File:01022 Vishnu Varaha temple, Bilhari Madhya Pradesh 070.jpg

English: The 11th-century Vishnu Varaha temple in Bilhari is from the Chedi dynasty era,

This temple has many layers of construction. The red sandstone mandapa pillars and sanctum's doorway artwork are original. The original sanctum was destroyed and replaced with a two-storey structure. The base of the reconstructed building has the original temple's square plan, on it stands an octagon, which then becomes a sixteen-sided structure topped by a fluted Islamic-style dome on the top. In modern era restoration and preservation efforts, the upper storey was boxed inside square walls and repainted over.

According to the locals, the sensitive nature of pre-18th century changes in the sanctum and the upper sections of the building are such that these sections are not open to public. Entry requires special permission from ASI Jabalpur.

Inside the open mandapa is a profusely carved and damaged Varaha, one of the avatars of Vishnu. The artwork on its body includes Dasavatara, Saptamatrikas, Rudras, Rishis, yogi, yoginis and others.

The mandapa leads to the original sanctum doorway, whose sculptures were very detailed and elegantly carved, but all of them have been beheaded or defaced. Nearby are some ruins of the lost temple. Other ruins have been moved to the museum at the Tapasi Matha site in Bilhari.