Diwan Hardaul Palace

This yellow palace north of the Ram Raja Temple in Orchha was built as a memorial to Diwan Hardaul, a 17th-century Bundela warrior. Its domes, slender pillars, arches and carvings mix Mughal and Bundela styles. The building now houses a shopping arcade, and a small temple beside it holds an idol of Hardaul.

According to local tradition, Jhujhar Singh, ruler of Orchha, was deceived by a scheme of Emperor Shah Jahan into believing Hardaul meant to kill him, and had him poisoned. Later, when Jhujhar Singh refused the bhaat wedding gifts for his sister Kunja Vati's daughter, Hardaul is said to have appeared at the wedding to bless it. He is now widely worshipped in Bundelkhand, and families there send a wedding invitation to him as well as to Lord Rama.