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Lying at a distance of 292 Kms from Lucknow and about
415 Kms from Delhi. Jhansi is the gateway to
Bundelkhand. The city is more popularly linked with
the heroics of Rani Laxmi Bai, the fiery queen who
fought against the Britishers in the 1857 revolt.
Located on a rocky hill, the Jhansi fort was built
originally in 1613 by Raja Bir Singh Ja Deo and has a
marvelous collection of sculptures reflecting a
excellent insight into the grand history of
Bundelkhand. A fine collection of sculptures belonging
to the period between 9th and 12th centuries A.D. has
been housed in the Rani Mahal. Jhansi also has a
museum of regional antiques, viz., terra-cotta,
bronzes, sculptures, arms, manuscripts, paintings and
coins of gold, silver and copper. For Travelmasti, go
for some rewarding excursions in the area, like Orcha,
shivpuri, Deogarh and of course Khajuraho.
The Queen of Jhansi
Rani Lakshmi Bai, better known as the Rani, or queen,
of Jhansi was one of the great nationalist heroines of
pre-independence India. Born the daughter of a Benares
Brahmin, she was married off to Raja Gangadhar of
Jhansi, but never bore him children a fact exploited
by the British to force her and her adopted baby son
into retirement in 1853. The Rani retaliated in 1857,
the year of "Mutiny", by leading her personal
bodyguard of five hundred Afghan-Pathan warriors to
seize Jhansi fort. The British dispatched troops to
see off the insurgents, but took seventeen days to
blow a beach in the walls of the citadel. Three days
of fierce hand-to-hand fighting ensued, in which five
thousand soldiers were killed. With her son strapped
tightly to her back, the Rani somehow managed to slip
through the British net and rejoin the main rebel army
at Gwalior, where she rode to her death, dressed as a
man
using her sword with both hands and holding the
reins of her horse in her mouth".
Statues of Rani Jhansi in this heroic pose stand all
over northern India. For many in the Independence
movement, she was Indias Joan of Arc; a martyr and
icon whose example set in motion the freedom struggle
that eventually rid the subcontinent to its colonial
rulers.
Area : 14 Sq. km.
Population : 379000 (1991 census)
Altitude : 211 meters above sea level.
Season : October-March.
Clothing (Summer) : Cottons ; (Winters) : Woolens
Language : Hindi, Bundeli & English.
Local Transport : Taxi, Tempo-rickshaw, Tourist Cabs.
Jhansi Fort
The 17th century fort was made by Raja Bir Singh on
top of a hill as an army stronghold. The Karak Bijli
tank is within the fort. There is also a museum which
has a collection of sculpture and provides an insight
into the history of Bundelkhand.
Government Museum, Jhansi
Weapons, statues, dresses and photographs that
represents the Chandela dynasty and a picture gallery
of the Gupta period are the highlights. There are also
terracottas, bronzes, manuscripts, paintings and
coins. Closed on Mondays and second Saturday of every
month.
Rani Mahal
The palace of Rani Laxmi Bai has now been converted
into a museum. It houses a collection of
archaeological remains of the period between 9th and
12th centuries AD.
Places of Interest:
Laxmi Tal, Gangadhar Rao-Ki-Chhatri, Shri Kali Temple,
Laxmi Bai Park.
Air:
Nearest airport is Gwalior Airport 98 km.
Rail:
Jhansi is well connected by an excellent railway
network. Shatabadi Express (2001/2002) is one of the
fastest luxury trains in India, provides the easiest
access to the Jhansi from important stations between
Delhi and Bhopal. .
Road:
Jhansi, on National Highway No. 25 and 26, is linked
by a good network of roads. Some major road distances
are:
Agra 221 km.; Khajuraho 176 km.; Datia 28 km.;
Shivpuri 100 km.; Kalpi 142 km; Gorakhpur 563
km.; Lucknow 297 km.; Kanpur 220 km.; Lalitpur
93 km.; Delhi 414 km
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