#chhotebhai –
Chances are that a lot of travellers, even in India, have not heard of Orchha. It is about 25 kms from Jhansi, but in the neighbouring State of M.P. Its heyday, as the capital of the Bundela kingdom, was co-terminus with the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in Agra, about 200 kms due north.
Why the communal harmony angle to Orchha? There was the rivalry, with the accompanying wars and bloodshed, between the Hindu Bundela kingdom and the Muslim Mughal one. Yet there were some extraordinary examples of communal harmony and mutual respect.
The first example is of the danseuse Rai Parveen. Akbar was enamoured by her and summoned her to his court in Delhi. However, she declined to succumb to his overtures. To his face she said that only dogs, crows and beggars touch other peoples’ leftovers! Amazed by her loyalty to her lover King Indramani, Akbar sent her home to Orchha with due honour and respect. In those days of entrenched patriarchy and monarchy, he could easily have ordered her beheading or flogging.
The other example is of Akbar’s rebellious son Salim, who later became Emperor Jehangir. Salim sided with the Bundelas in battle, so the latter built the Jehangir Palace in his honour.
The third and most intriguing example is that of the young Badrunissa, the daughter of Aurangzeb. The emperor’s forces set out to destroy the Ram Raja Temple in Orchha. The high priest had shut the doors in anticipation of the imminent attack. When the commander ordered the doors to be opened, a young boyish person stood there, sword in hand. On removal of the headdress it was found to be the young princess Badrunissa, who was in love with one of the Bundela princes. She ordered her father’s forces to retreat and leave the temple unharmed.
Interestingly, in this Ram Raja Temple, Lord Ram is regarded as a human king and not as a deity. This corroborates the research of Padmabhushan Dr Camille Bulcke SJ, whom no less than Indira Gandhi had described as the foremost authority on the Tulsidas Ramayan. Bulcke’s research, for his PhD from Allahabad University, led him to the conclusion that the Lord Ram of Hindu mythology was not the same as the King Ram of history.
I am no scholar, to either endorse or contradict Bulcke’s research. However, it is interesting to note that Jesus himself eschewed the title “Son of God”. In the New Testament he refers to himself 72 times as the “Son of Man”. The lesson here is that divinity is not something to be grasped (Phi 2:6) or a theological definition. Jesus gradually became aware of his divine nature (self-realisation) through various epiphanies (manifestations) beginning with his temple visit at the age of 12, his baptism, transfiguration and ultimately the fusion of the human and divine in the crucifixion and resurrection, when he cries out “It is accomplished” (Jn 19:29).
There is much more to Orchha, in the architectural splendour of the cenotaphs (chhatris), fortress etc. Built on the banks of the Betwa River it has a scenic serenity. It is also a birdwatcher’s paradise. Among the exotic birds we spotted were a canary yellow weaver bird, the green bee eater, grey hornbill and the almost extinct vulture. Orchha is a designated site for vulture conservation as it is a highly endangered species under the Wildlife Act of 1972, featuring on its red list.
There’s still more to Orchha. Across the river is a pristine wild life sanctuary, where we spotted a jackal and its pup, a family of mongooses, spotted deer (chital) and langurs. The langurs had a golden sheen as compared to the ash grey ones found in semi-urban areas. At the edge of the forest is the confluence of the Jamini River merging with the Betwa.
Another positive is the courtesy and relative cleanliness. We stayed in a hotel run by the M.P. Tourism department. In the past, as a family, we have travelled to several scenic destinations and sanctuaries in U.P. and Uttarakhand (UK); invariably choosing government accommodation, as it is much cheaper than private lodgings. I can say without hesitation that the courtesy in M.P. was head and shoulders above what we have experienced in U.P. and UK.
Now to the flip side. People bathing in the river leave their litter and even soiled clothes behind. It’s not a pleasant sight. The other negative was the Sound & Light Show in the Fort. It was pathetic, just a plain narrative with some light and sound effects thrown in for good measure. The mosquitoes added to our ennui and denouement.
As an aside we bumped into a Bollywood crew shooting for the movie Bhool Bhoolaya 3, starring Madhuri Dixit, Vidhya Balan and Kartik Aaryan. What really bugged us were their bouncers trying to stop people from going close to where the shooting was taking place.
In the cenotaph enclosure I noticed that one of the gatekeepers had kept some white bunny rabbits as pets. This was in exactly the same place that I had spotted the vultures. How did they co-exist? Did not the carnivorous vultures attack the rabbits as easy prey? No. Vultures only feed on carrion. It’s amazing how nature abides by the laws of peaceful co-existence. Would that we humans became more “humane”; instead of baying for the blood of “others” in the name of religion, caste, ethnicity, gender or nationality. Being close to nature is being closer to God.
Even though my family of four spent just one day and night in Orchha it was a memorable experience, with many valuable lessons learnt; lessons that are now being shared through this travelogue.
The writer is a nature lover based in Kanpur, 250 kms from Orchha.