The Beauty of Jhansi

Duknu Rock

Duknu rock is on the way from jai academy to dongri 

Orcha

Rani Mehal

Rani Mahal of Jhansi was actually the palace of Lakshmi Bai, Rani of Jhansi. The palace of Lakshmi Bai has now been converted in to a museum that treasures the memory of Rani Lakshmi Bai as well as the archeological remains of 9th to 12th century that has been excavated and unearthed recently.

Rani Mahal is the former residence of the Rani of Jhansi that was built in the late 18th century. The palace consists of arched chambers around an open courtyard that looks magnificent and is a welcome break from the typical architectures of Bundelkhand. The palace has been the epicenter of the Great Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 in Bundelkhand region. Various plans for mutiny were hatched in this palace when the British Resident turned down the repeated efforts for reconciliation from Rani’s side.

When the 5th unit of the 12 Native Regiment revolted in the nearby fort, people close to Rani rose in revolt too and massacred every possible European sol of the city.The retaliation was quick and equally ruthless. In a notorious incident at the palace, British troops stormed the building through a rear stable and massacred 50 of the Rani ’s Royal Bodyguards. The only spot worth seeing in the palace apart from the museum is the durbar hall. Located on the 2nd floor, Durbar Hall features an original painted wood-paneled ceiling.

Betwa 

 The Betwa is a river in Northern India, and a tributary of the Yamuna. Also known as the Vetravati, the Betwa rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh and flows north-east through Madhya Pradesh and flow through Orchha to Uttar Pradesh. Nearly one-half of its course, which is not navigable, runs over the Malwa Plateau before it breaks into the upland. 

A tributary of the Yamuna River, the confluence of the Betwa and the Yamuna Rivers takes place in the Hamirpur town in Uttar Pradesh, in the vicinity of Orchha.

In Sanskrit 'Betwa' is 'Vetravati' which means ‘containing reeds'. This river is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with the Charmanwati river. Both are tributaries of Yamuna. Vetravati was also known as Shuktimati. The capital of Chedi Kingdom was on the banks of this river.

Betwa at Notghat Bridge

Betwa at Sukwa Dhukwa 

Barwa Sagar

Barwa Sagar fort was Built by the Bundela Udot Singh in 1705, it has seen its share of bloodshed. In 1744, a brother of Gwalior's Scindia ruler was killed here during a battle with the troops from nearby Orchha. That skirmish seemed like a Sunday school picnic compared to what followed in the melee of 1857-58. Moropant Tambe, the father of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi captured the fort by evicting the garrison. Later, it became the setting of a battle in which the British commander Hugh Rose defeated an army under the leadership of Tatya Tope who was on his way to Jhansi to relive the garrison there. The years afterward were peaceful, with the fort becoming a British outpost and, at times, a place for touring officials and surveyors to break journey.

From the top of the tower can also be viewed the sizable water body behind the fort. This is the "sagar" in Barwa Sagar, an artificial lake created by the making of an irrigation dam by the Chandellas. Incredibly, the dam is intact and still in use. In Bundelkhand - a region plagued by chronic water shortages, the water of the lake is used for irrigation, fishing and personal ablutions by the villagers. Maybe our planners need to take a lesson from the Chandellas.

Barua Sagar Tal is a large lake situated in Barua Sagar near Jhansi.It is a large lake and it was created about 260 years ago by Raja Udit Singh of Orchha, who built the embankment.

 Jarai-ka-Math 

It is a beautiful temple dedicated to goddess Amba in Barua sagar.Jarai-ka-Math was Built during the reign of the Pratiharas. The temple dates backs to approximately 860 AD, this red sandstone temple is a pancharata shrine of the Panchayatan type, in which the main temple is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines at the four corners.

The temple is a repercussion to the vigorous temple-building activity which became a characteristic feature of the Chandellas. The temple is dedicated to Devi (Amba or Durga) whose multifarious forms are represented in the profusely carved sculptures along the temple walls. The temple stands on elevated ground dominating its surroundings. The main image of the deity is missing from the sanctum sanctorum. Only the pedestal, and the jeweled right foot of a female placed on a lotus stalk, remains. This detail is traditionally associated with the goddess Tara or Mateswari. 

The placement of a miniature, sixteen-armed image of a goddess on the central lintel of the entrance further supports the conjecture that the temple is dedicated to a goddess. Erotic sculptures, akin to those at Khajuraho, also grace the Jarai-ka-Math.

