Going Lala in Orcha

I have just one more day to go here in Orcha, most of the time the area has been cloaked in fog, raining and bloody cold. But today the sun came out just when I needed it. I was even beginning to go a bit Lala and so apparently was one local store.
Orcha is one of those Indian destinations that seems to have a surprise around every corner with abandoned temples and palaces just sitting in the middle of fields used as stables for cows and homes for bats and vultures.

When I  got back to my hotel after a full sunny day of wandering, I found that there was a ceremony in full swing dedicated to dear Saraswati

The Orcha Vultures

Just outside of the village there is a compound  consisting of a number of huge ancient crumbling cenotaphs. These magnificent buildings have now been claimed by the vultures. The real kind, not the property speculater types - so far. I was lucky to catch a few pictures of these magnificent birds preening and basking in the sun. Also around Orcha are a bunch of wild sadhus who are vultures of another kind tapping western tourists for rupees in return for a photo or two.

Orcha - freezing fog but warm at heart

For me Orcha is one of those places that has the wow! effect. With it's massive palaces and temples dominating the village and lining up along the river, the views are nothing less than eye candy. The village itself is tiny probably as small as Hampi and like Hampi it is blessed with an important temple which has a cute story of it's own, " Built as a palace for Madhukar Shah’s wife, it became a temple when an image of Rama, temporarily installed by the rani, proved impossible to move"

Unlike Hampi there is much more Street life, sure there's the usual tourist cajolments but it's not the pushy kind and overall the local folks are friendly and chatty.  even though it's bloody cold morning and night.

The palaces and monuments although pretty beaten up and crumbling are still magnificent and a set of huge cenotaphs on the edge of town have been claimed by the vultures for their nests.

One thing you don't come to Orcha for is the food. Although the main street is lined with tourist restaurants, it doesn't take more than a dish or two to understand why they are all empty. My porridge for breakfast - chillie spiced millet was a new low. The best food and it would seem most popular is the street food and this evening I enjoyed a very tasty potato dish cooked in minutes in front of me and served in a banana leaf bowl... Scrumptious.

The best thing about the tourist restaurants here are their Menus with their very cute spellings for favourites like corn flex and meshed potatoes.