A trip to the Warrior Queen’s abode – Jhansi

Jhansi is near the border of the present-day states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.Just 30 minutes from Orchha, Jhansi was a fixture in our itinerary. All three of us were eager to see this slice of history for ourselves. We wanted to know more about the queen, Rani Laxmi Bai, one of the prominent women warriors in India’s struggle for independence.

The Fort of Jhansi

Plan your trip

• Construction date: 1613 CE to 1757 CE
• Timings: 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, open on all days
• Entry fee per person: INR 20 for Indian citizens and INR 250 for non-Indian citizens; Camera fee INR 25; Sound and light show: INR 250 (1 h show starting at 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM)
• Getting there: Cab (16 km from Orchha)
• Note:
  • You can book tickets online here for Jhansi Fort (Jhansi Circle) up to a week in advance.
  • Eatables are forbidden inside the Jhansi Fort.
  • You can keep your belongings in the cloakroom for a fee. The cloakroom is just outside the moat, at the Fort’s entrance.

Origins of the fort

Perched atop a commanding hill, Jhansi Fort offers a strategic vantage point that has witnessed centuries of history. Built in the 17th century CE by Bir Singh Deo, a king of Orchha State, the fort became a significant symbol of power and resilience.

In the 18th century CE, the Maratha Peshwas received Jhansi and its fort as a token of gratitude for their assistance in repelling a Mughal attack on Bundelkhand. Naroshanker, the Peshwa subedar, expanded the fort and added several buildings during his 15-year tenure.

In the 19th century CE, Raja Gangadhar Rao ascended to the throne of Jhansi with the approval of British administrators. He married Manikarnika Tambe, who was renamed Laxmi Bai. Tragically, their son Damodar Rao died at just four months old. On his deathbed, the king adopted a boy named Anand Rao, who was also given the name Damodar Rao.

Significance in India’s War of Independence

The British refused to recognize the adopted son’s claim to the throne, adhering to their ‘Doctrine of Lapse,’ which allowed them to annex states without a direct natural heir. This policy led to the eviction of Rani Laxmi Bai from the palace and fort with only an annual pension.

Amidst the widespread revolt against British rule in June 1857 CE, Rani Laxmi Bai led Jhansi’s forces against the neighbouring states of Datia and Orchha, who sought to divide Jhansi among themselves. After successfully defending her territory, she faced the British, who accused her of inciting a massacre of British citizens during the revolt. Despite her valiant efforts, the British recaptured Jhansi Fort in April 1858 CE. In a daring escape on horseback, Rani Laxmi Bai fled the fort, though her horse did not survive the leap from the ramparts. She continued to resist the British from Gwalior, ultimately losing her life on June 17, 1858, in a battle to retake the city.

In 1861 CE, the British exchanged Jhansi Fort for Gwalior Fort with the king of Gwalior, marking another shift in control of this historic stronghold.

Our day at the fort

After enjoying breakfast at our hotel in Orchha, we arrived at the Jhansi Fort by 10:00 AM. Just inside the entrance gate, a stone tablet displayed a map of the fort, with pathways connecting various points of interest.

The canon

Our first stop was the Kadak Bijli (Strong Lightning) cannon near the booking office, reputedly used by the queen and her gunners to defend the fort against the British.

See our complete Orccha Itinerary here.

Ganesh Temple

Beyond the cannon, the path forked into two routes. One led to the central courtyard and the inner palace, while the other ascended to a hilltop within the fort, home to the Ganesh temple. The Ganesh temple is famously known as the wedding venue of Raja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Laxmi Bai.

Next to the temple, further up the path, stood another renowned cannon, Bhawani Shanker (named after Shiva, the destroyer in the Hindu pantheon). Intrigued by its inscriptions, we photographed the cannon’s barrel.

Baradari

A little beyond this was the Baradari, an open pavilion built for Raghunath Rao (Raja Gangadhar Rao’s younger brother) to celebrate his patronage of art and architecture. On our way to the Baradari, we encountered a playful mongoose pup that entertained us with a game of hide and seek before disappearing into the thickets.

The Main Fort Complex

We retraced our steps to the starting point where the Kadak Bijli cannon sat. A gentle slope led us to the main fort complex. Upon entering, we were immediately faced with the tombs of those who perished in the last stand against the combined forces of the British and the states of Orchha and Gwalior. A memorial plaque indicated those resting were the gunners Ghulam Gaus Khan and Motibai, and the horse Khuda Baksh.

Panch Mahal

Just past the graves stood the Panch Mahal, a palace originally five stories tall but reduced to three by the British during their occupation. Rani Laxmi Bai used the Panch Mahal as a temporary war room during the First War of Indian Independence in 1857.

Nearby, we found magazine stores for the fort’s cannons and the spot where Rani Laxmi Bai made her daring leap to safety with the prince. Her loyal horse, Badal, did not survive the leap, but the queen and her son escaped.

Prison cells complex

A complex of prison cells called the Kal Kothri, originally built by the Marathas, offered excellent views of the city below. The British later added a floor and used the cells to imprison dissidents after the fort fell.

