Murals of Lakshmi Narayana temple, Orchha

Once you are at Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, you will feel in the air the glorious ambience of history. Its soil has gone through the eras of war and peace, love and destruction.

Orchha had been the capital of the Bundela kings, who belonged to the Rajput clan. According to legends, it was King Rudra Pratap who founded this city on the shores of river Betwa.

Lakshmi Narayana temple, located on a picturesque hilltop was built by King Veer Singh. This temple has some of the well preserved murals of the country on the interior walls and ceilings of the four galleries.

These murals are a mixture of Mughal and Bundela styles. The themes are based on Sage Valmiki’s Ramayana and Thulasidas’s Rama Charita Manas. However, there are secular ones, too, which deal with historical events including the early British period.

The childhood of Lord Rama, killing of Thataka, the demoness, marriage with Sita, Rama- Ravana battle, the Ras Lila of Lord Krishna, etc are some of the fine murals portrayed.