On the map, the Uttar Pradesh district of Lalitpur resembles a twisted finger being pushed into the state of Madhya Pradesh. Culturally and historically, Lalitpur has more in common with its neighbouring MP districts of Tikamgarh and Ashok Nagar than, say, with Kanpur or Hamirpur. But that can be said of many parts of India. In a country where linguistic differences and protests can separate states, the dividing line between UP and MP in these parts is more tangible – in the form of a river, the Betwa. Straddling this river lie some of India's finest heritage sites.
When one drives from Lalitpur town to the tiny village of Deogarh, the river seems close by, especially in the monsoon season, when numerous streams gush their way towards a common destination, when the forest around it seems thicker, and when the sky is an ominous shade of grey. Then, the trees seem to give way, and a protected area looms to the right.
As temples go, the Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh is small, almost innocuous at first appearance. It is when a visitor walks in and gets close that his eyes pop out. The 6th century CE temple is one of the few Gupta period shrines that still survive in North India, perhaps the only one that was not reconstructed during a restoration. Possibly, the remote location in a forested area helped it survive.
Undoubtedly, The temple's highlights are the sculpted panels built into niches around the shrine. One showcases a magnificent Anantasayi Vishnu – Vishnu reclining on the coils of the celestial snake Sheshnaga. A lotus emerging from the navel of Vishnu touches a depiction of Brahma above. At the feet of Vishnu sits Lakshmi, while Shiva, Parvati, Indra, and Kartikeya are around the Brahma figure on top. At the base are five male and one female figure, earlier believed to be the Pandavas and Draupadi, but that identification is being questioned. The expressions are lifelike, and one can almost well imagine these figures stepping out of the niches at night.
On another panel, a Nara-Narayana depiction is seen, while a third showcases Vishnu coming to the rescue of an elephant, a recreation of the Gajendra Moksham story. Around this central shrine are the remains of four more shrines, one at each corner – indicating that the Dashavatara was a panchayatana-styled temple in its prime.
Past this temple complex, the road leads up a thickly forested hill. At the top is a site that has been visited by Jain pilgrims for ages, possibly for over a thousand years. Here, numerous carved icons depicting almost the entire pantheon of Jain divine beings are present, most of them embedded into the walls of the main shrine. It sounds absurd that these idols were built to be put into the wall here. In all probability, many of these idols may have been part of other Jain shrines that were spread over the area. When these shrines were damaged or destroyed, the idols recovered may have been brought to the hilltop location for safety. But that is pure conjecture. What matters is that the idols are here, and the site is magnificent. It is a living place of worship amidst a forested hill beside a river.
And there's more! Walking through a forest path, a visitor arrives on the edge of a cliff. The Betwa flows below, surprisingly clean in a country that has systematically wrecked its water bodies. Flights of steps or 'ghats' from the cliffs lead down to the river. During the monsoon, the river comes right up to the bottom of the ghat steps. Water also pours down from a hundred crags on the cliffs, making the steps dangerous. This climb is one best done in drier weather.
Intrepid souls who make the descent into the ghats - called the Nahar Ghati and Raj Ghati – are rewarded with views of a treasure chest of sculpted icons and inscriptions on their walls. There is a Surya holding lotus flowers, another panel showcasing the Saptamatrikas, Shiva lingas and various other icons. In one place is a cave shrine called the Siddh-ki-gufa. Next to it is an icon of Mahisasura Mardini sculpted into the wall. In one place is a lengthy inscription, which, along with others, has enabled historians to piece together the past of the place.
While Deogarh is an ancient Gupta period site, the 'garh' in its name comes from a fort that was built here in the 9th century CE by the Pratihara rulers of Kannauj. Attempting to defend their territory from attacks of the Deccan-based Rashtrakuta kingdom, they decided to build fortification at this spot using the river as an added defence. Through the ages and across dynasties, the fort was added to, and more structures were built around it.
An inscription at Raj Ghati describes the fort as Kirtigiri, named after the Chandella ruler Kirtivarman. During the Chandella period, the fort acted as a bastion of defence against the attacking Paramaras, who ruled out of Dhar. In later centuries, the fort was controlled by the Bundelas and then the Scindias. A Scindia commander called Jean-Baptiste was given a jagir near Deogarh. It is believed his descendants are still around.
Deogarh seems to be the portal to a fantasy land for history buffs. Remains are everywhere; one just needs to keep going. Back in the forest near the cliffs, a clearing reveals the ruins of an old temple, apparently a Varaha shrine from which an idol was stolen years ago. In another spot lies a small pool amidst rocks with a panel of divine figures carved nearby.
A short distance from the Dashavatara is a smaller shrine of the 11th century CE period called the Kuraiya Veer Temple. A drive through a forest range road brings a visitor to Dudhai, home to a massive 40-foot-high Narasimha icon carved into the wall of a hill. Dudhai is a fascinating place that is worth a story of its own. Across the Betwa, near a smaller river called the Bina, is Eran - one of the most important excavated sites for Gupta period remains.
As per locals, sculpted figures of various faiths are often discovered in Deogarh. Excavation is ongoing at Eran, where farmers still unearth ancient coins in their fields. Take a leap through this portal of history near the Betwa – who knows; you too may discover a site yet unknown.