Ordinary Orchha - A Brief Sojourn On the Road To Agra

Poverty exists everywhere.  It manifests as the the small dirt-floor huts in hamlets across Vietnam, crumbling adobe houses in Peru, and the rusted tin shacks in the backroads of Mississippi.  India is no exception.   The journey from Khajuraho to Orchha was a small glimpse into the everyday struggles that Indians face in one of the poorer areas of the country.

Anachronistic wooden carts are still drawn by horses and water buffaloes.

Horse-drawn carriages get good gas mileage on the highways.

Petite women adorned in colorful sari's performed heavy labor in the hot sun.  

Many women trudged along the road with heavy loads supported on their heads.

We saw trash heaped on the sides of the road.

The health inspectors must not be monitoring these food stalls.

The landscape is dotted with cow patty farms (dried dung is used for fuel).

Small dirt-covered children often play happily in hazardous areas like construction sites.

Cars and trucks are routinely overloaded with people and goods. 

 It is not uncommon to see the "Indian family car" (motorcycle) being ridden by 3-5 people.  

While the roads are not as densely packed like Delhi or Varanasi, travel between the two cities was slow because the poor infrastructure.  At many areas, the asphalt road was more cobbled than cobblestone.  The sheer number of potholes turned the two-lane road into a single one.

A lack of strictly enforced traffic laws means that might is right.  Vehicles yielded to the bigger or faster guy...

...unless of course cows were involved.  Everybody yields to the sacred cows in India.

Many of the driving tours from Khajurajo stop in Ochha in order to break up the 8 to 11 hour journey to Agra.  The biggest tourist attraction here is the palace-fortress complex built in the 16th century by the Bundela kings, allies of the Mughal emperors.  Built on a high island of ground amid the Betwa River (seemed more like a glorified stream), the complex consisted of two main structures built by different rulers (technically there is a third much smaller building there too).  Entrance fee was 250 Rs/person.  We decided to forego a hired guide (as did most others) to explore on our own.

The older of the two palace-forts is the Raj Mahal.  It was in a relatively poor state of repair, with occasional graffiti on the walls and several of the back rooms littered with trash.

Inside the some of the larger rooms, faded frescoes hinted at the former beauty of the palace.  Unfortunately, of the hundred rooms or so, there are only a handful which still have any paintings remaining.

One roped-off room did have some beautiful, well-preserved fresco's.  However, visualization was hampered by the lack of significant lighting.

We then headed to the adjacent palace, the Jahangir Mahal, which has much more ornate architecture.  It was built in 1626 and named after the fourth Mughal emperor who spent one night there.

Figures of elephants perch atop the pillars, chatris line the ramparts, and domed towers peek above the walls.

The wall carvings are more ornate than those at the Raj Mahal. In contrast, the frescoes are not as vibrant and detailed as those in the other fortress.  Furthermore, the palace too is in a state of disrepair which detracts from its beauty.

Lapis lazuli is embedded in the walls to create blue flowers. 

 Intricate screens called Jali's are carved into the rock walls.

From the top floors, we saw some very nice views of the old temples within the town and the cenotaphs nestled along the banks of the Betwa River.

We crossed the bridge back into town to see the Chaturbujl Mandir, a large temple that loomed over the town.  Along the way there, we passed many pitiful-looking elderly beggars surrounded by buzzing flies.  Once we got to the temple, things didn't look much better.  There was a good amount of trash and graffiti near the entrance.  Despite reportedly having a great view of the surrounding countryside from atop of the seven story spires, we decided to instead beat a hasty retreat back to the car.

With the sightseeing completed, we checked into the Bundelkhand Riverside Hotel.  Built by the Maharaja of Orchha last century, the place seems worn down and in need of better upkeep.  The place was covered in cobwebs.

A nice swim would have been refreshing in the sweltering weather, but the pool was empty!

The nearby river didn't look much better.

The room was not modern by any standards--the A/C unit could not keep the area cool, the fans are extremely noisy, and there is no TV.

Despite these drawbacks, the place is fairly relaxing.  The property is spacious with a rustic atmosphere.  There are beautiful plants and flowers, and the balcony and terrace provided a nice view of the nearby river and countryside.  We took a nice long nap out on some tented beds in the main courtyard.

For dinner we tried the Bundelkhand chicken, lauki masala ("white pumpkin Indian style"), and peas and mushroom curry.  The food was light but not very tasty.

Overall, we really didn't enjoy visiting this area of India.  In fact, the poverty is somewhat depressing.  Hopefully, the remainder of the trip will be more cheerful and interesting.