Atmospheric Orchha

Main Entrance to Sheesh Mahal Hotel

Years ago in 2002 four friends set off to Orchha for Christmas Weekend. A historic town near the Jhansi in Madhya Pradesh. Mughal Emperor Jahangir had stayed here during the many battles for Deccan. 

   

Orchha is 16 kms from main rail head of Jhansi and can be easily reached by road from the station. Cabs and ricks ply and are easy to find. The town is by the river Betwa providing lovely sunset views.

We were city weary souls and looking for a peaceful weekend away from the humdrum. Our friends were newly married couple and looking for a private weekend. We booked at the MPTDC hotel adjacent to Jahangir Mahal. It's one of the heritage hotels which had both architecture and oodles of atmosphere for sure. This made us happy imagining the great battles of medieval times. The million intrigues the fort must have witnessed did cross our minds.

The early morning journey on Shatabdi Express to Jhansi was uneventful and we spent most of the time sleeping. We were happy to have left work and city behind for a couple of days in the first onset of winter chill in Delhi. Jhansi was warmer. Orchha too didn't disappoint us. It was bright and sunny day without a trace of Delhi fog in the horizon.

The Sheesh Mahal hotel has a lovely setting.  It's located in a section of the Jahangir Mahal where Empress Noor Jahan had resided. Like every fort and palace of the time this fort structure too was surrounded by a moat. The elephant way goes round the property and is now the road taken by vehicles to the entrance of the hotel. However, for the guests a short cut is available. 

It was my first experience (since then the only experience) of actually staying in any historic structure and I was very much looking forward to it. My companion too was a keen photographer so he too started absorbing the setting with ruins galore to photograph. We wondered how busy would the stables must have been during the battles for Deccan.  Our room (below in the text) was connected to a private sit-out over looking the Jahangir Mahal and we had a lovely brunch admiring the fort view (picture). What's not to like with such gorgeous architecture around.

Entrance to Diwan - e - Aam

From the front courtyard (partly used as parking lot as seen in the first picture) one walks straight to the Diwan-e-Aam (where in older days the Emperor used to meet and greet subjects) onto another open courtyard  to the main tall entrance. Then you climbed down to the small bridge and cross the moat to the peripheral road. Another 200 yards and you reached the main entrance of the fort.

 In the evening we first visited the Jahangir Mahal, then strolled around the market and visited the Chaturbhuj temple. Returned happy and serenaded the stars from our sit-out. Woke up next morning feeling quite royal.

After breakfast we ambled to see the Chhatris or cenotaphs (picture below) of the royalty by the side of Betwa. There are 14 Chattris in all and the Cenotaph of Bir Singh Deo by the edge of the riverbank is a must-see. Most of the cenotaphs are found in a single compound and bear similar plans. The designs involve three storey buildings built on an elevated platform and windows that are placed in a manner that allow easy wind movement. What makes Bir Singh Deo’s Chhatri special are the large domes and mighty pillars that are bravely placed amidst the strong waves of the Betwa river.

We were happily sun soaked and lazed the afternoon back at the fort for some tucking followed by relaxed siesta. Just before sunset it started to get chilly. Little did we know the chill would soon creep our spine and unremarkable weekend was going to turn into an episode of battle of wills.

My partner and I strolled towards the unlit Diwan-e–Aam throwing darkness ahead of us. It was just about to go completely dark in a few minutes. We could make out the dull  electric light of the entrance gate beyond the ruins of the court.  As we stepped onto the dark cavernous derelict courtyard, a sudden chill ran down our spines. Both of us turned swiftly to see who was standing behind us. We stood rooted to the ground for a couple of seconds and then realised it was completely dark now and switched on the flash light to check. But there was no one round, not even a rat scurrying about. Only engulfing concentrated darkness swirled in the high vaulted ceilings and the walls. We resumed walking but again it felt extremely cold and heavy as though we were being weighed down by someone who didn’t want us to cross the threshold. We hurried as fast we could to cross the 50 yards out of the vaulted roof. We kept going as fast as we could to reach the outer tall gate and turned back. 

Now beyond the vaulted darkness lay the lit up front of the hotel and we could see our friends walking towards us. They waved at us. We nodded and crossed the moat. Ambled on to the main gateway of the entrance. Our breathing was still heavy from the sudden rush in the last few minutes. So far my companion and I had not exchanged a single word since the eerie experience we encountered. But our minds had somehow synced from the first moment of chill and we were functioning in tandem as if speaking through our minds. We just knew we didn’t require words but action since the darkness had caught on with us. 

Once we stepped out of the main gate we came to Parvat Lal’s small tea stall and his bright smile lit up our world. He offered us freshly brewed tea and we relaxed and sat down. After exchanging pleasantries with Parvat Lal we simply forgot about our experience of a few minutes ago, as if it never took place. All was lit up and bright. For a few minutes we started to relax.

