Jhansi

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 Rani 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 India’s 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 : Taxis, Tempo-rickshaw, Tourist Cabs.
• STD Code : 0517

Jhansi Fort

The 17^th 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 9^th and 12^th centuries AD.

Other 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. Other important rail services to Jhansi are:

• 2137/2138 Punjab Mail (Firozpur/Delhi-Mumbai)
• 1057/1058 Dadar-Amritsar Express (Mumbai).
• 4677/4678 Jhelum Express (Jammu Tawi-Pune)
• 2627/2628 Karnataka Express (Delhi-Bangalore)
• 4067/4068 Malwa Express (New Delhi-Indore)
• 1449/1450 Mahakaushal Express (New Delhi-Jabalpur)
• 2615/2616 G.T. Express (New Delhi-Chennai)
• 2621/2622 Tamil Nadu Express (New Delhi-Chennai)
• 2723/2724 A.P. Express (New Delhi-Secundrabad)
• 6687/6688 Navyug Express (Jammu Tawi/Delhi-Mangalore)
• 4309/4310 Dehradun-Ujjain Express
• 7021/7022 Delhi-Hyderabad Dakshin Express
• 1107/1108 Bundelkhand Express (Varanasi-Gwalior)
• 1015/1016 Kushinagar Express (Mumbai-Gorakhpur).

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