Orchha Laxminarayan Temple, Madhya Pradesh

Address

Orchha Laxminarayan Temple, Madhya Pradesh

Orchha Fort, Orchha,

Niwari district,

Madhya Pradesh 472246

Moolavar

Laxminarayan

Amman

Laxmi

Introduction

Orchha Laxminarayan Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, located in the Orchha town, Niwari district, Madhya Pradesh. This beautiful temple is rectangular in plan and was built by Vir Singh in 1622 AD. The inner walls and hemispherical ceilings of this temple are profusely decorated with paintings depicting lives of the kings and queens and stories from the epics of Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita.The Laxminarayan temple, one of the three most important temples in Orchha is an interesting attraction of the place. It displays a perfect and unique mix of temple and fort architecture. Though the temple is dedicated to the Goddess Laxmi, there is no idol of the Goddess kept inside the temple. This temple has a unique charm that reflects through its interior murals and preaches spiritual lessons from the life incidents of Lord Krishna. Laxminarayan Temple features a flagstone path that links this temple to Ram Raja Temple. Another highlight of this temple is carvings on the central dome and ornately carved pillars on the corners.

Puranic Significance

The incredible history of the Laxminarayan Temple left its lively mark on the walls of the temple. Vir Singh Deo had built the beautiful Laxmi Narayan Temple around 1622 but due to inadequate maintenance, the condition of the temple soon worsened.

It was reconstructed by Prithvi Singh in 1793. This temple was dedicated to the Goddess of wealth, Laxmi, and narayanan within the inner chambers of the temple, Vir Singh made arrangements for offering sacrifices for Laxmi. The structure of the Laxminarayan Temple represents a novel combination of fort and temple architecture. It was built with lime mortar and bricks and also has cannon slots on the roof. Its frescos are a blend of Mughal and Bundelkhand art. But the carvings on this inside portray the life of Lord Krishna. This temple is also home to popular post-mutiny paintings.

Special Features

The Laxminarayan Temple in Orchha is built in an exceptional blend of temple and fort architecture, with the help of lime mortar and bricks. There are frescoes and paintings within the walls of the temple that are a blend of Mughal and Bundle forms of art. These frescos illustrate certain social and secular themes.

The vivacious colors of the frescoes are still retained. Within the Laxminarayan temple, the carvings are displayed in a geometrical pattern and there are scenes from the life of Lord Krishna, adorned with flowers and animals. This temple has a large stone platform that gives it extra elevation and appears like a large tower. The construction of the Laxminarayan temple was inaugurated by Raja Madhukar Shah and finished by his son Bir Singh Deo.