Between the sixteenth and the first
part of the seventeenth century, a series
of innovative palaces and temples were
built in the cities of Datia and Orcha,
in the Bundelkhand region of central
India. The Chaturbhuja temple at Orcha
represents a bold design in which massive
traditional Hindu shikharas were combined
with the dome and arch structural system
usually found in mosque architecture.
All four royal palaces, which were built
by successive rulers, followed the traditional
plan centered around a courtyard, but
each new building enriched and refined
the earlier concept. Ultimately, in
the last of the four palaces, the traditional
pattern was transcended by building
a tower in the center of the courtyard.
A
voice-over, accompanied by classical
North Indian music, makes up the sound
track, while paintings - both wall as
well as miniatures - are inter-cut with
images of the buildings. |
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