Exotic Deogarh, India

[Anil Rawat]

Deogarh is located 38 Kms northeast of Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. It is situated on the boundaries of Mewar, Marwar and Merwara on an altitude of around 2100 feet; it is cooler than other parts of Rajasthan. 'The Rawat', chief of Deogarh, was one of sixteen umraos (feudal barons) entitled to lead by the ruling kings. These types of feudal estates, called 'Thikanas' were sanctioned by the kings to the nobleman either due to blood relationship or for an exemplary act of bravery. This town also has famous school of miniature paintings. Some of the miniature Deogarh paintings are in the personal collection of the present Rawat Sahib. You may see the frescoes of this art form on the walls of the fort. There are some interesting rooms in the palace such as Sheesh Mahal, and colorful hall of mirrors etc.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN DEOGARH

Deogarh Mahal: The Deogarh Palace is the 17th century Palace, standing atop a hill that offers a panoramic view of the Aravalli mountain range and lakes surrounding the countryside. This palace is decorated with majestic domes, turrets, jharokhas and huge gateways etc. You may enjoy the amazing view of the town from the top of the palace. At present this palace has been converted into a heritage hotel few years back. The owner of this palace is Rawal-Nahar Singh presently.

Dashavatar Temple: This is an exquisite Vishnu temple that belongs to the Gupta period. This temple is popularly known as the Dashavatar Temple. It is the earliest known Panchayatan temple of north India. There are three big rathika panels set in the sidewalls, which have carved Vaishnava mythological images - the Gajendramoksha panel, Nara-Narayan tapasya and the Anantshayi Vishnu. The Dashavatar Temple at Deogarh is noted for being the first northern Indian temple with a shikhara or spire. Presently only lower part of this spire remains.

HOW TO REACH DEOGARH?

Deogarh is easily accessible by road and rail. It is located a couple of miles east of National Highway No 8. By rail, it is on the Western Railway Route, between Udaipur and Marwar junction.

Road: Deogarh is easily accessible by road. It is located at a distance of 140 Kms from Chittaurgarh, 135 Kms from Udaipur, 280 Kms from Jaipur and 170 Kms from Jodhpur cities.

Rail: The nearest railway station is Deogarh, which is located 1 km away. Most of the travels travel to Udaipur by train then board car from Udaipur to Deogarh. The car journey takes around 3 hours.

Air: The nearest airport is Dabok Airport, Udaipur 135 kms.