Let’s start today from Narayan Singh Circle, one of the most famous places in Jaipur, ( there is also a road named “Thakur Narayan Singh ” which is located in Raja Park). So why was this name given to this place ?
Narayan Niwas Hotel is on Narayan Singh circle which used to be Narayan Niwas Haveli earlier. This circle became famous by the name of Narayan Niwas and this Narayan Niwas used to be the residence in the princely state Jaipur of the Thakurs of Kanota. It’s worth mentioning that almost all the princely states have residences in the national capital Delhi like Rajasthan House (GOR), Hyderabad House (GOI), Kota House, Bikaner House (RTDC), Dholpur House (UPSC).
All these houses were built by the kings of those states and when they used to come to the British Parliament for some work or they came to Delhi for any work, they used to stay in these houses. After independence, the kings voluntarily gave all these houses to the state and central government to operate and today governments are using them as their offices and rest houses for VIPs.
Similarly, there used to be a residence of the Jagirdars of Jagir that came under their ownership. Like this, Jaipur, which used to be a very important state, has 18 Jagir houses, some of the famous residences are Sikar Haveli (Sikar House), Chomu Haveli (Chomu House), Alsisar Haveli, Mandawa, Samode Haveli, Uniara Haveli, Naila Haveli (Naila House) and Narayan Niwas Haveli etc.
Have you noticed that all the Havelis are named after their places or estates but this Narayan Niwas is named after a person Thakur Narayan Singh Kanota. There must be some reason that a haveli is named after a person, in oral history the name of a dynasty or place is named after a person only when that person`s life has been illustrious.
There are hundreds of examples of this in front of us, so it would not be right to mention all of them.
Thakur Narayan Singh ji was born in Kanota estate in January 1851 and he was the Thakur of Kanota estate and chief of police of Jaipur state from 1908 to 1924. Jaipur has seen two kings when Thakur Narayan was the chief; those were Mirza Raja Sawai Madho Singh 2nd and Mirza Raja Sawai Man Singh.
He had a very close friendship with Raja Madho Singh ji and both of them managed the administration of the state very well.
Security of Jaipur was a very important task and Narayan Singh was a very efficient guard. His fear was so much that dacoits and thieves did not even come close to the capital. He was aware of every nook and cranny of the city and also used to go with Khawas Ji to help him in collecting revenue many times.
Archive 1: 17 September 1914; it is said that once Narayan Singh ji went to Amer to observe the guards on his tower and from there he saw someone coming out after taking bath in Shivkunda pool. He got suspicious that who is this person that is coming out from there at such a late hour and he also has a horse. Since dacoits did not wander around the state, he had a strategic advantage and directly caught hold of that person’s neck and asked who are you?
That person was also very tall and bored like him but he directly surrendered and said, Annadaata, let me go, I know who you are, who else can grab my neck except you.
Archive 2: On 22nd December 1914, Narayan Singh and madho singh went out to hunt in Aaudi after dinner. They got very late while returning from there and were looted by dacoits on the way. When they returned to the palace, the Maharaja said, “You screwed Narayan Singh today, how do you do your work? If I became a victim of robbery in my own state then what will happen to our people?
Then Narayan Singh said to Maharaj, your life was more important at that time, you should take rest, I’ll come in the morning.
In the morning, he was in Sarvatobhadra with the looted goods and some other things. The Maharaja asked, “What is this Narayan?” He said who can go to your empire by ducking me? I completely solved that problem once and for all.
When the British police were searching for Chandrashekhar Azad, he was hiding in Jaipur for some time, and during that time he used to visit Narayan Singh`s mansion quite frequently from June 1928 to July 1929 but by that time Narayan Singh had died in 1924.
At present, many such written incidents, descriptions of his daily routine and appointments are there in Rajpatra Narayan Niwas library and Kanota Thikana Library. Today the garden left by him at that time where the RBI office is located is now called Kanota Bagh.
Today this Narayan Niwas and castle Kanota are being managed by the Kanota Hotel Group and belong to his family. Maan Singh Kanota, who will become the Thakur (formally), he is also emerging as a good polo player (+2 handicap).
