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Ram Raja Temple, Orchha

Orchha, Niwari district, Madhya Pradesh, on the Betwa river

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Ram Raja Temple, Orchha
Photo: Yann, CC BY-SA 4.0

About

In the old Bundela town of Orchha, Shri Ram is not only a god but the king. The Ram Raja temple was once the palace of Queen Ganesh Kunwari, and here Ram ji is worshipped as Raja Ram. He sits in his court with Sita ji, Lakshman ji, Sugriv, Narsingh Bhagwan and Durga Maa, while Hanuman ji and Jambavan ji pray below. Unusually, he holds a sword in his right hand and a shield in the other, and sits with his left leg folded over his right thigh. As for a king, the Madhya Pradesh police give him a guard of honour every day. It is said to be the only temple where Ram ji is worshipped as a king.

The story

The story of this temple is told all over Bundelkhand. In the 16th century King Madhukar Shah of Orchha was a devotee of Shri Krishna, while his queen, Ganesh Kunwari, worshipped Shri Ram. Once the king wished to go to Braj and the queen to Ayodhya. The king told her she could go, but should come back only with Ram ji himself. The queen walked to Ayodhya and fasted and prayed by the Sarayu for many days. Devotees believe that at last Ram ji came into her lap as a small child. He agreed to come to Orchha on three conditions: he would travel only in Pushya nakshatra, with a band of sadhus; in Orchha he alone would be king; and wherever she first seated him, there he would stay for ever. Meanwhile, back in Orchha, the grand Chaturbhuj temple was being built for him. But the queen, tired from the long journey, seated the child Ram in her own palace for the night, and he never moved from there. So the queen's palace became the temple, the Chaturbhuj temple stands beside it, and Ram ji is still honoured as the king of Orchha.

Visiting

October to March is the best season; summers in Bundelkhand are very hot. Orchha is about 15 to 18 km from Jhansi. Near the temple are the Chaturbhuj temple, the Raja Mahal and Jahangir Mahal inside the fort, and the royal chhatris along the Betwa. Ram Navami and Vivah Panchami are the most festive times.

Festivals

  • Ram Navami (Chaitra Shukla Navami)
  • Vivah Panchami, the Ram-Sita wedding festival (Margashirsha Shukla Panchami)
  • Makar Sankranti and Kartik Purnima

Famous temples

Sources