Located on the banks of the Betwa River, Deogarh is not only a place of captivating natural beauty but also of great historical importance. Situated 71 kms from Chanderi, today it is just a small village but in times past, it must have been a flourishing town and an important religious centre.
The most famous of all archaeological remains found here is the 5th century Dasavatar Vishnu temple, a masterpiece of the art and architecture of the Gupta period. The Nar Narayan, Sheshashayi and Gajendramoksha are sculptural compositions which reflect the great heights reached by the artists of that time.
Besides this, ruins of several other temples like the Varaha temple, along with their exquisite sculptures, belonging to the same period are also in evidence. Many of these sculptures are now preserved in the Deogarh Museum. The inscriptions found in Deogarh are written in three different scripts, Brahmi, Shankh and Devanagari, which puts the antiquity of the place beyond doubt. Also of interest is the hill fort – Kirti Giri, which was constructed by the King Kirtivarman in the 12th century.
The place is also home to thousands of Jain stone sculptures especially images of the Tirthankaras. The sculptures date as far back as 552 AD and are carved in rock-cut caves as well as placed in temples This makes Deogarh a popular destination for Jain devotees who frequent the Sahu Jain Museum and Digambar Jain Dharamshala.
The place is also suitable for wildlife and nature enthusiasts as a large territory has been cordoned off to preserve the local flora and fauna, which is the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary.
Some 10 kms to the west of Deogarh is the Behti Math, an ancient temple of Hindu affiliation, which is also a Gupta period construction.