Jaipur is a city settled in nine squares. One square among nine became important because the king placed the Ganesha, scholars of Jaipur, the teachers, subject experts, astrologers, ritualists, philosophers and Pundarik Ji here. There is a Ganesh temple on the mountain to the north of this square established by Sawai Jai Singh with the establishment of Jaipur. The Guru of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, Shri Ratnakar Pundrik Ji had a heartfelt wish that Maharaj should perform the Ashwamedh Yagna, the process which he had started, due to his death in 1977, it could not complete during Pundrik Ji’s lifetime. Ganesh Ji was placed at the top of the mountain by the tantric methods when Shri Ratnakar Pundarik performing Ashwamedha Yagna at the foothill of this mountain. It was called Bramhapuri due to it being a city of scholars completely like Kailash. Brahmapurimeans the place where those who know Brahma reside. Similarly, there is Brahmapuri in many big cities of Rajputana.
Ghar Ganesh
When Maharaj Jai Singh built Bramhapuri, first of all, his Guru Shri Ratnakar Ji Pundarik settled here. When Sawai Ishwari Singh had completed the Ashwamedh Yagya after Raja Sawai Jai Singh, then scholars called from the country and abroad were given settlement and livelihood here. At that time, about 4500 square yards one raw bigha land was provided to all for use and living. All the main scholars of Jaipur city used to live here. Out of which prominent scholars of early times were Shri Ratnakar Pundarik Ji and Shri Jagannath Samrat Ji. Ratnakar Ji Pundarik was a Maharashtrian scholar Brahmin who was a master in Mantra and Tantra.
Pundarik’s Haveli
Ratnakar Pundarik
Similarly another Maharashtrian Brahmin, Shri Samrat Jagannath Ji was also among the first inhabitants of Bramhapuri. He was a great man of Mantra and a unique scholar of astronomy. During the time of Maharaj Jai Singh, he had created the texts of geometry. He was also a great scholar of the Arabic language according to history, he translated those texts into Arabic and some texts from Arabic as well. He also wrote a famous book named ‘Siddhanta Kaustubh-Samratsiddhanta’. In Jaipur’s state astronomical observatory ‘Jantar-Mantar’, the ‘Samrat Yantra’ has been invented by him, which even today tells the local time calculation very accurately. He also wrote the book ‘Siddhant Samrat’ which describes the astronomical instruments, design and construction, and observations. It also describes the use of these observations in correcting the parameters and preparing the calendar. This book also mentions how Jai Singh who previously used astronomical instruments made of metal (such as the Astrolab), later switched to larger external observatories built of stone instead of brick to reduce wear and tear and the effects of climate (such as the Jantar Mantar), as they were more accurate. He wrote a book named ‘Yantra Prakar’ which describes the astronomical instruments, measurements, calculations etc. in more detail and describes the observations made by them. There was also a security gate of the city near the haveli of Samrat Ji, which is known by all today as Samrat Gate.
Afternoon Scale
Scale with Sunlight
Scale for Hour & Minute
Samrat Yantra
According to historians, he also provided evidence for the measurements of trigonometry given by Bhaskara II was essentially geometric interestingly it involved an analytical process in terms of trigonometric and algebraic steps. The city of Jaipur has a unique tradition on the day of Rakhi the first Rakhi was tied to the king by saints, mahants and religious gurus the Samrat Jagannath was the one who started this tradition. Details of this are in the records of the City Palace, on the Shravani Purnima of 1881, Mahants and Gurus tied Rakhi to Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II with Vedic chants. Vaidyanath, a descendant of the Samrat, tied the first rakhi. Later Govind Dhar, the descendant of Ratnakar Paundrik, Narayan Guru, Gangeshwar Bhatt, Umanath Ojha tied the rakhi.
Maharaja Jai Singh invited such extraordinary personalities to Jaipur and first settled them in Bramhapuri and many private Siddha scholars were also given land here with respect. The description of Brahmapuri and all these are in the epic ‘Ishwar-Vilas’ written by poet Kalanidhi Shri Krishnabhattji in the court of Shri Sawai Ishwari Singh, son of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh.
