Chaturbhuj Temple

This beautiful temple dominates the town of Orchha with its shikharas (spires) soaring into the sky. Built on a 4.5-m-high platform, a flight of stairs leads to the main temple. It is said that this is where an idol of Lord Rama was originally supposed to be enshrined. Failing to do so, king Madhukar, who was the then ruler of Orchha, decided to place an idol of Lord Vishnu here. The word 'chaturbhuj' literally means one who has four arms, and refers to Lord Rama, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

 

Chaturbhuj Temple

Laxmi Narayan Temple

Built during the rule of Raja Bir Singh Deo, the Lakshmi Narayan Temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and prosperity). Its structure exemplifies a unique blend of temple and fort architecture. Built with lime mortar and bricks, the temple has cannon slots on its roof. Its well-preserved frescos portray an amalgamation of Mughal and Bundelkhandi art and the carvings on the inside depict the life of Lord Krishna. The temple also has the famous post-mutiny paintings. Another interesting feature is that it has a flagstone path that connects it to the Ram Raja Temple. Other notable aspects of the temple are the carvings on the central dome and ornately carved pillars on the corners. Visitors should also see the famous painting of the legendary 'Shungi Chirya', which is a monstrous bird that could capture elephants in its talons. There is no idol of the goddess inside the temple.

Laxmi Narayan Temple

Ram Raja Temple

Resembling a palace, this is the only temple in India where Lord Rama is worshipped as a king. The grand peach-tinted building with domes, was once the palace of queen Ganesh Kumari, the wife of king Madhukar Shah, the ruler of Orchha. It was known as Rani Mahal then.

 

Ram Raja Temple

Datia

Mentioned in the epic Mahabharata as Daityavakra, Datia is an ancient town that is now the district headquarters of north-central Madhya Pradesh. The main attraction in this quaint town is the 17th-century, seven-storey palace of Bir Singh Deo that is built on a hill overlooking a lake. Datia is also popular among devotees for its many temples, including the Sidhapeeth of Peetambara Devi, Bagulamukhi Devi Temple and Gopeshwar Temple. Datia is also known for its cotton handloom industry. It is often referred to as Small Vrindavan or Laghu Vrindavan and holds countless stories that tourists cannot find in books.

Datia