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The heritage town of Orchha, known for the Ram Raja Temple and the Jahangir Mahal, is located in:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Madhya Pradesh
Detailed Solution
Orchha is a historic town in the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of the Betwa river, in the Bundelkhand region.
About Orchha:
- It was founded in 1501 by the Bundela Rajput chief Rudra Pratap Singh, and it became the capital of the Bundela kingdom.
- The name "Orchha" means "hidden", because the town is surrounded by forests and hills.
Famous monuments:
Ram Raja Temple: the only temple in India where Lord Rama is worshipped as a king. Every day, the state police give him a "guard of honour", as they would to a ruler. According to legend, Queen Ganesh Kunwari brought an idol of Rama from Ayodhya, and it could not be moved from her palace, which then became a temple.
Chaturbhuj Temple: a tall temple originally built to house the idol of Rama.
Jahangir Mahal: built by Raja Bir Singh Deo, a friend and ally of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, to welcome Jahangir on his visit to Orchha in the early 17th century. It is a fine example of the blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture.
Raja Mahal: with beautiful wall paintings of religious and mythological themes.
Raj Praveen Mahal: built for Rai Praveen, a talented poet, singer and dancer.
Chhatris (cenotaphs) of the Bundela rulers along the Betwa river.
Laxminarayan Temple: famous for its murals.
Orchha's group of monuments was added to UNESCO's Tentative List in 2019.
Culture:
- The Hindi poet Keshavdas, author of "Ramchandrika" and "Rasikpriya", was a court poet of Orchha.
- Orchha is also known for its Bundeli culture and the "Orchha Mahotsav" festival.
- The Orchha Wildlife Sanctuary lies on an island between the Betwa and Jamni rivers.
Other heritage towns of Madhya Pradesh:
Khajuraho (UNESCO, 1986), Mandu (Jahaz Mahal), Gwalior (fort), Chanderi (textiles), Maheshwar (on the Narmada) and Sanchi (UNESCO, 1989).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Uttar Pradesh has Fatehpur Sikri and Agra.
- ✗Rajasthan has Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh.
- ✗Chhattisgarh has Bhoramdeo and Sirpur.
Quick tip
Remember: Orchha = Niwari, Madhya Pradesh (on the Betwa; founded 1501 by Rudra Pratap Singh Bundela; Ram Raja Temple, where Rama is worshipped as king; Jahangir Mahal by Bir Singh Deo).
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.