Orchha Village Tourism (River Rafting)

Rural Tourism India

Orchha (or Urchha) is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River, 80 km from Tikamgarh & 15 km from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

The historic town of Orchha, nestled on the banks of river Betwa, was founded in the 16th century by the Bundela Rajput Chief, Rudra Pratap. Here, the river Betwa splits into seven channels, also called the Satdhara. Legend goes that this is in honour of the seven erstwhile Chiefs of Orchha.

The ancient town seems frozen in time, with its many monuments continuing to retain their original grandeur even to this day. Here you will find some of the most fascinating temples and palaces that will help you realise a childhood fantasy – travelling back in time!

On a seasonal island on the bank of the Betwa River, which has been surrounded by a battlement wall, stands a huge palace-fort. The fort consists of several connected buildings erected at different times, the most noteworthy of which is the Raja Mahal.

The Ram Raja Temple is built on a square base and has an almost entirely plain exterior, relieved by projecting windows and a line of delicate domes along the summit. The Jahangir Mahal is built on a rectangular base and is relieved by a circular tower at each corner surmounted by a dome, while two lines of graceful balconies supported on brackets mark the central storeys. The roof is crowned by eight large fluted domes, with smaller domes between them, connected by an ornamental balustrade. The Jahangir Mahal is considered to be a singularly beautiful specimen of Mughal architecture. A point worth mentioning here is that the mother for Jahangir was also a Rajput, Jodha. It is with this in mind that the Rajput king of Orchha had built the Jahangir Mahal.There is a spectacular light and sound show in the evening hours in the Jahangir Mahal.the show basically lets us know about the history of the city orchha and the jahangir mahal. Chaturbhuj Temple is an old temple from the 9th century.

The Uth Khana (Camel Shelter) where the King's camels were stationed is right next to the fort and is a must-see. Tourists can also climb on the roof of the Uth Khana and get a fantastic view of Orchha town. The ruins behind the fort complex are an even greater sight. It makes a tourist travel back in time and is an integral part of a visit to Orchha. It houses the residences of various military officers, ministers (housing, roads), gunpowder factory, etc. Although most are in absolute ruins, a silent walk through the ruins can give one goosebumps.

Numerous cenotaphs or chhatris dot the vicinity of the fort and the Betwa river. Elsewhere about the town there is an unusual variety of temples and tombs, including the Chaturbhuj temple, which is built on a vast platform of stone. The more unguarded and neglected of these buildings are popular hangouts for tropical bees, wasps, and other such excitable stinging creatures.

Tikamgarh is a town and a tehsil in Tikamgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city serves as a district headquarters. The earlier name of Tikamgarh was 'Tehri' consisting of three hamlets, forming a rough triangle. 

Tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. The development of a strong platform around the concept of Rural Tourism is definitely useful for a country like India, where almost 74% of the population resides in its 7 million villages. Across the world the trends of industrialization and development have had an urban centric approach. Alongside, the stresses of Urban lifestyles have led to a “counterurbanization” syndrome. This has led to growing interest in the rural areas. At the same time this trend of urbanization has led to falling income levels, lesser job opportunities in the total areas leading to an urbanization syndrome in the rural areas. Rural Tourism is one of the few activities which can provide a solution to these problems. Besides, there are other factors which are shifting the trend towards rural tourism like increasing levels of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture and improved accessibility, and environmental consciousness. In the developed countries, this has resulted in a new style of tourism of visiting village settings to experience and live a relaxed and healthy lifestyle. This concept has taken the shape of a formal kind of Rural Tourism.

"Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism is essentially an activity which takes place in the countryside. It is multi-faceted and may entail farm/agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism. As against conventional tourism, rural tourism has certain typical characteristics like; it is experience oriented, the locations are sparsely populated, it is predominantly in natural environment, it meshes with seasonality and local events and is based on preservation of culture, heritage and traditions. "

Handicraft:

The handicrafts of Orchaa reflecting its local flavor is quite popular amongst the tourists. Bazaars of Orchaa provide tourists with recreation who come from the various parts of the world as well as from India. These bazaars are characterized like any other typical Indian markets with hustle bustle on the streets, hawking calls of the shopkeepers to attract the tourists, and not to be forgotten the typical bargaining of the Indian markets.

The most popular commodity from the streets of Orchaa is the traditional Dhokra hand crafted commodities which are exquisite and one of a kind. Dhokra handicraft derives its name from the Dhokra Damar tribes, who are the traditional metal smiths of West Bengal. But they have extended to regions of Chattisgarh as well. The products of Dhokra artisans are quite popular in Indian as well as overseas markets because of primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful forms.

Objects such as gods, goddesses, mementoes, trophies, souvenirs, showpieces are made and sold in the markets of Orchaa. Intricate designing and carving on the artifacts make them quintessential for the home adornments.  The peculiarity of this art form is that no two artifacts resemble each otherand each artifact is finished with great finesse. 

Rural Dance of the Orchha, Bundelkhand: 

Over the centuries, a rich and diverse tradition of song and dance emerged across the Bundelkhand region. On the International Dance day today, let us introduce you to the various lively dance forms of Bundelkhand.

