‘Carpe Diem’ took on a whole new meaning, with what followed in the weeks after the trip – the lockdown. Looking back I’m so glad we seized the day (literally just that!) and thank the ‘Bundelkhandi’ bee buzzing in my head. The cousin couldn’t understand the urgency, the husband knew if he didn’t humour me there’d be Me sized bee in his bonnet and Murphy’s Law had been shown the door with a firm shove and so there we were in Orchha, having experienced it’s untamed side early in the morning, now looking for the ‘hidden’ stories amidst the monuments.

First Impressions

My sense of smell is mostly comatose but almost as soon as we drive through the blink and miss gates at the entrance of Orchha, I catch the unmistakable aroma of incense. It seems to permeate the air of the entire town and with each lungful inhaled the feeling of peace and quiet joy increases. Then I lay eyes on the Chaturbhuj temple and for a second I forget to breathe, stunned. The towering sight just dwarfs everything around it. A sensory snapshot of Orchha has been created.

Satiating Stomachs and Drinking in Sights

The town is buzzing by the time we head from our morning escapades for the two temples standing cheek by jowl in the heart of town. The short pathway to the Ram Raja temple is lined with small shops selling everything from sweetmeats, souvenirs to SIM cards. The smell and sight of fresh puris and sabzi assail us, the stomachs start rumbling reminding us that one can drink in sights but some hunger needs solid food! We randomly pick a joint and as we sit, the cousin strikes up a conversation with one of the women rolling the puris next to us. There is earthy wisdom as the  topics meander from expectations from children, or a rather philosophical lack of it, to last evening’s  Orchha fest on the ghats.

To be continued.....

Pictures by Mandvi