Orchha Fort: A Hidden Gem

The small town of Orchha in the state of Madhya Pradesh is gaining popularity among the tourists mainly because of the Orchha Fort. The fort and other monuments within the fort complex were built by Bundela Rajpoots in the 16th century.

ALSO READ: ORCHHA TRAVEL GUIDE

How to reach Orchha Fort

All the attractions in Orchha are within walking distance. The auto-rickshaw from Jhansi will drop you to the Ram Raja temple. The road in front of the temple leads to the Orchha Fort.

Fort Complex

The Orchha Fort complex consists of many structures and buildings like Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, and Sheesh Mahal.

1) Raja Mahal

Raja Mahal (King’s Palace) was built in the early 16th century. It used to be the home of the king and queen till 1783. Since then, it has been abandoned. The palace is designed as a perfect square that is further divided into two wings. The three sides of the palace have five storeys and the fourth side has four storeys. The exterior of the palace is quite simple but the interiors of the palace are beautifully decorated with some amazing paintings of Lord Rama, Krishna and Vishnu.

Not much work has been put into the maintenance of the palace. The palace is dirty and looks like an abandoned building.

2) Sheesh Mahal

Sheesh Mahal is situated between the Ram Mahal and Jahangir Mahal. It has royal rooms which were built for king Udait Singh. It has now been converted into a hotel. You can only access Sheesh Mahal from the inside only if you are a hotel customer.

3) Jahangir Mahal

Going to Orchha just to see Jahangir Mahal is worth the visit. Jahangir Mahal was built by the king Bir Singh Deo in the 17th century in the honour of the Mughal emperor Jahangir who was to stay in Orchha for a solitary night. It is a perfect amalgamation of Mughal and Rajput architecture.

The entrance gate of the palace leads to the open area which had a royal bath. The palace is built in a symmetrical square with plenty of rooms with arcade openings and balcony. The roof of the palace can be accessed by the staircase and provides a stunning view of Orchha and its other attractions.

4) Unth Khana

Behind the Jahangir Mahal lies the Unth Khana. The Unth Khana or camel house is considered as a military structure to support the army. The structure is in abandoned state and tourist only go to Unth Khana for the access to its terrace which provides some incredible view.

5) Rai Parveen Mahal

Take left from the Unth Khana and go down towards a small palace called Rai Parveen Mahal. Rail Parveen Mahal was built by Raja Indrajit for his beloved escort, Rai Parveen. There is not much to see there. It is abandoned and in a dilapidated state.

Address – Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
Phone – +91 89827 79171
Opening Hours – 8 AM to 5 PM
Suggested Duration – 3 hours
Ticket Cost – Rs 10 (Indian), Rs 200 (Foreigners), Rs 25 (Camera/Mobile), Rs 200 (Video Camera)

Is it must-have to hire the guide?

You can take the services of the guide outside the ticket counter. The guides are also available in different languages other than English and Hindi. During my visit, I saw groups of Dutch and Chinese taking a guided tour in Dutch and Mandarin respectively. The guide does not cover the whole complex and gives the guided tour of Raja Mahal and Jahangir Mahal only.

The Orchha fort is not as big as other forts of India like Amer Fort of Jaipur and Gwalior Fort of Gwalior. The palaces in both these forts are also constructed as a labyrinth which presents the danger of forgetting your way out if you go without any guide. Additionally, there are different types of rooms in the palace in Amer and Gwalior Fort which requires the help of the guide to explain their purpose during the medieval period.

The palaces in Orchha Fort are neither constructed in labyrinth fashion nor have plethora type of rooms, which makes the requirement of the service of a guide unessential. You will not have that problem of getting lost in Orchha Fort since the palaces are constructed in a symmetrical square fashion and rooms from all the sides open to the central open area of the palaces.

If you don’t opt for a guide, it might be possible that you miss some of the history related to the Orccha Fort but will not miss much in terms of layout and architecture knowledge. The history of Orchha and Orchha Fort can be found on the internet and you can always read it beforehand and come prepared on the day of your visit.

I had visited the Orchha Fort without any guide and I did not feel that I missed anything much. Exploring the place on my own allowed me to cover the fort at my own speed. I went to each storey of the palace and even covered Unth Khana and Rai Parveen Mahal (although there is nothing much to say about them) which are not covered by the guide.

Light and Sound Show

A one hour Light and Sound show narrating the history of Orchha Fort is conducted every evening in English and Hindi language.

Timings – English show (7:30 PM to 8:30 PM from March to September, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM from October to February), Hindi show (8:45 PM to 9:45 PM from March to September, 7:45 PM to 8:45 PM from October to February)
Ticket Cost – Rs 130 (Indian Adult), Rs 60 (Indian Child), Rs 300 (Foreign Adult), Rs 200 (Foreign Child)