, Jagmandir Palace sits on its own island at Lake Pichola in Udaipur. The guests are transported to the palace, which is often referred to as the “garden of heaven.”

Often referred to as the central Agartala, Ujdayant Palace was built in 1901 by the 182nd Maharaja of Tripura in northeast India. The only part of the palace open to visitors is the museum located in the palace, which houses cultural artifacts and memorabilia.

The Mysore Palace, which is known as the Amba Vilas Palace, is located in the very center of the city of Mysore and can serve as its hallmark. Mysore Palace is one of the greatest palaces in India. In historical times, this palace was the center of the rule of the Mysore Maharajas.

IN old times Mysore was located in the southwestern part of the Hindustan peninsula. The capital of this state was Seringapatam. The kingdom became famous in connection with the heroic opposition to the English colonization, which lasted for forty years as part of the four Anglo-Mysore wars. Mysore was the last Indian principality to lose its independence and was forced to join the East India Company.

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The main attraction of Mysore is the Mysore Palace, which was built in the 19th century (1897) on the site of a previously burnt palace. The building was built in the Indo-Saracenic style, a characteristic feature of which is the presence of a kaleidoscope of glasses and mirrors. You can also see wonderful wooden doors decorated with carvings and a floor made in the form of a mosaic.

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Like many states of the Hindustan Peninsula, Mysore was under the rule of both Mongols and Catholics in the process of its development.

The main rulers were representatives of the Wodeyar family, which originated from Dwarka in Katyawar. It was under their rule that the state of Mahishasura was named Mysore. In the 18th century, by exercising total control over the minor Maharaja, Haidar Ali gradually seized power, and his son Tipu Sultan soon became a full ruler. The time of the rule of Haidar Ali and his son Tipu Sultan refers to the very highest point the power of Mysore. The rulers, using the help of the French, modernized the army and achieved military victories in battles with neighboring principalities.

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At the end of the 18th century, Tipu Sultan was defeated in a battle with the British at Seringapatam. Subsequently, the rights of the Vodeyar dynasty were restored by the new government. However, in 1831, a representative of this family was removed from the throne by the same British, and only in 1881, thanks to the heir Chamaraja Wodeyar, who spent all these years in the courts, control of Mysore was returned to the Wodeyars. Mysore was the first Hindu principality in India, which was part of Britain.

Mysore is often referred to as the City of Palaces, but the main one is the Mysore Palace, the official residence of the Wodeyars. For the first time this palace was built by the Vodeyar family in the 17th century, then it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The modern interpretation of the palace was erected in the period of the 19th-20th century. It was completed in 1940.

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Mysore Palace is one of the main attractions of India with enough big amount visits to this building by tourists. However, when visiting the palace, there is a ban on taking pictures inside, and all tourists must take off their shoes before entering the palace.

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The architecture of the palace was influenced by the history of India. The combination of such architectural styles, like Hindu, Muslim and Gothic, give originality and originality to the building. The three-story stone structure has marble domes and five-story towers, the height of which reaches 44 meters. The palace is surrounded by a wonderful large garden.

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The modern Mysore Palace was designed by the British architect Henry Irvine on the instructions of the regent of Mysore and the construction was finally completed in 1912. The facade of the building consists of nine arches, seven of which are quite wide, and two are smaller. These arches are supported by tall columns.

Every year in the period September-October, the Dashar festival is held in the Mysore Palace, which symbolizes the victory of good over evil. According to mythology, it was in Mysore that the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura took place. The festival is accompanied by the performance of artists and on the tenth day - an elephant parade is held.

Such a holiday was celebrated by the Wodeyars in the 17th century and even on a large scale. Modern festival looks somewhat more modest, but also quite impressive and, as before, is part of cultural life Mysore. For the entire duration of the festival, the Mysore Palace is illuminated by a huge number of light bulbs (more than 96,000).

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A visit to the palace usually begins with a gallery of traditional dolls of the 19th and 20th centuries. Also in this pavilion is an outstanding collection of sculpture, which is a reflection of Indian and European culture.

The marriage hall is an octagonal pavilion with a beautiful glass ceiling containing a mosaic of peacocks. The floor of this hall also continues the theme of peacocks, but already decorated with English tiles. There are a large number of paintings on the walls that emphasize the magnificence of the hall and illustrate the celebration of Dashar in previous centuries.

IN palace complex also includes 12 Hindu temples, the first of which was built in the 14th century, the last one dates from the 20th century.

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As in any palace, Mysore Palace has a hall for private audiences. This room is intended for meetings of the ruler with his ministers, as well as for receiving visitors worthy of special attention.

The assembly hall in the Palace served for the king to receive the population at a strictly allotted time for this.

The armory houses an armory containing exhibits of various types of weapons used by members of the royal family: weapons used in the 14th century and weapons used in the early 20th century.