Ghugua Math, Barwa Sagar taken by an unknown photographer, c. 1890s and forms part of the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. The North-Western Provinces list gives the following information, "...Close to the banks of the lake, is a small unique temple of the early Chandella period, measuring 15 feet by 12 feet, and built of massive blocks of grey granite without mortar. The temple proper consists of four small cells, each of which has a slightly ornamented door, and is capped with a kalasa resting on a low pyramidal row of stones. Over three of the doors is a small figure of Ganesha, whilst the fourth contains a figure of Durga. The portico in front of the temple is supported on five massive pillars, with cruciform capitals, topped by large architraves and massive slabs."

Pahuj Dam

 Pahuj River is a river flowing in Bhind District of Madhya Pradesh in central India.
It is tributary of Sindh River, which joins Yamuna River in Etawah Uttar Pradesh state, just after the Chambal River confluences into Yamuna river.

Sukwa-Dhukwa

This dam was constructed on Betwa river during 1905 and is located on Jhansi Lalitpur Highway. The Dam is about 4000 ft. in length. There is a inspection house here which offers a panoramic view of the dam and its upstream Lake.

Pariccha

Parichha is a town in Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh.Paricha Dam is about 25 km from Jhansi on the National Highway 25. Built on the Betwa River, its reservoir, a placid stretch of water that runs to Notghat Bridge, is 34 km away. Parichha houses a 640 MW coal based power station (soon to be expanded close to 1140 MW). It is located on Jhansi-Kanpur highway.

Matatila 

The Matatila Dam, is a dam in India that was built in 1958 on the Betwa River. Situated 93 km away from Deogarh, this earthern dam is 35 m high.

The catchment area is around 20 sq km with a maximum storage capacity of 1132 mcm. 

Nestled between a large numbers of small hills, this place is popular among tourists. Water sports facilities are also available.

RajGhat Dam

Rajghat Dam is an Inter-state Dam project of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh being constructed on Betwa River about 14 km from Historical place Chanderi, dist Ashoknagar in Madhya Pradesh and 22 km from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh

The foundation stone for this modern monument was laid by Late Smt. Indira Gandhi in 1971. The catchment area formed by the dam is around 17000 square kilometres, which had led to the submersion of around 70 villages.

The length of the sand barrier constructed is more than 11 kilometres, which is longest sand barrier in any dam in Asia

Deogarh

Deogarh  is a small farming village near the town of Lalitpur in Lalitpur district, in the state of Uttar Pradesh."Deogarh" derives from the Sanskrit Deo and garh, "God" and "fort", compounded to mean "fort of the Gods". This term, "House of God", is also widely used as a place name for villages in the vicinity of temples within fort-walls throughout India. it is known for its Gupta monuments, located on and near the hill fort on the right bank of the Betwa River. A number of ancient monuments of Hindu and Jain origins are found within and outside the walls of the fort.

The Gupta temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, popularly known as the Dashavatara Temple, is the earliest known Panchyatana temple in North India. It depicts ten incarnations of Vishnu. Special features of this ancient temple, which is mostly in ruins, include carved figurines of river goddesses Gangaand Yamuna on the doorway to the sanctum sanctorum, three large carved panels of Vaishnava mythology related to Gajendra Moksha, the Nar NarayanTapasya (meditation), and the Anantshayi Vishnu reclining on a serpent

Deogarh's strategic location on the ancient route to the Deccan Plateau made it a historically important place. Its antiquarian, archaeological and epigraphical importance are linked to the Gupta period, the Gurjara–Prathiharas, the Gonds, the Muslim rulers of Delhi, the Marathas and the British eras.

The fort on the hill is dominated by a cluster of Jain temples on its eastern part, the oldest of these dating to the 8th or 9th century. Apart from Jain temples, the wall frescoes of Jain images of "iconographic and the stylistic variety", are special features of the fort. The three ghats (ghat means "flight of stone steps leading to the river"), which provide approach to the Betwa river edge from the fort — the Nahar Ghat, the Rajghat and the ghat with the Siddiki Ghufa (saints cave) — are also of archeological significance.The fort of Deogarh is in a valley which generally has a gentle slope. The valley is formed by the Betwa River at the western end of the hills of the Vindhya Range. Known earlier as Vetravati (Sanskrit, meaning "containing reeds"), the Betwa River is a tributary of the Yamuna River, and skirts the fort hill on its southern side. The river, flowing at a bend near the fort, has a rocky bed. It flows in a cascade of deep pools with steep rocky banks of sandstone formations. The fort is located on a precipice of the steep cliff, just above the river on its right bank

The Deogarh monuments can be categorized based on their location at valley and fort temples, which are generally built with sand stones of brick-red colour. The valley temples consist mainly of Hindu temples from the Gupta period near the Deogarh village..

more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deogarh,_Uttar_Pradesh 

Sonagiri Temples

Sonagiri Temple Complex is situated near Jhansi at a distance of 35 km. Actually it is closest (10 Km) to the town of Datia on the Jhansi  Gwalior road, which is slated to become a part of the ambitious North – South Highway corridor.

