Devtikra is a small village in the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, located about 2 km from Devgarh. It is situated on the west bank of the Rehar (or Rend, Renu) river. According to legend, the river is named after Renuka, the mother of Parashurama. Parashurama had his ashram (hermitage) at Devgarh. Although otherwise nondescript, these two villages are known for their temple ruins. Only a little has been written about these temples and ruins.
Cherka Deur: The complex has the ruins of a few temples. The main Cherka Deur temple has survived with its mandapa, antarala, and garbhagrha. Pratap Kumar Das mentions a legend behind the etymology of this temple. It is said that during the festivals, goat sacrifice was a common practice. Goat is known as cherka in this region, and the temple was named after it.1 The mandapa ceiling was supported on pillars; the ceiling has not survived. The massive pillars of the mandapa consist of a multi-faceted shaft with a purna-kalasha (full vase) motif at the top and bottom. The pillar shafts are decorated with bell and floral motifs. Two four-armed dvarapala images are kept next to side pilasters at the mandapa entrance.
The middle portion of the side pilasters of the antarala entrance are carved with images of Kartikeya and Ganesha. Due to the available space, the figures have a flattish appearance. Kartikeya is seated over a peacock while Ganesha sits with his left leg bent. Ganga and Yamuna are placed on either side of the garbhagrha. A few broken statues and pedestals are placed inside the garbhagrha. The presence of Shaiva dvarapalas, Kartikeya, Ganesha, etc., suggests that the temple was dedicated to Shiva. The execution and style of sculptures suggest some local influences. The temple has been assigned to the 12th-13th century CE.
Shiv Temple: There are ruins of a few temples in the complex. The main temple is majorly renovated except for its eka-mukhi shiva linga. There are a few statues kept inside the temple premises. However, these are ruined to a great extent. The temple is ascribed to the 11th-12th century CE.
1 Das, Pratap Kumar (2018). Purva-Madhyakaleen Surguja Anchal ki Murti Shilpakala: Ek Addhyayan (पूर्व-मध्यकाल सरगुजा अंचल की मूर्ति शिल्पकला: एक अध्ययन), Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur. pp. 64-65
Acknowledgement: Some of the photos above are in CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain from the collection released by the Tapesh Yadav Foundation for Indian Heritage.