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Mysore Palace is calling card city ​​of Mysore. Today, the fourth version of this building has been preserved, built on the site of the one that burned down earlier, and reconstructed in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. The walls of the palace are made of gray granite, and three domes are decorated with pink marble. A feature of this Palace is the presence of twelve temples in its composition, which were built in honor of such gods as Shiva, Vishnu, Lakshmiramana, Someshvara, Varaha.

Since it's enough famous place, then a huge number of tourists visit the Palace every year. The largest influx of visitors is observed during the Dashar festival.

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Not far from the Palace of the Maharajas, are: Chamundi Hill with ancient temples, Art Gallery, big statue bull Nandu, and the oldest church of St. Philomena.

Chamundi Hill is located at an altitude of over a thousand meters above sea level and from it you can see beautiful view cities. temple complex, which includes a temple of the 13th century, which is dedicated to the goddess. It is to her that a sculpture made of pure gold in the altar part of the temple is dedicated. Monolith statue the bull has a height of about 5 meters and is decorated with a bell and bracelets.

The art gallery is located in the Jagmokhan Palace and was founded in the 19th century. Here are paintings by the famous artist Svyatoslav Roerich, rather rare works of the same era, as well as traditional paintings. Unique works of fine carving on sandalwood, semi-precious stones and ivory.

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Saint Philomena Church is one of the largest churches in India and is made in gothic style. Everything in this church speaks of the Christian orientation of faith. These are stained glass windows depicting the birth of Jesus Christ, and the Last Supper, and the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.

Not far from Mysore (about 19 kilometers) are the famous Brindavan Gardens. The "highlight" of this place is the presence of animal figures that are cut from bushes. Fountains, which come to life with the help of a huge number of lights in the evenings after sunset, fit perfectly into the exposition of flowering lawns and gazebos.

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Unfortunately, there are no flights to Mysore, but you can easily get there by bus or train. Private buses depart every 15 minutes from Goa and Bombay. There is also a high-speed, comfortable express that departs every day except Tuesday.

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The principality of Mysore in southern India was founded in 1399. The Wodeyar dynasty ruling here was originally a vassal of the Vijayanagar Empire. With its decline (circa 1565), the Wodeyars were among the first to declare their independence. In the 17th century, the principality became a powerful state in South India. During the reign of Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, it reached the height of its power and prosperity. Tipu Sultan, known by the nickname "Tiger of Mysore", became a legend during his lifetime and is still considered one of the most enlightened rulers in India. “In this world, I would rather live two days like a tiger than two hundred years like a sheep,” Tipu told Sultan, fiercely resisting English colonization in southern India. Huge efforts and resources, four exhausting Anglo-Mysore wars and as many as 40 years were needed by the British before Mysore, the last of the Indian principalities, was included in the British East India Company (Sultan Tipu died in the last battle of the fourth Anglo-Mysore war).

Twenty-five maharajas of the Wodeyar dynasty ruled the city for a 570-year history, until the independence of India in 1947 and the government declaration on the final abolition of their ceremonial functions in 1970. The rulers of the ruling dynasty were patrons of art and culture, made a significant contribution to the cultural development of the city from which Mysore is named cultural capital state of Karnataka.

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Mysore is well known for Dasara festival celebrations, paintings, sweets, traditional silk turbans, incense production, and schools for the study of yoga. Every year thousands of foreigners visit Mysore to study yoga. It is one of the most popular yoga study centers in India.

Mysore is one of the first cities in India to implement the ideas of modern urban planning, as evidenced by the wide shady boulevards, equipped markets and beautiful parks. The city is known for its palaces and ancient administrative buildings. There are 17 palaces in total. One of them has been turned into a museum, the other art gallery, and three more in hotels.

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Orchha literally means " lost place", which is quite consistent with the name of the city. Perhaps, it was precisely due to its abandonment that the city retained its main historical monuments and today is considered one of the best preserved medieval cities India. Orchha is rightly called architectural gem India, each of its monuments bears the imprint of the glorious history of a bygone era. An impressive fortress, grandiose palaces scattered throughout the city majestic temples and cenotaphs keep their monumental grandeur and recreate the atmosphere medieval India despite being in rather dilapidated condition. With the beginning of the development of the tourism industry, a stream of tourists reached here. By visiting this small and quiet town you will never regret your time spent here.

Orchha: general information

The verdant strip of land on the banks of the Betwa River so captivated the Rajput prince Rudra Pratap Singh that in 1501 he founded new town, which was destined to become the capital of one of the largest and most powerful principalities in Central India. Orchha flourished during the reign of Bir Singh Deo (1605-1627), as evidenced by the surviving palaces and temples. Then the city began to decline after devastating wars with the armies of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Subsequent wars with the Marathas (Orchha and Datia were the only principalities not conquered by the Marathas) in the 18th century finally undermined the once prosperous capital of Bundelkhand and the rulers of the Bundel dynasty left it in 1783. Since that time, the city has been lost in the middle of the forest and hills, turned out to be useless to anyone, since it did not occupy a strategically important position, was not located on important trade routes and communications.

