There are several fascinating folktales about Lord Ram, and his devotees cross India. But not many people are aware of this 500-year-old temple in Madhya Pradesh's Orchha, where Lord Ram is worshipped as King not as a deity and it's the only temple to do so. But how did the King of Ayodhya become the King of Orchha? Know the interesting story behind it and how to visit the temple.

Why is Lord Ram worshipped as a King and not a deity at Orchha's Ram Raja Temple?

The story goes back to the 16th century, when the King of Orchha, Madhukar Shah Ju Dev and Queen Ganesh Kunwari ruled. The King was a devotee of Banke Bihari of Vrindavan, while his wife was a devotee of Lord Ram. One day, the king and queen were joined by a group of devotees outside a temple, who were singing and dancing in praise of God Krishna. It is said that God Krishna and Radha, personified, danced with them and golden flowers were showered from the heavens during that moment.
After this, the king requested his wife to accompany him to Braj-Mathura, but the queen wanted to visit Ayodhya. This made the king upset and he asked the queen to stop praying for the child form of God Ram. After seeing queen persistence, king asked the queen to go to Ayodhya but return only when you have the child form of Ram with her.
The queen reached Ayodhya and prayed for Lord Ram, ate only fruits, then she gave up fruits and ate only leaves, and eventually she gave up all food. When Lord Ram did not appear for a month, the queen jumped into the river at midnight but then the deity appeared in front of her as a child and sat on her lap.

When Lord Ram granted the Queen a boon, she asked him to come to Orchha as a child. Ram agreed on three conditions: he would travel only during Pushya Nakshatra, he would be King of Orchha and not her husband, and the place she first seated him would be his final abode as Ram Raja. The Queen agreed and, carrying him in her lap, completed the foot journey from Ayodhya to Orchha in 8 months and 27 days.
On reaching Orchha, the queen kept baby Lord Ram in her palace for the night, planning to take him to the Chaturbhuj Temple the next day. But as per his condition, the first place he was seated became his final abode and he transformed into an idol and was fixed in the palace itself, which is now the Ram Raja Temple, right next to the Chaturbhuj Temple.

How is Lord Ram depicted in Ram Raja Mandir?

At Ram Raja Temple, Lord Ram is placed in the centre and is accompanied by Mata Sita on his left and his brother Laxman on his right, along with Maharaj Sugriva and Narsingh Bhagwan. Maa Durga, Lord Hanuman and Jambavan Ji are also placed in the temple.
Lord Ram is seen holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand, while being seated in a Padmasana-like posture, with his left leg crossed over his right thigh.

How to visit Orchha's Ram Raja Temple?

There are several routes you can take to visit the temple:
  1. By Train: Jhansi Junction is the nearest metro station to the temple, from where you can easily hire a taxi or rickshaw to reach the temple. It is around 20 KM away and will take around 30 to 45 minutes.
  2. By Road: You can easily find local buses and private cabs to visit the temple from Jhansi, Gwalior, and Khajuraho.
  3. By Air: The nearest airports are Gwalior Airport and Khajuraho Airport.  

Ram Raja Temple Entry Fee and Timings:

The timings for darshan are: 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM. Meanwhile, aarti takes place at 8 AM, Rajbhog Aarti at 12:30 PM, and Evening/Sandhya Aarti around 8:00 PM.
There is no entry fee at the temple.
Ram Raja Temple is one of its kind in India and shows the devotion people have for Lord Ram since the centuries. Around 60k devotees visit the temple every year. 
(Image Credits: Pintetest)
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