Ishwar Villas/Jaipur Villas
Two Akhadas are also famous in this place of the city, Bada Akhara and Chhota Akhara. The name Akhada suggests that in the Akharas wrestlers would have practised exercise and wrestling in front of their God, but the Rangasthals were called Akhadas in the local language. Rangasthal means the place where dance, music, singing, acting and other arts are practised. The venues here were socially indecent without any hesitation, in which there was a lot of use of satire. Musical performances have been performed here on Holi, in which there are many songs of romanticism, satire and bravery touching obscenity. Until recently, these acts, which used to be obscene, called ‘tamasha’ in Jaipur, used to be only for men adult women used to see and hear them from a specific place on the screen. This Tamasha performed by circulating around the same place, it is not performed by roaming around in the locality as other Holi plays. This particular style of drama is known as Jaipur’s Tamasha is world-famous today.
Bada Akhada
Chota Akhada
The title of the Holi Tamasha is ‘Heer-Ranjha‘. In which with playing traditional songs, sarcasm and satire are also made on contemporary politics and problems. The main reason for calling them a Tamasha is that it has been taking deep sarcasm on contemporary problems, superstitions and evils. The work of public awareness was made by making a spectacle of all the problems, superstitions and evils. This tamasha is performed by the Tailang Bhatt family in which the main role plays Dilip Bhatt and Tapan Bhatt.
Tamasha (Heer-Ranjha)
Tamasha (Heer-Ranjha)
Of all these invited scholars, the Dravidian scholars invited from the south were the most, they are known by the surnames Dravida, Kathabhatta or Tailang Bhatt. All these were scholars who believed in the Vedas and performed Agnihotra daily.
Vedic, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta and Smarta scholars lived in Brahmapuri with wealth and prosperity. That is why the temples of all these meet at a short distance here. In its northwest direction was the abode of Vaishnava Brahmins and Goswamis.
Shri Gokulnath Ji was a Vaishnava scholar of the revered Shuddhvaita Sampradaya (South). Gokuldwara and Gokulnath Ji’s stepwell are still today on his name.
Gokulnath ki Bawadi/Pond
To the northeast, Smarta Gujarati Prashnavar Brahmins were given Kothis (chambers) who were great scholars of astrology, tantra and rituals. Among these Prasyanvar Brahmins, there was a Kanhaiyalal Prasyanvar, whose ancestors were responsible for worshipping the famous Jageshwar Mahadev after getting the new form of Shiva in the dream of Pundarik and building a temple on that Shivling. Because of the beautiful handwriting of Shri Kanhaiyalal Ji, he was appointed by Maharaja Madho Singh as the scribe of handwritten texts in Pothikhana.
Jageshwar Temple
Among these Prashnora scholars, at the time of Sawai Ram Singh Ji, Shri Krishnalal Shastri Prashnwar ‘Kanhaji’ was a great scholar of Sanskrit language and philosophy. It is famous about him that he had a debate with Dayanand Saraswati who was the founder of Arya Samaj and used to say that except the Vedas, no other text is philosophically authentic, he also strongly opposed idol worship. When he had been victorious in all states and in all religions with his knowledge of scriptures, Kanhaji stopped his victory. Shri Dayanand asked him that ‘Kasvatvam’, he replied ‘Krishno (a)ham’. Thereafter Saraswati said in sarcasm, ‘Krishnatvam tu na kutopidrishte’. At the same time, he replied, “Na Dayasti Na Chanando Na Cha Tvayi Saraswati. Bhuyopi vad kasmatvam ‘dayanandsaraswati’.” To understand this a little background is needed When Dayanand came to the Jaipur royal court, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh Ji of Jaipur was a great Shaivite devotee and since the establishment of Arya Samaj, Dayanand had been debating in all the big cities and defeating everyone in it and his coming to Jaipur was inevitable because at that time Jaipur was a famous name in the whole country. When he came to the Jaipur royal court and challenged the debate, then Kanhji was called and on his arrival, when Dayanand asked him that Ksvatvam (who are you) then he introduced himself that Krishno Aham (I am Krishna) then Dayanand ridiculed his skin being fair and named Krishna and said in a sarcastic form that Krishnatvam tu na kutopidrishte (Krishna, you do not seem in any way) then he replied that na dayasti nor chanando na cha tvayi Saraswati bhuyopi vad Kasmatvam DayanandSaraswati (You have no mercy because you have been denying people’s beliefs and traditions everywhere, that’s why no one enjoys your presence and you have commented on my colour while not looking at my knowledge that’s why You do not even seem to have Saraswati in you, then how did you become Dayanand Saraswati) hearing this, Dayanand became unresponsive and ended his debate. After this Dayanand went to Ajmer and there he spent the last moments of his life because he died there due to a conspiracy. Kanhji was also very fond of the Tamashas of Jaipur, many songs composed by him are still known in the Tamashas. He used to compose songs in Dhundadi (local language)as well as in Punjabi. He especially used to write stanzas.
