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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
On the 2nd day of the bright half of the month of Māgha in the year 1732, Rājasiṁha’s consort,
the Paramāra princess Rāmarasadē[1], performed, at the instance of her husband, the consecration ceremony of a step-well in the Dahabāri[2] Ghaṭṭa, which had cost 24,000 rupees.
Then, Rājasiṁha ordered three maṇḍapas to be constructed on the dam, one for performing
the inauguration ceremony of the lake, another for a hēma-tulā ceremony and the third for the
Hāṭakasaptasāgara[3] gift. A short description of each maṇḍapa with its particular construction is
given.
The muhūrta fixed for the inauguration ceremony was Saturday, the 10th─Pāṇḍu daśamī day[4]
of the month of Māgha, in the year 1732. Five days earlier, that is on the 5th day of the bright
half of Māgha, the king, in consultation with the priest, elected the ṛitvigs (priests) to perform
the rites in connection with the ceremony. Their total number was twenty six (two hōtṛis, two
jāpakas and two dvārapālas with reference to every one of the four Vēdas, these amounting to
twenty four, one Brāhman and an Achārya, the total thus being twenty six); following the Matsya
Purāṇa where the merit of such election is also given.
Slab XV ; Canto XIV
The chief queen, Sadākuṁvarī by name, daughter of the Paramāra Rāva Indrabhāna (of
Bijōliā), decided to perform a silver tulā ceremony, for which a maṇḍapa was quickly constructed
overnight and there the preliminary rites were observed as enjoyed by the śāstra. Garībadāsa,
the priest, and his son (Raṇachhōḍa), intended to perform gold and silver tulā ceremonies
(respectively), for which two maṇḍapas were erected and preliminary rites were observed there.
The mother of king Rāyasiṁha and wife of king Bhīma of Tōḍā, son of Rāṇā Amarasiṁha, also
expressed her desire to perform a silver tulā ceremony, for which also the Rāṇā’s men constructed
a maṇḍapa overnight, providing it with all accessories ; and preliminary rites were performed there.
There was Rāva Balū of the Chōhāna family of Vēdalāpura. His son was Rāmachandra, and
the latter’s second son was Kēsarīsiṁha who was made second Rāva of Salaṁvari (Salūmvar) by
Rāṇā Rājasiṁha. His brother Balaṁdisiṁha urged him to perform a silver tulā ceremony, saying,
‘ The king has made you Rāva, therefore, you should perform a tulā ceremony ’ Thereupon
Kēsarīsiṁa undertook to perform the ceremony. Therefore a maṇḍapa was erected quickly
and the preliminary rites were celebrated. The Bārhaṭa bard Kēsarīsiṁha also performed a
silver tulā near Khadiravāṭaka.
On the 7th day of the bright fortnight of Māgha, Rājasiṁha’s consort Jōdhapurī,[5] daughter of
Rāthōḍa Rūpasiṁha, at the instance of her husband consecrated a step-well at Rājanagara, which
cost 30,000 rupees.
On the 9th day (of the bright half of Māgha), the people were treated to the music of the royal
band and other festivities also took place. In the decorated main maṇḍapa came Rājasiṁha
accompanied by his priest, brothers, sons, grandsons and the princes who had been invited. There
he performed the purification ceremony and other preliminary rites. He worshipped Dharitrī
(the earth goddess), Gaṇēśa, Gōtradēvī, Gōvind, etc., and then gave seats to the elected priests
headed by Garībadāsa and honoured them, presenting them with rich dakshiṇā consisting of clothes,
jewels, etc.
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[1] She was the daughter of Pṛithvīsiṁha, granddaughter of Juharasiṁha and great-granddaughter of the
Paramāra Rāyasala of Ajmer.
[2] Dēvārī. The name of this well is given as ‘ Jaya ’ in the Trimukhī well inscription. See Ojha, History of
Rājputānā, pt. ii, p. 885, n. 10.
[3] Further details of the Saptasāgara gift are given below in Canto XVII. See also Hēmādri, op. cit.,
Dānakhaṇḍa, p. 337.
[4] See Text, Canto X, note on v. 4.
[5] If she is the daughter of Rūpasiṁha of Kishangarh, as she appears to be, her name was Chārumati.
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