Jahangir Mahal

Jahangir Mahal was built in 17th century by King Bir Singh Deo. He constructed the Mahal in order to welcome Emperor Jahangir, when he visited Orchha for one day. The Mahal is situated just 18 km far from the city of Jhansi. It is found in the district of Tikamgarh. It is also known by the name of Rani Mahal.

The Mahal has been built in the style combing both Mughal and Rajput architecture. It has a very beautiful construction of chhatris on the top which reflects the richness of those times. The Mahal has been divided into 3 floors along with eight pavilions. The Mahal's third floor is having a court and the Orchha's ruler used to meet his subjects in the court. There is a fountain as well in the Mahal's center.

The most attracting thing about the Palace is its entrance. The entrance of the Mahal has two elephant statues bowed which explore the Mahal entirely. The palace was originally known as the house of Raja Madhukar Shah's queen.

History

In the year 1598, the Mahal got completed. It is very much clear by the name of the Mahal that it was constructed in order to honor Jahangir, the Mughal emperor. It was constructed to become a citadel which allows greater control of the Mughals on the Bundela's. It was constructed as per the customs of the Timurid, and Iwans were very large to allow the entry of war elephants and the position of the Mahal is such that in order to gain the range of superiors, cannon were allowed.

It was after the battle between the Mughals and the Rajputs that the Mahal was built and it was completed by 1598. The relations between them solved when Vir Singh became the Maharaja and owned Badoni's field. Prince Salim who was the eldest son of Akbar was forfeited from the throne of Mughals by Abul Fazl, who was amongst the nine jewels in the court of Akbar. They fought against each other and Vir Singh helped Salim in the battle as a result of which Salim ripped off the head of Abul Fazl.

Architecture

Jahangir Mahal is much known due to its architecture and paintings. The location of the Mahal is such that the face of the Mahal towards east gives the view of Betwa River. The Mahal has very beautiful painting inside which there are portraits of mythological epics of Hindus. The major paintings were of Bhima and also various birds are shown flying along the elephants. These paintings were found in the room of the queen, wife of Raja Madhukar Shah.

The palace depicts a mixture of Islamic as well as Indian architectural styles. It has hanging balconies along with hole like domes, beautiful scriptures etc. The most interesting fact about the Palace was the turquoise tiles.

Visitor's Information

The Mahal is open daily for the visitors from morning to evening, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm.

The entrance fee of the Mahal is different for Indians which is INR 5 and INR 30 for the foreigners.

The best and most suitable time to visit the Mahal is in the months from October and March. During these months the temperature of Orchha is very pleasant and cool. Usually the climate of monsoons and summers are often very uncomfortable for the purpose of sightseeing.

How to Reach

Visitors who come to the Jahangir palace usually come to Gwalior and then come to Orchha. They can reach Orchha by various means which are mentioned as follows:

By air

Orchha has no airport so the visitors reach the Gwalior airport which is the nearest airport from the town. It is at a distance of 119 km from Gwalior. There is an availability of domestic flights which connects to Gwalior from Bhopal and Delhi on regular basis.

By rail

To visit Orchha by rail, visitors reach Jhansi as the railway station which is near Orchha is in Jhansi. It is at a distance of 16 km from Orchha. Major trains have a stoppage at Jhansi and are easy available.

By road

There is a diversion from the road which leads to Jhansi-Khajuraho and Orchha falls on that diversion. There are several buses which commute on the regular basis to Orchha from Jhansi. Cabs and auto-rickshaws are easily available.

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