A Beautiful Haveli with Murals
The list of Prashnvar scholars and their contribution to the history of Jaipur is incomparable, even today they are in charge of Jaipur’s administration, music, literature and grammar of Sanskrit and Hindi language, Mrs Dr Chetna Pathak, granddaughter of Shri Kanhaiyalal Prashnwar, Sanskrit of Jaipur today. Professor in the college.
In the lineage of Krishnalal Shastri Prashnwar, Sanskrit scholars have been predominant. His descendant Mr Girraj Prasad Sharma had been a teacher of Sanskrit and grammar in the schools of Jaipur. Despite being visually impaired he has memorized many Sanskrit texts and the Shrimad Bhagwat Gita because of his interest in language and literature and keeps on reciting it daily.
In administration, Late Shri Narsingh Prasad Bhatt had been an officer of the Indian Administrative Service in independent India.
In these, Shri Vinod Pandya, grandson of Vyakaranacharya Shri Madanlal Prashnwar, had been an officer of the Indian Administrative Service in independent India.
In these, Shri Sumant Pandya, the grandson of Vyakranacharya Shri Madanlal Prashnwar, has been a professor of Hindi in the oldest and only women’s university of Rajasthan.
Late Shri Vishnu Chandra Pathak became very famous among scholars of the Hindi language. He was also a professor of Hindi language in colleges and universities of Jaipur and he was also made the President of Brijbhasha Academy.
In music, Mrs Anusuya Pathak had been a professor and HOD of the Department of Music in Rajasthan University her daughter Mrs Aishwarya Bhatt is today a professor in the Department of Music at the oldest and only women’s university in Rajasthan.
Since Gujarati scholars have been very knowledgeable smarta ritualists most of the temples of Brahmapuri are worshipped and maintained by their descendants. Prominent temples whose worshipers are Prashnavars Jageshwar Mahadev, Veer Hanuman, Hanuman of the big akhada and small akhada, Prasyanvars. Hatkeshwar Mahadev of Ki Baori.
Jageshwar
Hanuman Ji (Bada Akhada)
Hatkeshwar Mahadev
Veer Hanuman
Goswamis are the main worshiper of the world-famous Vaishnava temple of Jaipur, Govind Dev Ji. This Govind Dev temple is in Jai Niwas Garden and today due to the expansion of the area, it is also believed to be in Brahmapuri to some extent. Similarly, Tal Katora and Chaugaan have also been considered in Brahmapuri itself. The temples of Shaktas is Mangala Mata Temple.
Mangala Mata Temple
Once outside the temple of Govind Dev, near the City Palace, the place where farmers from the princely state of Jaipur used to sell grains, vegetables and fruits and flowers to the court, that place used to be the oldest market of Jaipur and keeping the legacy even today. Even today there is a market for vegetables, fruits and flowers at the same place. This is the only wholesale market for flowers in the city. This place is between the pond (which was called Rajmal ka Talab) and the palace near the residence of Rajmal, the courtier of Jai Singh. After the drying of Rajmal’s pond, it has been dumped and made Kanwar Nagar and Sindhi Colony there.
