Sri Rama Raja Temple – The Palace Kitchen that turned into a Temple in Madhya Pradesh
We have seen in all of Rama’s Temples, the Lord is shown as standing along with Sita, Laxman and Hanuman sitting on his knees with folded Hands looking at Lord Rama.
However in Rama Raja Temple, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, one will find that He is in a sitting position accompanied by Sita on the left, brother Laxman, Sugriva and Narasingh on the right along with Goddess Durga, Hanuman and Jambavan praying, just below Sita as if all are sitting in “Durbar’” of a King. Here Rama is with a sword in his right hand and a shield in the other.
He is in Padmasan (Lotus Position) with his left leg crossed over the right thigh.
Click here for the official website
Legend
Though there are so many legends that are passed from generation to generation among devotees about this town, the more relevant one goes back to the time when King Madhukar Shah was governing this region which is now also known as Bundelkhand of this state. He was a devotee of Lord Krishna and his wife Queen Ganesh Kunwar of Rama. So this clash of devotion created a rift between them.
When the Queen wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya, the King asked her to bring back her deity along with her. She felt that an impossible task was given to her, so her wish would never be fulfilled. Therefore, in Ayodhya, she then decided to pray fervently to her God.
In due course, her prayer to Lord Rama pleased Him and agreed to go with her to Orchha. However, he put her some conditions that, He will come as a Baby Rama so that she could take him in her lap. Another one was that on reaching Orchha, He would not move from one place to another but will stay where she kept Him initially. It took 8 months 27 days to reach Orchha.
There was also one more condition laid that He would come in Pushya Nakshatra only whenever its cycle comes during this long period. On her return, King agreed and planned the construction of the temple.
However, on return, the Queen forgot one condition and kept Him in the “Palace Kitchen”. When the temple was eventually ready, the Queen’s deity refused to move and remained in the Kitchen only.
Thus, this Kitchen of her Palace became a Temple and now it is very well known as “Ram Raja Temple’’ The king who built new temple wanted to shift the Rama idol which was not possible at all. So, he decided to install Laxmi Narayan Idols and the temple came to be known as Laxmi Narayan Mandir.
Temple And Rama’s Durbar
This unique temple is in this small town in Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region in Tikamgarh district which is just 16 Km away from historic town Jhansi. Orchha is a Hindi word meaning “Hidden” (Hiding place).
During the 15th Century Tughlaqs from Delhi who were governing that region wanted to capture Bundelkhand. So, to avoid it, Kings from this region were hiding here by taking refuge. So this name of Orchha came into existence. The Temple in Palace is an interesting fusion of modern architecture and an ancient Palace with shrines at different places within.
The Bundela Rulers built this and all nearby Temples during the 16th and 17th Centuries.
A very interesting observation here is that Lord Rama is worshipped more as a king than a God. So, daily Guard of Honor is given to Him by Police personnel designated as Guards for 24 hours much in manner done for a King along with armed salutation.
Daily Aarti
Another attraction in this temple is the daily ‘’Aartis’’ to Lord Rama followed by Gun Salute given by Guards at the end. As mentioned earlier Lord Rama is seen sitting in Padmasan position, with his left leg crossed over the right thigh though both legs are not crossed unlike in the usual Padmasan position.
Every day after worshipping all deities with “Chandan Tilak’’ and flowers, it is also applied on the Lord Rama’s left toe.
Click here for the donations. (Kindly check the website before making any payments)
It is a belief of visiting devotees that in this Durbar of King Rama, spotting His left foot toe is not so easy, so, the devotees do not see down but look towards the left leg that is folded. If they could see the toe they feel their wish would be fulfilled.
However, the Temple priest helps in spotting the toe for those who find it difficult. In this Temple along with others, two important festivals are celebrated on a larger and grand scale. They are Ram Navami which falls as per Hindu almanac in the month of Chaitra and tithi Shuddha Navami as Rama’s birth day and Vivah Panchami which falls in Margashish month’s 5th Day also Shuddha Panchami the Lord’s Wedding day.
Other Interesting Places Nearby
There are about 7 places worth visiting when one visits to see this unique Temple. They are
Chaturbhuj or Laxmi Narayan Temple
The Lakshminarayan Temple has a unique architecture which is a blend of a fort and temple moulds. The temple houses stunning murals that depict mythological, spiritual and secular themes( an art lover’s delight) and also a lot of post-mutiny paintings.
The temple also has a flagstone path which straightaway connects it to Ram Raja Temple.
Raja Mahal
Built during the 17th century, the Raja Mahal has withstood the test of time without losing its charm that transports you back to one of the golden eras of history.The palace is constructed beautifully with impeccable architecture and breathtaking grandeur.
Resided by the erstwhile kings of Orchha, the palace has kept the soul of the India’s most eminent royalty intact through all these years. The palace has magnificent towers and spectacular murals which will make a visit here an absolute delight for any art enthusiast.
Rani Mahal
Cocooned very prettily in the splendid fort complex, the Palace of Queen (Rani Mahal) of Orchha is known well for the astounding architecture it has to boast about. Besides this, the lovely paintings of the palace are simply mesmerizing too.
The mahal also means the queen quarters. It was the royal chamber for the wife of Raja Madhukar Singh. He was greatly dedicated to Lord Rama and thus he decorated the rooms of the queen’s chamber with murals that depicted scenes from the great epics like Ramayana.
The ceilings as well as walls both are festooned with beautiful paintings all over them.
Jahangir Mahal
Built as a garrison and citadel for the Mughals to allow greater control over the Bundela region, this palace was completed in 1598 by Bharath Bhushan after he defeated Vir Deo Singh of Bundela. This place is a classic example of Mughal architecture.
The domes are built according to Timurid customs and the gates or Iwans are large enough to allow entry of War elephants. Also, the relatively higher position compared to surrounding area made this palace a very important palace for the Mughals.
Phool Baug (Flowers Garden)
A beautiful garden complex depicting the aesthetic qualities of the Bundelas, this place has multiple fountains culminating in an 8-pillared palace pavilion. The fountain’s working is very intricate as the water collects in the Chandan Katora and it then supplies droplets of water through the roof making it look like rainfall.
This garden was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Orchha. This garden was built as a memorial for Prince Dinman Hardaul who had committed suicide to prove his innocence to his big brother.
- Sound and Light Show of 1 hour each in Hindi and English (covering the history of Orchha from the 15th Century) giving descriptions of Sheesh Mahal, Rai Praveen Palace, Jahangir Palace, and their architectural style.
In this show, a voice narrates what happened in these palaces while light effects of various colours shower these places. Sawan Bhado Pillars- An ingenious cooling system with perforation on top of pillars to catch the wind while their lower parts were connected to a water reservoir.
This design was inspired by the Persian system of cooling. The legend says that these two pillars were erected to honour two important historical figures.
Nature Trail
Last but not least is ‘’Nature Trail’’- a 12 km long along the river Betwa where one can experience long lush farmland and serene wilderness. This is a paradise for birds and in some wild areas animals too like langurs, macaques and spotted deer.
With all this visual delight to eyes and unforgettable experience, devotees and visitors leave this place with a heart full of thoughts on the noble qualities of Rama, His simplicity and ability to treat everyone alike.