A modern flag mast has been added to the fort, and the views from the ramparts highlight the fort’s naturally advantageous position, making it a formidable stronghold. The path from the flag mast led to an inner complex with a Shiva temple and a massive hanging tower for executing criminals.

Courtyard

There is a small courtyard where a sound and light show happens in the evening. However, we didn’t stay long enough to watch it as we had to return to Gwalior.

Rani Mahal

The Rani Mahal or Queen’s Palace is a short walk from the Jhansi Fort.

Plan your trip

• Construction date: 1769 CE to 1796 CE
• Timings: 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, open on all days
• Entry fee per person: INR 25 for Indian citizens
• Getting there: Cab (16 km from Orchha)
• Note:
  • Only online bookings with digital payments were accepted when we visited the Rani Laxmibai Palace. However, the details for online booking are available only at the Rani Mahal.
  • Photography is prohibited in some parts of the Laxmibai Palace due to possible damage from the camera flash to the delicate paintings.

A little history

The two-storeyed building dates from the 18th century CE and was constructed by one of the subedars of Jhansi, Raghunath Newalkar. The palace was one of the residences of Rani Laxmi Bai in the 19th century CE.

Our visit

When we visited, there was a photography exhibition on the life and times of Manikarnika Tambe, the Queen of Jhansi, later and more popularly known as Rani Laxmi Bai.

The ground floor had sculptures from the 9th to 12th centuries CE. The first floor was accessible by a set of steep stairs. The exhibition on the first floor detailed the succession conflicts between the kingdom of Jhansi and the British administrators.

The Photography Exhibition

The British Siege

The photography exhibition detailed the history of Jhansi Fort leading up to the British siege in 1858 CE. The Maharaja of Jhansi’s biological son did not survive past infancy. The king, therefore, on the day before his death, adopted a cousin’s son in the presence of a British political officer. This was to ensure his instructions to treat the adopted child as the successor to the throne of Jhansi, are followed. However, the British reneged on the deal and refused to recognise the adopted son Damodar Rao as the rightful ruler of Jhansi.

Photographs of letters exchanged between the Queen of Jhansi and the British government are a testament to the efforts at getting the British to make amends for this injustice. The letter asks the British to honour the agreement with the late king and recognise Damodar Rao’s claim to the throne of Jhansi. When the mutiny of 1857 CE started, the fort of Jhansi was seized by irregulars who massacred the European officers along with the women and children.

Internal Mutiny

Although the queen’s army defeated the mutineers’ attempt to promote a rival claim to the throne, they faced an invading force of soldiers from the Orchha and Datia states, looking to divide Jhansi amongst themselves.

The British believed the queen to be responsible for the massacre of Jhansi Fort’s European inhabitants at the hands of the mutineers and sent no aid. This act and the advice from her ministers to aim for Jhansi’s independence from British rule drove her to defend the fort with heavy guns against the British forces that laid siege to Jhansi in March of 1858 CE.

Escape to Gwalior and Badal

After the British forces threatened to overwhelm the fort’s defences, the queen took the counsel of her nobles and decided to make her way out of the fort. He tied the young prince on her back and leapt from the ramparts of the fort. The queen and the prince survived, but not her faithful horse Badal. Subsequent events of her escape to Gwalior and demise on the battlefield there against the British forces were brought to life through contemporary dispatches about the battle and artists’ impressions.

After the British forces threatened to overwhelm the fort’s defences, the queen took the counsel of her nobles and decided to make her way out of the fort. He tied the young prince on her back and leapt from the ramparts of the fort. The queen and the prince survived, but not her faithful horse Badal. Subsequent events of her escape to Gwalior and demise on the battlefield there against the British forces were brought to life through contemporary dispatches about the battle and artists’ impressions.

The Queen’s palace

The Queen’s palace has delicately painted walls in the rooms that are parallel to the street. You can for a moment imagine the queen mulling over the twists and turns her life took, from one of the windows overlooking the street. The motifs were floral, animals, birds and royalty on the murals. The rich red background and the delicate lines traced with unwavering brushstrokes offered a peek into the mastery the painters had achieved. Hopefully, the exquisite paintings will be protected from graffiti vandals and preserved for future generations.

The ceilings of the staircases’ passageways that lead from the ground floor to the first floor also have well-preserved paintings probably from the queen’s time. Flash photography is prohibited in all the areas with paintings to help ensure they don’t degrade faster.

All in all, the queen’s palace offers a peek into royal life both during the good times as well as the difficult times during the first rebellion stoked by the colonial government’s ill-treatment.

This palace is a must-see for art, history and heritage lovers!

Jhansi Museum

Another interesting spot for history and art buffs is the Jhansi Museum (although we didn’t see it as we visited Jhansi on a Monday when it was closed). Entry fee to the museum is INR 5 per Indian citizen, INR 25 for other citizens and INR 20 for mobile photography. The museum is open from 10:30 AM until 4:30 PM every day except Mondays and other state/national holidays.

We bid farewell to Jhansi and made our way back to Gwalior.