Vegetable Market
Flower Mandi
Flower Market with Tourist
Brahmapuri has been the abode of scholars and Brahmins. It has always had temples in everyone’s homes among them the names of the most ancient and awakened temples are the names of the places and markets there such as Jageshwar Mahadev Bus Stand also known as Bramhapuri Bus. Sitaram Bazaar, Veer Hanuman Chowk or Revati Chowk, Chhota Akhara, Bada Akhara, Shankar Nagar. All these scholars used to go to the temple every morning, first, they used to take bath in the stepwell or kund of that temple, so there used to be a kund with every temple in the Brahmapuri. One of them is Kadamba Kund, built in the hollow of Garh Ganesh and Nahargarh is recognized by the Kadamba trees growing on its banks. At the foothills of Nahargarh in the northwest bank of Bramhapuri is the place of the funeral of the royal family, which is called in the local language the Gayo ki Thor (place of the deads) or Gaitor. Here Mahadev resides in the name of Gaiteswar and a program on the night of Shivratri of playing hymns, Dhruvapad and Bhajans organize by Tailang Bhattas.
Gaiteshwar
Gaiteshwar Sansthan
Gaiteshwar Mahadev
Today, most of these old Havelis, which earlier used to shower splendour and beauty, are lying in dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance many of them have now ended and colonies have been formed in the area of the haveli. Due to the paucity of space, most of the ponds have been filled with soil. There is only Kadamba Kund with Kadamba tree, for which cleaning campaigns are carried out every year, but every year it gets filled with dirt again and in the evening, the gathering of anti-social elements is also increasing with time. The pool of Gokulnath is full of mud and moss, the pools of the temples are exhausted, only the wells are left.
Kadamb Kund/Pond
Bramhapuri, which was earlier built on a small square, has today its boundary from the end of Gangauri Bazaar (where there used to be small and big ponds, these ponds have been filled with soil and colonies have been made on these too) till Ramgarh Mod. Kanwar Nagar, Shankar Nagar, Kagdiwada, Mohan Nagar and many more new colonies have been formed. The canal at the foothills of the Garh Ganesh is destroyed, now the rainwater flows on the road and enters the houses. The importance of the canal can be understood from this that for those who could not go to Garh Ganesh, a temple named Nahar’s Ganesha (Ganesha belongs to Canal) was built by the canal, which has been given the name of the canal itself.
Ganesha belong to Canal
Samrat Ji’s haveli is no longer left, in few remains of it, a Sanskrit college was made in 1967. Now Sanskrit is taught in the remnants of the Samrat Haveli.
Sanskrit College
Today the descendants of Samrat Ji had left the main mansion and living in one of the 12 Kothis and the condition is not very good and doesn’t even have a title.
Mansion where family of Jagnnath Samrat is living now
Bramhapuri has always been a colony of scholars, experts of every field used to live here and still is, whenever you come to Jaipur, a roundabout of Bramhapuri is expected to see how the oldest area of Jaipur looks like today and to pass the time, meet the people here and listen to the amusing stories of witches, ghosts, tantriks and miracles. There is not much space left to visit here, yet you will not be able to complete it even in three days by listening to all the parts and its stories. There is not a single place in the Bamhapuri that does not have any legacy, come someday and sit at any one of these old places in the evening and think how Bramhapuri has seen the passage of time and even today somewhere it’s own. existence is preserved.
Note: Do not take the narrow meaning of the word Brahmin here, here this word is not indicative of any particular caste, but it represents everyone who knows Brahm, knows or wants to know the meaning of life.
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When you go towards Bramhapuri from Choti Chopad or return to Choti Chopad from Bramhapuri/Gaitore then on the right and left side respectively an old heritage haveli comes in the way. The Haveli, which looks very simple from the outside, was once the residence of the most prominent man from the city. The spread of this Haveli was in a whole quartet and if such an important person used to live in this Haveli built in a little less area than Chandramahal in the north of the Palace, then, why it shouldn’t be immense. There were gardens, temples, big squares, big kitchens, courts, everything in this Haveli were very royal and lavish.
