Orchha,
Madhya Pradesh

Orchaa is an erstwhile princely state that developed on the banks of the Betwa river in the 16th century founded by the Bundela king Rudra Pratap Singh. Studies of Orchha so far have focussed on studying the monuments in the town such as the Laxmi Narayan Temple, the Orchha Fort complex including the Jehangir Mahal, the Chaturbhuj temple and the cenotaphs along the Betwa river. However, this settlement study of Orchha is an urban study that focuses on the house types and the in-between public spaces that developed around the monuments. This includes a study of the plaza flanking the Ram Raja temple, the informal market along the Chaturbhuj temple, the street along the Machhi Darwaza comprising a market, shops and rest houses, Phool Baug and Hardoul Baithak - a garden and a public space that evolved from the traditional Mughal garden planning. The study extends to look at urban housing typologies that evolved on the main east-west spine, which created important transitional spaces to the street and had a courtyard, forming an  open to sky room at the entrance, flanked by rooms on all sides. The last typology studied is a government housing scheme under Indira Awas Yojana which departs from the historical climate and culture responsive type to provide utilitarian cellular rooms to the beneficiaries. The study goes on to document how people turned these houses into homes by adding mud plinths, outdoor kitchen spaces and fences with ephemeral materials to protect their animals.