Narsinghgarh Fort and Deogarh Fort

Reliquiae of Madhya Pradesh's Heritage

Madhya Pradesh is blessed with natural beauty and resources with rocky landscapes. The dense forests, gushing rivers and terrain attracted rulers from the great dynasties to establish their kingdoms in the heart of incredible India. This led to the building of majestic fortifications in Madhya Pradesh. Each fort reflects the culture of the era it belongs to and has its own tale associated with it.

Narsinghgarh Fort

Narsinghgarh Fort is one of India's most majestic forts and the third-largest fort in Madhya Pradesh. A two hours drive from Bhopal will take you to Narsinghgarh town in Rajgarh district where the majestic citadel keeps an eye on the town. The glory of this fort is beautifully showcased in India's first colour film, Aan which was partly shot here!

Built by Paras Ram, a Rajput chieftain of the Umat clan in 1681, the fort served the Rajputs, the Mughals and lastly the Marathas. The influence of the ruling kingdoms is reflected in the architecture style of the fort.

Formerly known as 'Umatwara' it is a massive enclave with 4 halls, 12 chowks, 64 verandahs, and 304 rooms. What adds to the beauty of the fort is the towering shrine of Ram temple, and the Jal Mandir which is in the middle of an artificial lake ; Paras Ram Sagar.

Narsinghgarh fort is presently a wildlife sanctuary and home to wild animals & migratory birds. Known as 'Narsinghgarh Wildlife Sanctuary', it has several interesting places to explore. A walk in the sanctuary will take you to natural caves with prehistoric paintings, a pillared structure called Solah Khamba, the Haji Wali dargah and the Bada & Chhota Mahadev enshrining a shivalinga.

If you are a wildlife aficionado, history buff or just a beholder of natural beauty, Narsinghgarh fort is the place to visit as the panoramic view of the quaint town of Narsinghgarh from the fort's pavilion will forever remain in your memories.

How to reach :

By Road : 83  km from state capital Bhopal

Deogarh Fort

Deogarh fort is a lesser known yet one of the important forts of the Gond kingdom perched on the crest of a hill in the village of Deogarh, Madhya Pradesh. A road journey from Jabalpur and Bhopal will take you to the stark structure of Deogarh in Chhindwara district. 

The sombre ramparts of the fort stand tall upon a hillock giving an account of Deogarh's rich history. Serving as a guarding shield, the fortress served the Mughals up till 1700 before it was captured by the Marathas in 1740's and ended up coming under the Britishers in 1853. 

The remains of the fort seems to be used in times of siege as it has only 1 entrance gate, more than 30 bastions and several wells & tanks. The magnificent monument houses 100 rooms and exotic murals that can be found on pillars, balconies and the walls. 

Your visit to the ruins of Deogarh fort and its surrounding landscape will want you to know more about its rich history and culture.

How to reach : 

By Road : 325  km from state capital Bhopal 265  km from Jabalpur

(Note : Kindly inquire about the road conditions in advance)