Photo: Yann (talk) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is Ram Raja Temple, Orchha known for?
The Ram Raja temple at Orchha is the only place in India where Lord Rama is worshipped as a reigning king. The shrine is a palace rather than a temple in form — and the tradition that explains it is the heart of the town's identity. Rama here is Raja Ram, sovereign of Orchha, and he is honoured as a king as well as a deity.
Why is Ram Raja Temple, Orchha significant?
The tradition holds that Queen Ganesh Kunwari, a devotee of Rama, brought an image of him from Ayodhya in the sixteenth century, on the condition — so the account goes — that wherever the image was first set down, there it would remain. It was placed in her palace while the great Chaturbhuj temple was being built to receive it, and would not be moved afterwards. The palace became the temple, the Chaturbhuj temple beside it was left without its intended deity, and Rama became the king of Orchha.
By custom he is honoured with a guard of honour as a sovereign.
Which rituals and festivals are held at Ram Raja Temple, Orchha?
Worship follows a royal pattern: Raja Ram is attended as a king, with a guard of honour offered by custom. Offerings are of flowers, tulsi and sweets.
Ram Navami and Vivah Panchami — the anniversary of Rama and Sita's wedding, in Margashirsha — are the principal festivals, both kept on a grand scale.
How do you reach Ram Raja Temple, Orchha?
Orchha is about 16 kilometres from Jhansi, which is a major junction on the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Chennai rail lines; the Gwalior airport is about 120 kilometres away. Autos and cabs run from Jhansi through the day. Orchha has a small station of its own on the Jhansi–Manikpur line.
The temple is in the centre of the town beside the palace complex, and the Chaturbhuj temple, the Jahangir Mahal and the cenotaphs on the Betwa are all within walking distance.