Eilidh taking in the view from the top of one of Orchha’s chhatris, or cenotaphs.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Why I went to Orchha<\/strong>
\nI’ll be honest… until I visited, Orchha was little more than a name on the map to me. I knew nothing about the little town on the Betwa River. I probably would never have thought of visiting Orchha if I had been planning my own itinerary in Northern India, but as it happened, I was on a guided tour and this was a scheduled stop. Travelling in this way isn\u2019t something I\u2019d ever considered; however, my mother had long wanted to visit India, and preferred the security of a group, so here I was. I may not have known much about Orchha before, but I was very quickly won over by its welcoming atmosphere \u2013 so different from hectic Delhi and Agra \u2013 and its striking historic monuments.<\/p>\n

My highlight of the trip<\/strong>
\nOur visit to Orchha’s cenotaphs, ancient memorials to the rulers of Orchha, was very special. I had already been wowed by the beauty of these 17th and 18th-century structures from a distance – after all, their pointed roofs are hard to miss on the skyline of this small town – but getting up close and actually walking around the garden that houses the cenotaphs was even better. An utterly peaceful experience that felt very needed after a hectic few days; I couldn’t believe there were only a few other visitors. Vultures had built their nests on top of the cenotaphs, and I got to see these huge, powerful birds incredibly clearly as they swooped by close to the ground.<\/p>\n

What else I love about Orchha<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s Orchha\u2019s historic sites that have made it into a tourist destination. In addition to the cenotaphs, we visited the expansive 16th-century fort complex. The fort is blessed with beautiful details like elaborate religious frescoes, and its upper levels are patrolled by a clan of macaques. Another picturesque ancient edifice is the dark and dramatic Chaturbhuj Temple, which stands on a raised piece of ground overlooking the town.<\/p>\n

But beyond the tourist stops, Orchha also simply has a great energy. Shortly after we arrived, the streets erupted into fireworks and drumming in a celebration of a local election result. It seemed that an entrancing new tableau presented itself around every corner: women glimpsed through an open doorway singing together, or a huge herd of goats making their way down an otherwise empty street. The trees in our hotel\u2019s garden rang with the songs of many different bird species, and seeing the sun set over the serene Betwa River was a wonder.<\/p>\n

Orchha is no paradise; hardship and inequality are all too visible, while the danger and chaos on the roads often defies belief. Yet the pace of life appeared\u00a0far less frenetic here than in\u00a0many of the more urban areas we visited.<\/p>\n