(News) Bundelkhand: India's oldest inhabited regions

News : Bundelkhand: India's oldest inhabited regions 

Some say Bundelkhand is among India's oldest inhabited regions. Given its antiquity, it is only logical that each village and town there has its own private legends and grandma’s tales. Sometimes whispered, often sung, sometimes written, but often only passed down by word of mouth, these tales might lose a certain degree of accuracy in the telling but make up for it by sheer interest value.

This story is about the legends swirling around two beautiful places in Bundelkhand, Orchha and Kundar. Tied together by the threads of history, the two are but a few hours' journey apart but a couple of centuries away from each other in terms of the recognition that has come their way as heritage sites.

Orchha, small and laidback, is a half-hour drive from Jhansi. Founded in the early 16th century by the Bundelas, Orchha's first and most enduring legend was born when an idol of god Rama could not be moved to the temple built for it. It was during the reign of Madhukar Shah (1554-92) and the idol had been specially brought from Varanasi by his queen.

It was temporarily installed in the royal palace while the Chaturbhuj Temple was being built. However, once the temple was completed, priests found that the idol would not budge. Taking this as a sign from heaven, the royal palace itself became a temple. Today, the Chaturbhuj temple towers over the rest of the town, its grandeur often being compared to that of a European cathedral. But in reality, it is a hollow shell. Read more..

Courtesy : economictimes.indiatimes.com