Photograph of the group of Jain temples at Sonagiri, taken by George Edward Herne in 1869. Sonagiri is a sacred place of pilgrimage for the Digambara Jains since the time of Bhagwan Chandraprabhu (the 8th Tirthankara) who attained salvation there. 

LORD CHANDRAPRABHU IDOL There are seventy seven beautiful Jain temples in hills and twenty six temples in village.The temple no. fifty seven on hill is the main temple. This temple has attra- ctive artistic spire. In this temple the principal deity is Lord Chandraprabhu, eleven feet in height. Two other beautiful idols of Lord SheetalNath & Parsvnath are installed.There is a column of dignity ( Manstambh ) 43 feet in height and an attractive model of Samavsharan. The samavsharan of Bhagwan Chandraprabhu came here for seventeen times. Nang, Anang, Chintagati, Pooranchand, Ashoksen, Shridatta and many other saints achieved salvation from here. This is the unique place known as Laghu Sammed Shikhar covering the area of 132 acres of two hills.

 Photograph of a temple at Datia in Madhya Pradesh from the Album of 'Views of Central India by Deen Dayal, Indore', taken by Deen Dayal in the 1870s. Datia is an ancient town already mentioned in the Mahabharatha as "Daityavakra". .

The town is a pilgrimage centre for the devotees of Siddhapeeth Shri Peetambara Devi. Among the many temples are a temple with Mughal style frescoes and the Gopeshwar Temple. The principal monument is the seven-storeyed palace of Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo, built on a hill overlooking a lake

 There are around 77 temples on the hill with tall spires. Those in this view have towers topped with either conical or round domes and are futher elaborated with ornamental pavilions on their flat roofs,

Sonagiri ( literally, the golden peak) is a place sacred to Digambar Jains. 

Datia

Datia  was formerly the seat of the eponymous princely state in the British Raj. Datia is situated near Gwalior and on the border with Uttar Pradesh (U.P); the town of Jhansi in U.P. is only about 25 km away

Portrait of Arjun Singh of Datia, brother of Maharaja Bhawani Singh from the 'Album of cartes de visite portraits of Indian rulers and notables' by Bourne and Shepherd, early 1870s. Datia, located in Madhya Pradesh, was controlled by the descendants of the Bundela Rajput family of Orcha from the start of the eighteenth century. Bhawani Singh (1846-1907) succeeded as Raja of Datia in 1857 but disturbances arose as Arjun Singh, an illegitimate son of the last chief and brother of Maharaja Bhawani Singh aspired to the throne. But he was suppressed by a British force and exiled to Benares.

Watercolour drawing by Frederick Charles Maisey of the gateway of the old fort at Seondah in Madhya Pradesh, from an album of 60 drawings dated 1847-1854. In the 'Descriptive list of drawings of Captain Maisey' the artist wrote, "Syundah, or Syurdah, is a considerable town on the Sind river…in the Datya territory. Besides a modern fort, there is an old one, among the ravines, now quite ruined…The old fort and town, which were probably built at the commencement of the 16th Sambat century, have been entirely ruined by the gradual formation of ravines; of the town and village, scattered stones and bricks alone mark the site: the remains of one of its entrance gateways still exist…The first gate of the Fort is still pretty perfect; it consists of a fine bold archway, not at all Hindu in appearance, with usual loopholed chambers on either side.

Photograph of the Cenotaph and Palace of the Rajah of Datia at Datia in Madhya Pradesh taken by George Edward Herne in 1869. Datia is built on a series of low hills and is famous for the Nrising Dev Palace, also known as the Govind Mandir, built around 1620 by Rajah Bir Singh Deo and considered one of the best surviving examples of early 17th Century Rajput architecture. Just outside the town is the palace of Raja Subha Karan, Rajgarh, possibly the building in the background of the photograph, which now contains government offices. The cenotaph in the foreground is one of many fine examples to be found in the area.

Photograph of a temple at Datia in Madhya Pradesh from the Album of 'Views of Central India by Deen Dayal, Indore', taken by Deen Dayal in the 1870s. Datia is an ancient town already mentioned in the Mahabharatha as "Daityavakra". The town is a pilgrimage centre for the devotees of Siddhapeeth Shri Peetambara Devi. Among the many temples are a temple with Mughal style frescoes and the Gopeshwar Temple. The principal monument is the seven-storeyed palace of Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo, built on a hill overlooking a lake.