Several local cults exist in this region independent of mainstream Hindu religious tradition. Bundeli Culture has many dimensions in the form of Folk Dances, Folk Songs, Folk Arts, Musical Instruments and many Festivals and celebrations giving opportunity to artists to demonstrate their performance. Few of the features of Bundelkhandi Dances are mentioned below.

1. Diwari : This dance in Bundelkhand is performed every year during the festival of light Diwali/Deepawali in the end of October or first week of November according to lunar calendar. In this connection the epic story goes that “in Gokul” when Lord Krishna raised Goverdhan Parvat on his finger to save the local people, they danced in joy. The dancers wear multi-coloured apparels and the chief dancer holds the peacock feathers in his hands and the rest stick those feathers in their half pants. The main instruments used in this dance are ‘Dholak’ and ‘Nagaria’ (both being a form of drums). The male dancers with long sticks show the marshal arts when the beats of drums inspire their energy and emotions. This dance is also performed as a ‘thanks giving’ after harvesting.

2. Ravala : Ravala dance in Bundelkhand is basically a dance drama. The farm labour community of Bundelkhand performs Ravala during marriages. It is performed with very funny expressions and humorous dialogues. The audiences are entertained by these expressions of dance and the dialogues of drama.

3. Badhaiya : Badhaiya is a ceremonial dance. It is performed on child birth, marriages or any other get together to celebrate happiness and joy. The collective moments of dancers show the unique expressions of their faces. With rhythm and movements they greet for the occasion.

4. Raai : Through the centuries Raai has been the folk dance which has touched its peak as a classical dance. Later, Raai degenerated its aesthetical value and lost its classical expression. Today it remains simply as a folk dance. Raai means a mustard seed. When a mustard seed is thrown into a saucer, the seed starts to swings around. This way mustard seed moves in the saucer, the dancers also swings and when the singers sing the lyrics of the song the dancers follow the beats with foot steps. It is a duet and the competition is between the beats of the drum and foot steps of the dancer. The drummer and the dancer try to win each other and this competition leads towards the bliss.

5. Horse Dance: It is a ceremonial dance performed by a trained horse with the loud beats of heave drums called Rabbi. With graceful movements, the horse follows beats of the drum with its four steps and the horse rider performs the gymnastics gestures. Typically horse dance follows the ceremonial marriage processions.

6. Pahunai : This song and dance is performed to welcome the guests in particular.

7 Benefits of Rural Tourism:

• Generates employment and income for the residents of remote villages. This is most especially beneficial to women who often have no new opportunities to earn income away from home.
• Creates a market and appreciation for local products and services..and keeps them alive.
• Encourages conservation and care of natural resources such as the rivers, forests, mountains as well as local fauna and flora, birds, fish and almost extinct animals. When these are valued as living assets to attract income, they are usually cared for.
• Provides incentives to preserve some of the old customs and traditions, crafts, traditional festivals, architecture, food and other practices unique to certain cultures.
• Given that services are often provided by residents of the village, rural tourism benefits the village in that there is greater cooperation among villagers as they operate the local enterprise of providing for the tourists.
• Provides opportunities for mutual sharing of cultures. Hopefully, these encounters will result in greater understanding among peoples and closer ties to the global family.
• Helps slow urban drift as it gives a better economic future for families in rural areas.

 

Activities for Tourist:

River Rafting

For a close interaction with the inviting Betwa, try rafting. MP Tourism organises two river safaris at Orchha. Beginning from the scenic Kanchana Ghat, the 90-min package (31/2 km) culminates at Shiv Ghat with refreshments; the 3-hr package (6 km) includes breakfast or lunch at Shiv Ghat and goes up to Note Ghat.

The challenge of a turbulent current is no less than that of the rough landscapes. Nestled in the lap of lush greenery and massive cenotaphs, Orchha’s mighty river Betwa swift right from the Vindhya Range and empties itself into the Yamuna.   The river is wide and its placid flow is intermittently broken by Grade I to Grade II rapids and gives another reason to adventure lovers to experience world’s most lovable water adventure. River Rafting is such an experience which actually makes a traveler feel as if it’s some high action series.

The cost for River Rafting in Orchha is mentioned below. We have listed cost per person, adult and child fees along with eligibility criteria

Cost Per Person: 800 - 2000 per person

Village Exploration 

Tourists who are interested in experiencing the tribal life, Tikamgarh village is a absolutely right place for them. You can converse with the indigenous people in the village and know about their lifestyle. You can also take a walk around the village enjoying its beauty. Explore the forts, palaces and tribal dynasties of the village. 

Village stay 

If you are planning to stay here for the longer time to can also hire the cottages in the village. During the day time you can venture in the fields. You may glimpse the villagers working hard in the fields. If you want you can also work with with the tribals in the farms. 

Forest Safari

Tourists can also take the forest safari along with the forest officials.  

Learn Handicraft and Wood Art

Visit places nearby

Traditional and local cusine

community works

Visit small scale bell metal casting units. 

 

How to Reach:

By Air:The nearest airports to Orchha are Gwalior Airport (113 kms) and Khajuraho Airport (155 kms).

By Rail: The nearest railway junction to Orchha is Jhansi, which is 16 kms away.

By Road: Orchha is well-connected by road to places like Jhansi, Gwalior and Khajuraho. You can hire a taxi or bus to reach Orchha from these places.

Source of Information is Internet, Might vary, Kindly crosscheck/reconfirm before finalizing the Tour Plan.