Jhansi and Orcha

Getting from Bangalore to Bandhavgarh is a bit of a hassle especially when traveling by train. We had a stopover at Jhansi for a day. A tour around the city seemed like a good idea and the a chance for some good food.

The city is historically important for being the stronghold of Rani Lakshmi bai, a quintessential heroine in the annals of Indian history. There are a few places of interest in the city. The fort is quite well maintained with a a few notable sights such as the kadak bijli canon, a few temples and gates. There is a board which marks the spot where the queen jumped off which seemed to be amusing if not too historical. The Rani Mahal has been converted to a museum although it looks more like a storehouse for statues and artifacts. The city museum on the other hand was far more informative and interesting.



Less than 20 kms away from Jhansi is the city of Orcha in Madhya Pradesh which is more popular amongst the tourists. The ruins and the temples are of course much better maintained, and more photogenic. More interesting among them are the palace, the Jahangir Mahal, the Chaturbhuj temple and the Rama Raja temple which is religiously important. The complete trip took us no more than half a day to all these places.