Photograph of the Rajgarh Palace at Datia in Madhya Pradesh, from the Lee-Warner Collection: 'Scenes and Sculptures of Central India, Photographed by Lala Deen Diyal, Indore.', taken by Deen Dayal in the 1870s. Datia was the capital of the principality of the same name under the Bundela Rajputs in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Rajgarh Palace, seen in this view, is situated west of the old palace known as Nrising Dev Palace or Govind Mandir (c.1620). It was built by Subhakaran and accomodates governmental offices. This is a view looking across the lake towards the palace on the hillside beyond.

Narsing Palace

Narsing palace

RajGarh palace

Shri Pitambara Peeth
The ashram is located in Datia town of Madhya Pradesh, India approx 75 km from GWALIOR ( Airport) and approx 25 km from Jhansi. It is well connected by train and the ashram is around 3 km from the Datia railway station

Shri Pitambra Peeth is a complex of temples (including an Ashram), which according to many legends was a 'Tapasthali' (place of meditation) of many mythological as well as real life people. The shivlingam of shree Vankhandeswar Shiva is tested and approved by the Archeological Survey of India to be of the same age as that of the Mahabharata. It is primarily a Shakta place of worship (devoted to Mother Goddess).

This shakti peeth has Vankhandeswar Shiva Temple as well which is said to be of the time of Mahabharata.

Pujyapaad was called 'Swamiji'or 'Maharaaj' by the devotees. No one knows from where he came, or his name; nor did he disclose this to anyone. However, he was a Dandi Swami. Living legend who knows about Swamiji is Pt Shri Gaya Prasad Nayak ji (Babuji) of Garhi Malehara. Pujya Swamiji Maharaj and Babuji's Guruji were Gurubhai.

Pujyapaad was a strong devotee of the Goddess Pitambara. He had a natural liking for the Sanskrit language. He was having good knowledge of Urdu, Persian and Arabic, English, Pali, Prakrit languages. He liked the classical music and various great classical musicians of that time used to visit the ashram. Some of the musicians who visited the ashram are Pundit Gundai Maharaj, Siyaram Tiwari, Rajan Sajay Mishra, Dagar Bandhu etc. One of the greatest classical musician Acharaya Brhaspati was follower of Pujyapaad.

                                                                      Unao Balaji 

The Balaji, a famous and rare sun temple of its own unique architecture, is situated in a very small town Unao of Datia district in Madhya Pradesh. The Balaji temple was built in the pre-historic time by the king of Datia.

It is said that a cow used to go to a particular place to get fed in the outskirts of Unao. The cow every day pours her milk at that particular place. The cow was belong to a person of caste "Kachhi", the people of this caste generally used to grow vegetables. The owner of cow was not aware of this incident. Once a person of Lodhi caste saw that the cow is pouring her milk on the earth. The people of this cast have the occupation of assassinating cows. He immediately grabbed the opportunity and assassinated the cow. On the following night, The God Sun comes in the dreams of the king of Datia and told the king to dig him out from the location, where the cow used to pour her milk. Next morning, King called his boys and dug out the place and found a statue of GOD SUN. He built a temple in Unao and established the statue on a brick platform, and as said by the god sun, the owner of that cow has been assigned the Priest. Since then only people belonging to "Kachhi" caste can only sit at the brick platform and offer garlands, prasadas to the deity. While in India, only a person belonging to Brahmin caste can offer worship. The pilgrims and pandas(people belong to Brahmin caste)also take part in the worship of the deity but the main priest is said to be "Kachhi" caste people.

The Balaji temple is situated in the vicinity of Unao. Unao is a small town which falls under Datia district in Madhya Pradesh. Unao is 17 km away from Datia and around 17 km from Jhansi (famous for Jhansi ki Raani, LakshmiBai)Jhansi. Unao, makes a segment of a circle with Datia and Jhansi being the crossing point of the chords in the segment. Unao can be reached by any of the two places.
he Sun Temple at Unao in Madhya Pradesh is unique in its architecture. The Sun God is the main deity of this temple. The Sun God stands on a brick platform covered with black plates. Twenty-one triangles, representing the 21 phases of the Sun are engraved in the shrine. Here, special worship is offered on Sundays. Local belief is that worshippers find relief from skin ailments at this temple.

The deity Balaji is very much famous for curing skin ailments. People from far distant places come and worship the deity. Below the temple, a river Pahooj is also flowing. There are some wells in the river, at the time of summer, people used to have bathe with the water in the wells. It is said that if you have bathe in river and offer water to deity Balaji, all your incurable skin ailments will be cured within few days. Sunday is considered as the day of deity Balaji (Sun). All the inhabitants of Unao and the surrounding region has enormous faith in the deity and also have felt the power of it.