Orchha would resemble many small Indian villages in Madhya Pradesh if it weren't for the glorious medieval palaces and temple spires. According to mptourism.com, "Orchha was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, who chose this stretch of land along the Betwa river as an ideal site for his capital. Of the succeeding rulers, the most notable was Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo who built the exquisite Jehangir Mahal, a tiered palace crowned by graceful chhatris." Inside the palaces, along wall and ceiling are frescoes representing the Bundela school of painting. The only problem, as our guide regretfully pointed out, is that the government have no interest in restoring or protecting these treasures. Sad, when you consider that tourism is all that Orchha has going for it these days...
No comments:
Post a Comment