Cenotaphs of Orchha
Cenotaphs of Orchha Beauty Redefined
It was as whimsical as one could be; Orchha had beckoned for years
The small town feel of the former capital of Bundela Rajas is charming indeed. Although there is much to watch the sights and monuments of Orchha, this post is about the cenotaphs (or Chhatris) of the kings of Bundela Dynasty; and I must not digress.
Orchha was founded in 1531 and was the capital of Bundelkhand (Kingdom of the Bundela Rajas) until 1738. There is a certain air of melancholy that prevails in Orchha. The grandeur of the past feels like a mirage with derelict monuments of the present.
The cenotaphs are home to endangered vultures and emerald parakeets, who laze on the spires. The greenery of manicured lawns is history; water levels in the Betwa have plummeted after successive years of scanty rainfall. Drought like conditions have ensured Bundelkhand is in dire straits and the warm winds are almost unbearable.
In total, there are 14 cenotaphs in memory of the Orchha rulers built on Kanchana Ghat on the banks of Betwa River.The monuments shine like gold when fading sunlight falls on them; and quickly become a structure of stones when the light goes away. It is a telling statement on the plight of Orchha; capital of a flourishing empire once and reduced to a neglected obscure town now.
