The 84 Pillared Cenotaph stands in a quiet part of Bundi, a two-storeyed pavilion structure raised on a tall platform, its roof supported by (as the name says) 84 slender pillars. The lower level is open and forest-like with a forest of columns, while the upper level has domes and a central shrine. Carvings of elephants, dancers (apsaras) and floral bands decorate the stone, and at certain times of day light filters beautifully through the columns, creating shifting patterns. The monument feels both monumental and delicate—part royal memorial, part open-air temple.
About this place
History & highlights
This cenotaph (chhatri) was commissioned by Rao Raja Anirudh Singh of Bundi (r. late 17th century) in memory of his beloved wet nurse Deva, an unusual example of such a grand monument being dedicated not to a king but to a royal caregiver. The exact completion date is usually placed in the late 17th or early 18th century. Its design, with two storeys and 84 columns, reflects both Rajput cenotaph traditions and numerological symbolism (84 often linked to cycles of rebirth). Over time it became an important stop on local pilgrimage and funeral circuits and is now protected as a heritage monument, often featured in Incredible India itineraries for Bundi.
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