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The Ram Raja Temple is a temple in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage and receives devotees in large numbers regularly and is also commonly known as Orchha Temple.

In India this is the only temple where Lord Ram is worshiped as a king and that too in a palace. A Guard of Honour is held every day, police personnel have been designated as Guards at the temple, much in the manner of a king. The food and other amenities provided to the deity at the temple are a royal repast. Armed salutation is provided to Lord Ram every day. Even today the very first invitation card of any Hindu wedding in the region is sent to Raja Ram.

In the temple Raja Ram is accompanied by Mata Sita (on the left), brother Laxman (on the right), Maha

raj Sugreev and Narsingh Bhagwan (on the right). Durga Maa is also present in the darbaar on the right side. Hanumaan ji and Jamwant ji are praying just below Maata Sita. The specialty of this temple is that Lord Ram has a sword in his right hand and a shield in the other. Shri Ram is sitting in Padmasan, with the left leg crossed on to the right thigh.

 The story of Ram Raja Temple according to many local people goes like this: The King of Orchha Madhukar Shah Ju Dev (1554 to 1592) was a devotee of Banke Bhihari (Lord Krishna) of Brindavan while his wife Ganesh Kunwari, also called Kamla Devi, was a devotee of Lord Ram. One day the King and the Queen went to Lord Krishna’s temple but the temple had closed by that time, the queen urged the king to go back but the king wanted to stay back. So both the king and queen decided to stayed back. They joined a group of devotees who were singing and dancing in the praise of lord Krishna outside the temple. The king and queen also immersed in the prayers and started to sing and dance. It is foretold that Lord Krishna and Radha personified and danced with them, golden flowers got showered from the heavens at that moment.

After that incident King asked the Queen to accompany him to Braj-Mathura the land of lord Krishna, but the queen wanted to go Ayodhya because it was the Lord Ram’s child form that lived in queens heart. The king got annoyed and told the queen to stop praying child form of lord Ram and accompany him to Braj. But the queen was adamant, after which the king said that “you keep praying to Ram but Ram never appears in front of us unlike lord Krishna who danced with us along with Radha the other day. If you are so adamant to go to Ayodya then go, but return only when you have the child form of Ram with you. Only then I will accept your true devotion.” The queen took a vow that she will go to Ayodya and return with child form of Ram else she will drown herself in Ayodya’s Sarayu river. The queen left the palace and started the long journey to Ayodhya (Rama's birthplace) on foot to bring Lord Ram with her to Orchha. She didn’t tell the King before leaving but she ordered her servants to start building a temple (Chaturbhuj Temple) when she brings Lord Ram with her.

Child Form of Ram Painting Orchha temple

After reaching Ayodhya the Queen started praying to Lord Ram close to Laxman Fort near Sarayu river. The queen started praying in an austere way, she gave up food and observed fruits only fast, then she gave up fruits also and ate only leaves, and then eventually she gave up all food. The queen fasted and prayed for about a month but Lord Ram did not appear, so eventually in despair the queen jumped in Sarayu river at mid night. Just then something magical happened, Lord Ram appeared in child form in Queen’s lap.

The queen was ecstatic and began to cry. Lord Ram told the queen that he was happy with her prayers and she could ask for a boon, at which the queen asked Ram to come with her in child form to Orchha. Ram agreed to go but he put forth three conditions: 1. “I will travel only in Pukh Nakshatra, when Pukh Nakshatra will end I will stop and resume only when Pukh Nakshtra sets in again. In this manner I will travel from Ayodhya to Orchha on foot along with a group of sages." 2. "Once I reach Orchha, I will be the King of Orchha and not you and your husband", 3. “(Since child form of Ram would travel in Queen’s lap) the first place where you seat me will be my final place of stay and will be famous by the name of Ramraj". The Queen agreed and started her journey to Orchha with baby Ram in her lap. Since the queen traveled only in Pukh Nakshtra it took 8 months and 27 days for the queen to reach Orchha from Ayodhya on foot (between 1574 to 1575). King Madhukar Shah meanwhile had a dream where Lord Banke Bihari scolded him on discriminating between Lord Ram and himself. Lord Banke Bihari reminded the King that Lord Ram and he are one and the same, there is no difference. King was very apologetic when he woke up and found out that the queen was returning from Ayodhya. The King went to receiver the queen with horses, elephants, servants, food, etc. and apologized to the queen. The queen did not accept king’s apology and refused the comforts offered to her by the King. The Queen claimed that she now possessed everything one could ever ask for (Lord Ram in child form). On returning to Orchha the queen went back to her palace with baby Ram and retired in her room for the night, only to take Lord Ram to the Chaturbhuj temple the next day. But according to Lord Ram’s conditions he took the first place where he was seated hence Lord Ram transformed into an idol and got transfixed in the queens palace itself. To this day the Ram Raja Temple is in the queens palace (Ranibas or Rani Mahal) and not in the Chaturbhuj Temple (Orchha)which is right next to the palace. Additionally as promised by the queen Lord Ram is the King (Raja) of Orchha, hence the name Ram Raja Temple.^[4][5][6]

Shri Ram is sitting in Padmasan (Lotus position), with only left leg crossed on to the right thigh though (both legs are not crossed unlike in the usual Padmasan). Every day after worship sandalwood’s teeka is applied on Lord Ram’s left’s thumb. It is believed when visiting the Raja Ram Darbaar if worshippers look at the left foots thumb then their wish gets fulfilled. Spotting the left foots thumb on Lord Ram’s idol is not easy, one should not look down since the left leg is folded, instead one should look close to Lord Ram’s right hand. The temple priest can also help in spotting the thumb.

Palace of Queen (Ram Raja Temple)

Chaturbhuj Temple in Orchha