Hollow Halo

Re-energized, we climb the stairs of the Chaturbhuj temple. The name (Literally means ‘One who has four arms’, a reference to Vishnu.) aptly sums it up -it’s all sinewy, muscular and honed and sculpted at the same time. Built in the 16th century by Madhukar Shah for his wife, an ardent devotee of Lord Ram, it’s vimana is one of the tallest in India. It’s structure resembles a temple housed in a palace-fort, a peculiarity it shares with the other two famous temples of Orchha- Ram Raja and Laxminarayan. But as ornate as the facade is , the inside is a nondescript humongous hollow with a small sanctum holding even smaller idols. The young ‘priest’ tells us that the old idol of Vishnu was stolen and vandalized and when no treasure was found within, it was dumped back at the temple and now lies in an obscure corner. The story line of the temple and it’s deity have uncanny parallels.

A Tale of Two Temples

The hub of Orchha seems to be the Ram Raja temple, a cassata coloured  complex and when you think about it, rightly so because here Lord Rama is worshiped as a divine king, complete with a gun salute accorded everyday. So, it is as much a functional palace as it is a temple and that would make him the longest serving monarch, at it since he was brought here in the 16th century, by Madhukar Shah’s wife- Ganesh Kunwari. A story of man proposes and god disposes, legend has it that it was the queen’s palace but once the idol was housed here since the Chaturbhuj temple (meant for him) wasn’t complete, it refused to move there. Therein stands a tale of two temples.

Inside, the accidental temple has a courtyard with colourful old tiles and is thronging with devotees lined up for darshan, sitting and lustily singing and clanging cymbals. On a small platform around a tree there are about half a dozen shivlings with amazing faces carved on them.

To be continued....

Pictures by Mandvi