Bundelkhand Circuit : Lalitpur
It is situated 93 km south of Jhansi, on the rail and road route towards
Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. It used to be a part of the greater Jhansi district
till March 1974, when it was given the status of a separate district with three
tehsils lalitpur, Mahrauni and Tal Behat. Legend has it that the place got its
name after Queen Lalita of the Malwa king Sumer Singh. The river Betwa flows on
its west, separating it from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
The entire district is rich with archaeological findings dating back to
prehistoric times. These include workshops for making Stone Age tools.
What to see
Matatila dam, Tal Behat, Chandpur, Mansarover Lake, Pali Neelkanteshwar Temple, Narsingh rock cut sculpture and The shrine of Baba Sadanshah.
Matatila Dam
It is located about 36 km on the road to Jhansi. The picturesque dam is built on the Betwa river and is a popular excursion and picnic spot. It has facilities for water sports and has a beautiful garden.
Tal Behat
Situated 31 km to the south on the Jhansi-Sagar highway, it derived its name from Tal (lake) and Behat (village) in the language of the Gonds. There is a fine fort built in 1618 by Bharat Shah, the Chanderi king.
Chandpur
This village about 10 km from Deogarh is famous for its archaeological finds of Chandel and Jain origin. There is an ancient temple that now lies in ruins.
Chandpur village in Lalitpur tehsil is known for extensive archaeological remains, scattered especially in the east and north west parts. It is situated midway between Dudhai and Devgarh, and the Jhansi-Mumbai railway track is located on the west of this village.
This place is very rich in Chandel and Jain period archaeological remains. These include five groups temple ruins and several pieces of statues, all examples of unique artwork. The presence of pieces and ruins of nude statues indicate them to be of Jain origin. A little away is the second group of Hindu temples, which includes mainly Vishnu temples. Another group of Hindu temple ruins includes the Sahastralag temple built in 1882. Atop the entrance gate of the temple is a statue of six-armed Lord Shiva in the famed Tandav nrittya pose. On the right and left, respectively, are statues of Vishnu and Brahma. After entering the temple is a Nandi statue with a roof overhead. the statue is 1.5 metres long, 0.6 meteres wide and 1.10 metres high. On its boundary wall are engraved countless figurines of exquisite artwork, including a dancing statue. Some frames are made in the human and animal form. Another group of temples is in almost complete ruins, known as Varaah temple. On a high platform near the railway line there is another group of ruins of Lord Vishnu temples. A short distance away is the temple of Jhajhar dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The ceiling of the entry gate is decorated with statues. According to legend, the footsteps of king Jhajhar Dev, a king of central India, can be seen at a place near the Jhajhar well.
Madanpur
Madanpur in Mahrauni tehsil is 75 km from the district headquarters of Lalitpur and 171 km south of Jhansi. On the northeast it is connected by road to Madavara,and on north-west, it is connected by Jhansi-Lalitpur-Sagar National highway at Narhat village. The legend is that Madanpur is named after its founder Chandela ruler, Madan Verma. It used to be a prosperous village in those times.
Ruins of Vishnu, Shiva and Jain temples in addition to several Chandela period structures are found here. There is exquisite painting on the ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum of a Jain temple. In a Jain temple a stone inscription mentions the year Samvat 1206 and also the name of the village. Two small stone inscriptions are seen in a Baradari with small columns. In one of them the description of the conquest of king Prithviraj Chauhan over king Parmardi (Parmal) of Jejakbhukti in Samvat 1239 is inscribed. In front of these ruins there is a huge lake, banked by red stones, believed to be made in the Chandel period. In front of the lake, there is a 12-feet high platform, on which the seat and court of the mighty warrior heros of the 12th century Aalha and Udal, are located.
Madanpur is situated in the most narrow stretch of the Vindhya mountain range. During the 1857-58 War of Independence this pass was in the control of the king of Shahgarh. The king had fiercely opposed the forward advance of the British officer Hughrose who was marching towards attacking the Jhansi Fort.
A little away from this village is Patan village, which is older.
Some old Jain temples are situated here. The ruins of an old structure and a gate are believed to be the archaeological remains of the palace of king Mangal Singh of Patan.
Pandav Forest
The noted Jain site Pava is located about 50 km from Lalitpur in Lalitpur tehsil, and 46 km from Jhansi. Pava is a big village, situated at the south bank of Belna, and a road from here meets the Jhansi-Sagar national highway near Karelara. About 100 years ago this place was known as an important centre of Jain pilgrimage. There is a hill near this village, which is known as the Hill of the Siddhas. According to an ancient Jain tradition, four Jain saints, including Swarnbhadra, had received Nirvana in Pawagiri.
Another hill close by is known as the Pava hill. There are two other temples connected with Jain saints. From one point near these temples visitors can have a panaoramic view of the area and Matatila dam. Below the hill, there is Lala Hardaul ka Chabutara, a platform named after the famed and popular Bundela warrior. There are also remains of a large Jain temple known as Naik Gadi. It is said that this was built by two Jain traders named Devpat and Siyopat. Among the ruins is is a wall, a gate and a baoli (deep well.)
Chandan Van Var Block (Bar)
Bar, which is a large village and the capital of the development block of the same name, is located at 24° northwest of Mahrauni. Its distance from Mahrauni is 40 km. It is connected with Bansi by road. There is a railway line from Bar to Lalitpur. The nearest railway station is Jakhaura. There is an emergency Airport in Lalitpur. Earlier it was a town but in 1608 when Jahangir gave this estate to Ramshah, this became the headquarters of the estate. In 1616 Ramshah’s son Bharat Shah won Chanderi which he made his state headquarters.
Here in the 9th century a pond was made by Bachraj which is known as Bachsagar. The nearby hills are covered with Bundela buildings and sandalwood trees. There is a pond of 52 hectare at the shores of which there is a precious garden of Kevada. All this makes this place extremely interesting and delightful. Currently Bar is also known as Chandan Nagar.