We reached Jhansi at around 11am on our way to Orchha.
We
visited the Jhansi fort which is very well maintained. It has a long and
fascinating history that you can read here.
This fort was built in 1613 by Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha.
It changed many hands before Rani Lakshmi Bai ruled Jhansi after the death of
her husband and used the fort as her residence.
Panch Mahal (Five storied palace of Rani Lakshmi Bai)
Inside the palace
Along the walls of the fort
A view of Jhansi city from the fort
A statue of Dhyan Chand (India's greatest hockey player) atop the hill
In 1858 she led forces against
those of the British East India Company. Jhansi was besieged by the forces of General
Hugh Rose in March and April 1858; it was captured on 4 April 1858. Rani
Lakshmi Bai was able to make a daring
escape from the fort and the city when a
British victory was imminent by jumping over the walls of the fort astride her
horse with her son.
There is the Kadak Bijli cannon used in the uprising of 1857.
The Central India Campaign was one of the last series of actions in the Indian
rebellion of 1857, (also known as the First Indian War of Independence or
Indian Mutiny). At Jhansi, British
officers, civilians and dependents took shelter in the fort on 5 June. They
emerged three days later and were murdered by the rebellious sepoys and
irregulars. Rani Lakshmi Bai had no complicity in this act but was nevertheless
blamed by the British (the rebels were then the only armed force in the city
and no British forces were there to oppose them).
How to reach Jhansi:
By train: Jhansi is well linked by Indian railways. Jhansi
is an important railway junction in the Delhi-Mumbai route. Jhansi is connected
to all major cities in India by rail.
By air: Nearest airport to Jhansi is Gwalior airport.
Gwalior airport is 103 km away from the heart of the city.
By road: State public transport buses connect Jhansi with
all major cities around Jhansi. Regular bus services are provided between
Gwalior and Jhansi (103 km) and between Khajuraho and Jhansi (175 km). Deluxe
private buses also ply between these cities.
