The Story of Orchha Is The Story Of Brave Men And Women Who Believed In What They Stood For

In this blog post, I cover Orchha, a quaint lil town tucked in the sprawling wilderness of Bundelkhand.

A princely state, known as the capital of the Bundela kingdom in the 16th century, Orchha is now recognized as a pilot city by the state government of Madhya Pradesh.

Orchha has been chosen for the Historic Urban Landscape program and survey that UNESCO New Delhi will jointly undertake with the Tourism Department of Madhya Pradesh.

Trying to retain its regal heritage by drawing attention to its beautiful forts and palaces, the Royal Chhatris (Cenotaphs), and historic temples, Orchha came across as a revelation. And while Orchha was not included as a UNESCO world heritage site, I am convinced that this program will serve as a boilerplate for heritage-based urban development of Orchha.

A hurried tour to Orchha was probably in contrast to my best interests, given that I promote slow travel. Even then, Orchha managed to impress me through its lore of brave men and women who believed in what they stood for.

As you set foot in Orchha, the erstwhile grandeur and magnificence become more and more apparent; what stays with you, though, is even more remarkable.

The heroic tales of few good men and women of Orchha is such a powerful narrative, truly characteristic of a city that was once in the seat of power.

And one such tale is that of Lala Hardaul.

The tale of Hardaul's Sacrifice

The Sound and Light show at the Orchha Fort Complex takes place every day from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm in English and from 8:45 pm to 9:45 pm in Hindi. Wish to take a glimpse into the life of the people of Orchha back then? Then this is the show you must attend.

Fifteen minutes into the show, I was introduced to Lala Hardaul, a man whose extraordinary tale of sacrifice has earned him iconic status in Orchha.

The story goes back to nearly 409 years ago. Steeped in history and replete with pain and suffering is the legendary tale of Rani Champavati of Orchha and her brother-in-law Prince Hardaul. It is said that the Rani poisoned Hardaul to prove innocence to her husband.

In the 17th century, the fifth king of Orchha, Vir Singh Deo, was blessed with eight sons. Vir Singh was an accomplice of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who had hired him to assassinate Abul Fazl. As he grew older, he handed over the reins of his royal kingdom to Jhujhar Singh, his eldest son. 

Hardaul, the youngest son of King Vir Singh, was born in Datiya. Hardaul was just 24 when his stepbrother Jhujhar Singh accused him of having an illicit affair with his then-wife Rani Champavati. The seeds of suspicion were planted by Jhujhar's own real brother, Pahad Singh, who was eyeing Orchha's royal throne. Pahad had falsely implicated Rani and Hardaul of adultery. 

The credulous king ordered Rani to prove her allegiance by poisoning his 'son-like' brother-in-law. Hardaul was aware that his kheer was laced with poison, yet he chose to sacrifice his life. After Hardaul's death, the king realized that Hardaul was innocent. 

Hardaul's relationship with Rani was sacred, and to date, the motherly love of Rani Champavati towards her brother-in-law Hardaul gets talked of in Orchha. In fact, the first invitation of every wedding ceremony in Bundelkhand is sent to Hardaul only.