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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA At the end are given the date of the completion of the kāvya as also of the lake, viz., V.S. 1732, Māgha pūrṇimā, Thursday (20th January, 1676 A.D), the date of commencement, viz., V.S. 1718, Māgha vadi 7, Wednesday (1st January, 1662 A.D.), names of masons, etc., etc. Slab X ; Canto IX Invocation to Kṛishṇa, the uplifter of Mount Gōvardhana. In the year 1698, when Jagatsiṁha was reigning, Rājasiṁha, in his heir-apparency, at the age of twelve, went to the fort of Jaisalamēra for his marriage.[1] It was at that time that he conceived the idea of constructing a lake, finding the area covered by the following sixteen villages as fit for that purpose : Dhādhuṁdā, Sanavāḍa, Sivālī, Bhigāṁvadā, Mōrchanā, Pasōṁda, Khēḍī, Chhāparakhēḍikā, Tāsōla, Mēḍāvaraka, Bhāna, Luhānaka, Vāṁsōla, Guḍhalī, Kāṁkarōlī and Maṭhā. After wards when he had become king, in month of Mārgaśīrsha in the year 1718, he went to see the deity Rūpanārāyaṇa,[2] and on that occasion he re-inspected the land with a view to starting the construction of the lake. He consulted his priest in the matter and the letter assured that the scheme would mature if three pre-requisites are ensured, namely full faith, friendship with the lord of Dillī and abundant funds. And these there were. The work was thus taken in hand. The Rāṇēṁdra (Rājasiṁha) undertook to dam the Gōmatī[3] river between two big hills. A start was made on the auspicious day of Wednesday, the 7th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Māgha in the year 1718 (Wednesday, 1st January, 1662 A.D.) Sixty thousand workmen were employed for digging the earth in connection with the construction of the dam. The Mahārāṇā (Rājasiṁha) used to supervise the work himself, as befitted the great enterprise. He divided the work into various sections and entrusted them to different chiefs. Immense quantities of water had to be removed for laying goof foundations of the dam, and for that purpose different devices were employed. The water so removed was led to the neighbouring villages for the purpose of irrigation. That converted them into flourishing towns. In the year 1721, on the 13th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Vaiśākha, Monday (Monday, 17th April, 1665 A.D., Year being Śrāvaṇādi) the foundations of the dam were laid by Raṇachhōḍarāya, the eldest son of the priest Garībadāsa.
Slab XI ; Canto X Invocation to Hari, the Dvārakānātha ! Rājasiṁha built a palace on the mount Suvarṇaśaila[4] a veritable fortress. In the year 1726, on the 10th─the Paḍo daśamī day in the month of Mārgaśīrsha[5], the king observed the opening ceremony of the palace. In the year 1726, on the 2nd day of the dark half of the month of Kārttika, the king Rājasiṁha made the following two great gifts to Brāhmaṇas : (a) Mahābhūtaghaṭa,[6] composed of a hundred palas of gold, accompanied by five Kalpadrumas, each composed of a hundred palas of gold (or silver ?), (b) Hiraṇyāśvaratha[6], costing one thousand silver coins, i.e., rupees. The two gifts cost him altogether 11,670 rupees. In the year 1726, on the 13th day of the bright half of the month of Vaiśākha, the king fixed the auspicious day (muhūrta) for the inauguration of the dam at the town of Kāṁkarōlī. The lofty dam consisted of big stone slabs, cemented with lime. In the year 1726, in the months of Jyēstha and Āshāḍha, the water of the lake increased considerably on account of rain. The main ___________________________________________________ [1] Rājasiṁha married Kṛishṇakumārī, daughter of Rāval Manōhardās of Jaisalmer.
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