Despite Coca-Cola umbrellas outside restaurants and signs advertising Indian cuisine, Orchha seems to have changed little since the days of the Bundel dynasty. In this freed from worldly fuss small town with a population of about 10,000 inhabitants, there are no traffic jams and congestion, noisy streets, the hands of beggars and beggars do not reach out to visiting tourists, street vendors do not demonstrate their impudence and arrogance. All historical monuments of the city are located next to each other, within sight. visit to this ancient capital Bundelkhand, with palaces and temples from the 16th and 17th centuries located on the banks of the Betwa River, gives a good idea of ​​what the epoch of the "Maharajas of India" had sunk into oblivion.

More than 400 years ago, the fortress and palaces of this glorious city V central India have seen many battles with the invading Mughal armies and internecine wars. Today, bloody battles have receded into history, but for the surviving historical monuments of Orchha, like many other ancient cities and towns throughout India, the destructive and inexorable action of time has become enemy number one. Today, the vast complex of palaces and temples is in an extremely dilapidated state, having become a habitat for monkeys, bats, scorpions, rats and even snakes. The situation is exacerbated by neglect and vandalism local residents that significantly devastated the once magnificent palaces.

Today, Orchha greets its visitors with peeling and abandoned historical monuments. However, buses bring tourists here every day. Some visit the city on their way to Jhansi, others stop here on their way to Khajuraho. Orchha is conveniently located on the way to the world-famous Khajuraho temples (about 200 km away), famous for their erotic sculpture. Most people who come here foreign tourists rarely stay longer than a few hours. But the beautiful, albeit dilapidated, historical monuments of the city are well worth spending much more time with.

Attractions in Orchha

Situated on a rocky island in the middle of the Betwa River, the city's fortress is one of India's most beautiful architectural heritage from the Mughal era, with numerous arches, domes and towers soaring into the sky - a real delight for lovers of this kind of architecture. The fortress-palace includes a whole complex of magnificent palaces: Jehangir Mahal, Raj Mahal and Rai Praveen Mahal.

Raj Mahal

This is how the Raj Mahal palace looks like from the bridge over the Betwa River (pictured above), connecting modern city With ancient fortress. The construction of the Raj Mahal was started by the founder of Orchha, Rudra Pratap Singh, and completed by his heir, Madhukar Shah. Built in the shape of a square divided into two courtyards, the palace is a typical example of Mughal architecture.

Jahangir Mahal

This most famous and richly decorated palace was built by order of Bir Singh Deo in 1606. Bir Singh Deo helped Jahangir ascend the throne after the death of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. As a sign of gratitude, Jahangir visited his friend, and in honor of the visit of the new Mughal emperor, a palace was built with famous balconies, terraces, graceful domes and stone elephants. Unique Feature The palace is an equal number of floors below and above ground.

Rai Praveen Mahal

The Rai Praveen Mahal Palace was built by Raja Indramani in 1675 for his concubine Rai Praveen. A poetess and a musician, Rai Praveen made legends about her beauty and talent. It is said that Emperor Akbar himself wished her to come to him in Delhi. According to legend, she made such a strong impression on Akbar with her deep feelings for Indramani that he let her go back to Orchha. In the photo above: Chaturbhuj temple on the right, Jahangir Mahal on the left, small Rai Praveen Mahal is located almost in the center.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple

One of the three most famous temples Orchhi is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, prosperity and wealth. The Lakshmi Narayan Temple was originally built around 1622, then rebuilt in 1793. The design of the building combines elements of fortification architecture, such a fortress-temple. The Lakshminarayan Temple is one of the few Hindu temples in India built in the shape of a triangle. Interiors religious building covered with very beautiful frescoes.

Chaturbhuj temple

Chaturbhuj temple in Orchha appearance more like a Christian basilica due to the unusual design of the building in the shape of a cross. Absence is conspicuous a large number carved decorations, so characteristic of Hindu temples. Chaturbhuj was built by Raja Madhukar at the insistence of his wife, Maharani Ganesh Kunwar, between 1558 and 1573. It was originally planned to install a statue of Rama in the temple, which was kept in the palace of Ram Raja during the construction period. According to legend, at the end of construction, the statue was chained to its place, and it was impossible to lift it to move it from the palace to the temple, so Chaturbhuj was dedicated to the god Vishnu.

Cenotaphs

The 14 cenotaphs built along the banks of the Betwa River in honor of the deceased rulers of the Bundela dynasty still retain their grandeur (cenotaph: a tombstone erected not on the burial site). You can climb up the cenotaphs and admire the panorama of Orchha and the surrounding area.

The beautiful city deserves to show some more photos here