ALSphere Foundation
Introduction
Orchha was the seat of a former princely state of Central India in the Bundelkhand region. This town is situated on the bank of Betwa River in the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh, fifteen kilometres away from Jhansi of Uttar Pradesh. This historical settlement derived its name from the phrase ‘Ondo chhe’ meaning ‘low’ or ‘hidden’ because the site, when discovered, was bowl-like in structure, buffered by forests on banks of the Betwa River.
Orchha was formerly the capital of Bundelkhand region founded in the 16th century by the Bundela chief Rudra Pratap Singh Bundela (1501–1531), who became the first King of Orchha. He identified Orchha as the ideal site for building of the Orchha Fort.
The son of Rudra Pratap Singh, Bharti Chand (1531-1554), shifted the Bundel capital from Garh Kundar to Orchha, because it was a better place to fortify against the Mughals.
After almost a decade of unrest, Bir Singh Deo (1605-1627) became the king of Orchha. He was perhaps the greatest of the Bundela Kings of Orchha.
The Cenotaphs
Even though the seat of power changed frequently in Orchha, the city flourished and grew under the leadership of Bundeli kings, and became the inception point for a new style of architecture known as the Bundeli architectural style.
As the capital of the Bundela dynasty from 1531-1783 CE, Orchha’s monuments, temples and murals, showcase remarkable evolution in town planning, fortification of settlements, in design and in art.
Chhatris or memorials of Orchha were constructed in honour of the erstwhile rulers of Bundela dynasty. At the bank of river Betwa, fourteen stone Cenotaphs are located along the Kanchan Ghat. They look beautiful in their reflection in the water from the Betwa river side.
The Cenotaphs are constructed on an uplifted square platform. Most of them are designed in Panchayatan style. The Panchayatan architectural style is a style characterized by a central shrine surrounded by four subsidiary shrines, positioned at the cardinal directions, creating a harmonious and symmetrical arrangement.
The Cenotaphs are in the form of tall, square buildings with a pavilion on top called Chattri (domed canopy, resembling an umbrella or a parasol). A common feature of most Indian architectural styles, ‘Chattri’ comes from the Persian chatr or the Sanskrit chattra, a type of Trabeate (Trabeated construction is a structural system where horizontal elements such as lintels are supported by vertical elements such as posts) structure.
These Cenotaphs are funereal monuments built to immortalize the rulers of the Bundelkhand dynasty. They have been built in memory of the King Bharti Chandra, Madhukar Raja, Sujan Singh Shah, Veer Singh Dev, Jaswant Singh, Maharaja Sawant Singh, Maharaja Bhagwan Singh, Maharaja Indramani Singh, Pahad Singh and others.
The Chhatri of Maharaja Sujan Singh of Bundela architecture is at the most developed stage. It is a three-story rectangular building of Nagar style; each corner has a square room with topped dome. The central chamber has three arched doors and Nagar style Shikhar of temple architecture. The windows are placed to keep it airy.
The Cenotaph of Veer Singh Dev has Islamic features like large domes and strong pillars. Its stairway goes to the top and offers a panoramic view of Orchha.
Since Hindus are cremated, the Cenotaphs are empty structures, but presently the Chattris have become the living quarters of a colony of long billed vultures, a critically endangered species.
Harbouring the Endangered
The Indian vulture or long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) is a bird of prey, native to the Indian subcontinent, belonging to the family of Accipitridae. The Accipitridae is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills. The Indian long-billed vulture is a medium-sized vulture with a small, semi-bald head, long beak, and wide dark coloured wings. Its body and covert feathers are pale brown with darker flight feathers. It has white thighs with scattered white fluff and broad wings with short tail feathers.
The long-billed vultures breed mainly on small cliffs and hilly crags but they seem to have found their homes on the Chattris. Perched like gargoyles on the spires of the cenotaphs and blending in with the dark, weather-stained walls of these ancient structures, the presence of the vultures adds to the mysterious magic of the landscape. They can either be seen roosting on the rooftops or soaring high in the skies.
With the vulture population in India declining at an alarming rate, the sprawling Cenotaph complex has become the focal point of intense conservation efforts.
I was lucky to spot four Indian long-billed vultures, and was also able to photograph them.
Orchha is a place worthy of a visit, especially the Cenotaphs.
If you want to spot the long-billed vultures, plan for an early evening visit. They are a sight to behold in the golden rays of the setting sun!
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