The building traditions of the Indian subcontinent date back to at least the 2nd milennium BC.lndia has traditionally been primarily religious. The earliest Indian building where Buddhist and Hindu tamples made of wood and then brick. By the 4th century BC, stone had become populer, and successive cultures acqired great skill in carving amd construction. Large stupas where built, along with cave tample and monasteries carved out of solid rock.

The Gupta period (4th-6th century AD) saw the rapid development of tample architecture, often decorated with bands of elaborate carving. Northen India's most characteristic structure, a tample with a heavily decorated tower, reched its stylistic height in th 7th-11 th century. The extension of Islam into India in the 11 th-12th century introduced typical Musli(l1 architectural forms (e.g. the dome and pointed arch) and decoration. Such maserworks as the Taj Mahal resulted from the rule ofthe Muslim dynastry in the 16th-18th century. European colonization and British rule introduced European style.

Only Natural colours have been used in painting the murals at Orchha. The pigment that been most widely used are red, orange, golden, yellow, green, white, brown and black. Elaborate preparation of the surface seems to have been done before the actual painting. Lime and shell powder were used for binding the surface wall, which was used for binding the surface wall, which was subsequently polished. The painting surface is about two to four mm thick and natural colours lend a vibrant touch.

Orchha (25°20' N; 78°42' E)
A Village of Prithvipur Tahsil, Orchha is situated on the Betwa river at a distance of about 13 km. from tahsil headquarters. It is 15km. from Jhansi (U.P.) Orchha is linked by rail on Jhansi-Manikpur section of the Central Railway.

Orchha was the capital town of the State. It was founded by Maharaja Rudra Pratap in 1531 A.D. In 1783, Maharaja Vikramjit removed the capital to Tikamgarh since then Orchha has rapidly fallen in to decay. The name Orchha of Ondchha is traditionally derived from the scoffing remark of a Raiput chief who on visiting the site selected for the capital town. On an island in the Betwa which has been surrounded by a battlementel wall, now sadly dilapidated and approached by a causeway over a fine bridge of fourteen arches, stands a huge palace fort mainly the work of Maharaja BirSingh Dev. It consists of several, connected buildings constructed at different times. The finest of these are the Raj Mandir and Jahangir Mahal.

The river Betwa here breaks though seven channel called the Satdhara, of which the origin is poetically ascribed to seven of the Orchha Chief in honour of whose achivements they are supposed to have started flowing - (The first channel was caused to flow by Diman Arjun, the second by he who slow the Mughals, the third by Pratap Rudra, the fourth by Bharti Chand, the fifth by Pancham, the , sixth by Madhur(kar) Shah and the last by Rai Dulha) .

Orchha is Famous religious centre of Hindus. It is known for its religious and cultural harritage.

Travel within city
Orchha is a famous tourist destination in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Located in the banks of the River Betwa, Orchha is a tourist’s delight as this quaint old town has a lot of places of general interest. You can opt for buses, auto rickshaws and taxis while travelling to Orchha. These are the various modes of local travel available in the town.

Bus
Buses in Orchha normally run from 6 in the morning till 11 at night and these are the most preferred mode of travel in the town of Orchha. You can opt for bus travel as this is the cheapest mode of travel available in Orccha. Bus fares in Orchha normally range between Rs 3 to 6 and the fares depend on the distance covered.

Auto Rickshaw
Auto rickshaws in the town of Orchha do not run on meter and drivers may demand a flat rate while dropping you off at your destination. Bargaining for a better price is advisable, and this should be done before you board on auto rickshaw. Auto rickshaw fares will roughly cost you around 10 INR for every kilometer.

Taxi
Taxis in Orchha are available in all the major regions in the city, including the bus stand. You can opt for a taxi and a ride will cost you around Rs 100-150 from one point to another in the town.