Chaturbhuj Temple Orchha — Attraction in Madhya Pradesh

Built in 875 AD during the reign of Gurjara Pratihara dynasty, this famous temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The name literally means the one with four arms, and Lord Vishnu has been referred as Chaturbhuj in various Hindu texts.

This temple has beautiful architecture and it consists of a sanctum with pancharatha Sikhara, a vestibule and a porch. This temple has another curved tower with a small porch.

The temple was constructed by the BundelaRajputs of the kingdom of Orchha during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar.Its construction was begun by Madhukar Shahand completed by his son, Vir Singh Deoin the 16th century.Madhukar Shah built the temple for his wife, Rani Ganeshkuwari.

According to a local legend, the temple was built after the queen had a "dream visitation" by Lord Rama directing her to build a temple for Him; while Madhukar Shah was a devotee of Krishna, his wife's dedication was to Rama. Following the approval to build the Chaturbhuja Temple, the queen went to Ayodhya to obtain an image of Lord Rama that was to be enshrined in her new temple. When she came back from Ayodhya with the image of Rama, initially she kept the idol in her palace, called Rani Mahal, as the Chaturbhuj Temple was still under construction. She was, however, unaware of an injunction that the image to be deified in a temple could not be kept in a palace. Once the temple construction was completed and the idol of the lord had to be moved for installation at the Chatrubhuj Temple, it refused to be shifted from the palace. Hence, instead of the Chaturbuj temple, the Rama's idol remained in the palace whereas the Chaturbhuj Temple remained without an idol in its sanctum. As Rama was worshiped in the palace it was converted into the Ram Raja Temple; it is the only shrine in the country where Rama is worshiped as a king.

The management of the temple on a day-to-day basis is the responsibility of the Ram Raja Trust. However, the conservation of the temple structure itself is under the control of the State...

Chaturbhuj Temple Orchha

There are a number of temples in Orchha , Madhya Pradesh which are all interesting sites to visit. Of them, one is the Chaturbhuj Temple.This temple in Orchha was built by Raja Madhukar between the years 1558 and 1573.

History of Chaturbhuj Temple :

The original place where the idol of Lord Rama was places is the Chaturbhuj Temple. The history of the Chaturbhuj temple, Orchha is associated with an interesting legend that imposes the faith of the people.It is said that Maharani Gansh Kunwar, wife of the Ruler of Orchha, raja madhukar built the temple for Lord Rama. She wanted to relocate the idol of Rama that was placed in Rani Niwas, her private apartments to the temple.But the idol refused to move.Thus , the king instead of Lord rama, places the idol of Lord Vishnu, with four arms in the temple. That is how, the name Chaturbhuj temple was attained.

Description of Chaturbhuj Temple :

There is a fine collection of religious symbols that adorn the outer walls of the Chaturbhuj temple. The interiors of theChaturbhuj temple in Orchha are bleak compared to the fine display on the outer walls of the temple. The Chaturbhuj temple has a criss crossed congregation hall for the devotees while thee are spires that are built on top of the sanctuary of the Chaturbhuj temple. The temple has a striking resemblance to the Kushak Mahal in Chanderi. One unique feature, unlike all other Hindu temples is the abundance of light and space inside the temple premises.

How to reach Chaturbhuj Temple :

Orchha is located in the northernmost part of the state of Madhya Pradesh, besides the Malwa Plateau. It is easy to reach Chaturbhuj Temple once in Ochha with the help of local transport.the Chaturbhuj temple is located opposite the Raja Mahal.One has to climb a steep flight of stairs to reach the Chaturbhuj...

The historical and archaeological importance of the Chaturbhuj Temple located in Orchha is significant. Mainly, from the name Chatubhuj Temple it appears that it is a Vishnu temple but this grand temple was built by Maharaja Madhukar Shah in 1554-1592 AD to install the idol of Lord Ram. Its specialty is that it has mandap and ardhamandapa around the main sanctum, hence this structure is based on four arms. The credit for completing this grand structure goes to Raja Veer Singh Dev.

This grand temple of Orchha is situated on a high pedestal. Its floor plan consists of sanctum sanctorum, vestibule, entrance porches and Hall. There is a Nagar style shikhara above the sanctum sanctorum. There is a structure of small chambers at the four corners. There is a dome shaped peak above the pavilion.  The construction work of the second phase of the temple was done with brick and lime.

In fact, the architecture of this temple is amazing which is a wonderful blend of Mughal and Bundela architecture.  Beautiful stone balconies on both sides of the ornate gate and after the entry, the main pavilion and half pavilion which are transformed into a square octagonal structure through pendentives made of strong and huge arches, supporting the dome whose ceiling is decorated and in the middle of each arch. The hanging balconies with stone balustrade made of stone are adding to the beauty. The corridors decorated with lobed arches are truly a marvel of workmanship.  There are many stairs to go up which are very high.

It's a must visit monument a spectacular heritage. Centrally located close to the Raja Ram Temple. This is one of the major attraction of...