View looking along the Betwa River towards the cenotaphs of the Orchha Rajas, Orchha

Photograph of the cenotaphs of the Orchha Rajas across the Betwa River at Orchha, taken by Edmund William Smith in the 1880s, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. Orchha was founded as the capital of the Rajput state of Bundelkhand in Central India by Raja Rudra Pratap (r.1501-31) in 1501. The citadel is situated on an island in the Betwa river. This is a view of the cenotaphs, or memorial chatris, of the Orchha kings that lie along the banks of the Betwa river. On the far left in the distance is the Centotaph of Raja Bir Singh Deo (r.1605-27). The city reached the height of its political power with its greatest architectural achievements during the reign of Raja Bir Singh Deo.