As we slowly sipped our tea our friends came out all flustered and anxious. “We were stopped by ghost I think at the Diwan–e–Aam. Something tugged at my wife’s hair. But I swear there was nothing. We looked around several times. Didn’t you guys feel anything?” We shared our strange experience too but said no one had physically tugged at us though. We started pondering over the possibilities of a ghost or just the winter sunset and darkness playing with our minds. 

By this time we had finished our first cup of tea and we felt reassured it was just a figment of our imagination with combination of the atmospheric setting. We decided to go our separate ways for dinner. We planned to meet each other next morning over breakfast. Reasoning and logic took over us and we spent the evening strolling in the bazaar photographing and finally settled for a small meal of alu puri at one of the local shops. By this time we had completely forgotten our evening’s rendezvous.  

We were engrossed with the sights of the town bazar and full of plans for the next day. By the time we ambled back towards the fort entrance it was after 10 p.m. The winter cold of Central and North India was just seeping in through the misty night.  We passed through the main entrance and came to the small bridge over the moat and crossed it quickly. It was very cold by this time and we missed our jackets lying in the room. 

We hurried and looked up at the tall Gate. A dull yellow light was shining through the mist and we could see a man standing covered with a shawl under it. "This is the way to the Dewan-e-Aam, right?" asked aloud my partner, The shadowy figure nodded. We continued climbing the high stairs of the fort entrance still talking and laughing. We climbed quickly the 20 steps to the gate half expecting the man under the light waiting for us. But when we reached the gate the figure was no where to be seen. We could see the lit up courtyard,  frontage of the main building through the dark Dewan-e-Aam gate as we had earlier in the evening. But there was not a soul around. For a moment our feet remained rooted to the spot. We could not move. A cold chill of dread gripped us again under the vaulted roof of Dewan-e-Aam. 

After a few seconds something told us we needed to move as soon as possible. We  moved as fast our leaden feet could muster. Felt the presence of some strong and heavy dread engulfing us and we resisted it with all our might. Our breathing was heavy, almost choking us. Without knowing we had again fallen silent. The bright lights of the hotel reception beckoned. Somehow we rushed to the door and made it inside. We ran straight to the receptionist and narrated our experience. Couple of other attendants and bell boys gathered. They smiled gently and told us although they are not sure of the presence but yes many of the guests have had similar experiences. Particularly it was experienced by young couples like us. 

Restless without any satisfactory answer, we went to our room but couldn't sleep for a while. The room felt cold and uninviting. We tossed and turned but couldn't doze off. It was as if the call of the dark was beckoning us and the room felt oppressively suffocating. My companion was hell bent to go out and check the surrounding area for the shadowy figure which had disappeared in the mist. This started a serious row between us. The presence of this unseen fear or spirit was so strong that we rowed like we had never rowed before. But something in my mind told me no matter what we shouldn't step out of the room. So, we kept on arguing and I struggled to keep my companion from opening the door and stepping out. Inside it felt like a pressure cooker, ready to burst. However, I was determined to even use force to protect him from this crazy obsession.  

About 2 a.m. our  rowing was interrupted by the peeling of the telephone. It was our friend calling from his room below. They too could not sleep, he told us. His wife was feeling a strange pressure on her throat the moment she tried to lie down. As if someone was strangling her and she too wanted to step out to find out the invisible culprit. They had called the reception but they suggested that no matter what the guests shouldn't leave the room. 

Hearing his experience  at last we figured out what was happening. The call of the dark, spirit, ghost whatever it was I don't know to this day, but we knew it was serious and was trying desperately to harm two separate couples. We stopped rowing and fell silent. I don't remember what happened after that, may be we fell asleep, may be we just slumped exhausted, but it's a complete blank. 

As soon as the day broke we rushed to our friend's room. We met him half way in the corridor as he too was rushing to talk to us. Although we had another day of stay remaining our shared experiences of past 14 hours sent us survival signals. Something told us we had to get out of Orchha right away if we wanted to avoid a life threat. 

We decided to check out immediately from the hotel and head to the station. Within an hour or two we were at Jhansi station. It looked so surreal at that time with people laughing, waiting, sipping tea. We cancelled our tickets for the next day and bought tickets for the first train out of Jhansi to Delhi. We didn't speak much on our way. I recall we just mechanically answered some questions asked by our fellow passengers. We must have made a curious sight shrouded in invisible fear. 

When we reached Hazrat Nizamuddin Station at New Delhi that evening our joy knew no bounds. Finally, we breathed a sigh of relief. We were safe, out of the grip of lurking darkness. Never before had the mad city looked so beautiful. Here we knew there were no dark ghosts lurking about, but true smiling friends waiting for us. We could finally break the silence and laugh. We felt safe, moreover and most importantly, completely alive again.

Ever since I have never ever stayed in a historic haveli, hotel, or fort. Every person I know who had spent a night in a historic fort,  palace, castle, convent has a story to tell. Mostly a scary one. So if you are looking for an atmospheric experience, do not miss Orchha. :D

Pictures: Courtesy internet