A rich legacy of the Bundela rulers who built beautiful palaces and temples here in the 16th-17th centuries, Orchha was founded by chieftain Rudra Pratap on a stretch of land along the river Betwa.
It was thereafter most notably ruled by Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo, who built the exquisite tiered Jehangir Mahal, crowned with chhatris. The view from the palace, of soaring spires and cenotaphs, is spectacular. The walls and ceilings of the Raj Mahal and Laxminarayan Temple, covered in murals of the Bundela School of Painting, are as lovely as the exteriors.
The site is also strewn with palaces, temples, little shrines and memorials, each with a history, and each contributing to the beauty and nostalgia that is Orchha.