This important person was The Ratnakar Pondrik. The Ratnakar Pundarik was a literary scholar, philosopher, mystic, multi-linguist, theologian and expert of other Vedic Yagna and Guru of Maharaj Sawai Jai Singh.
Shree Ratnakar Pundarik
Ratnakar Pundarik was said to be from Bengal others believe that he was Maharashtrian. His real name was Ratnakar Bhatt. He had come to Banaras for his mastery and advance studies in Astrology, Tantra and Philosophy. Where he met Jai Singh, he was very impressed with his absolute knowledge in Astrology, Scriptures, Tantra and brought him to Amer/Amber. Then he made him Rajpurohit and his Guru. The Jai Singh had bestowed him with the title of Pundarik. The word Pundarika means one who is white. In the Sankhya Philosophy, the ‘Sat’ form of nature is white, so Pundarika means one who is a complete ‘Sat’, purest in the pure, white like the white lotus flower and is equally bright.
Maharaja Jai Singh had done the ritual of Vajpeya Yagya under the guidance of the Ratnakar Pundarik that Yagna held in Amer in the Samvat-1765 the year was 1708. Shri Ratnakar conducted the famous Pundarika Yagna. Although Shri Ratnakar performed many yagna from time to time which he has mentioned in his book, his ambitious plan was that Maharaj Sawai Jai Singh must perform Ashwamedh Yagna before that Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh died in 1743. He then planned this yagna with the son Sawai Ishwari Singh, then Ratnakar Pundarik died in Samvat-1777, this yagna could not be completed in his presence. Later on, the Sawai Ishwari Singh had to invite many other scholars to wish for the completion of the Ashwamedha Yagya, scholars again performed Agnihotra that is how yagna was completed, among these invited scholars there were Gujarati Prashanvar and Audichya Panchadravid Brahmins (our ancestors) too. The details of Sarvamedha, Purushamedha, Somayoga and Rajasuya Yagna were found during their time.
Jaisingh-Kalpadrum
According to the limited data available about Ratnakar, he composed a Sanskrit Kavya named Jai Singh Kalpadrum describes the lineage of Sawai Jai Singh with the description of Suryavansh. It also includes astrology, astronomy, astrological and astronomical calculations with the movement of planets, determination of the Tithis (Dates), Vaars (Days), Nakshatras (Constellations) and formation of Rashi (Zodiacs). It also includes determination of the timings of all the Hindu Festivals, their Tithi and Vaar, the Adhik Mass (Concept of Hindu Calander), decrement and increment in Hindu Tithis, the movements of the Sun and the Moon and the many other Siddhis and Worship of the Goddess. That is a hand-written scripture and many of such preserved by me in the form of manuscripts. To check the original manuscript permission has to be taken from the Pothikhana or the Directorate of the State Library.
It is said about the routine of the Pundarik that when he lived in Amber, he used to visit God of Amber/Ambika Van, Ambikeshwar, after bathing. This routine followed even when he was in the newly settled city of Jaipur; living in his new Haveli, he did not even take food without worshipping Ambikeshwar daily.
Shree Ambikeshwar Mahadev Temple
A legend also says that in old age when it became not possible for him to visit the Ambikeshwar, then he had given up the food. In this condition of the devotee, The Mahadeva appeared to him in a dream, told him about a place where they were grounded near his Haveli. The next morning, when the place identified has excavated, and awakened Swayam-Bhu Shivling was present there. The temple was built there and from that moment he started taking food after worshipping that awakened Swayam-Bhu Jageshwar Mahadev. From the time of construction of the temple, the scholar Gujarati Praswanavar Brahmin family was entrusted with the task of maintaining and worshipping that temple and they are doing the same work even today. Both Jageshwar and Ambikeshwar Shivling are Swayam-Bhu by visiting these temples, one can see the marks of injury caused by excavation on Shivlings and remnants of mountains.
Shree Jageshwar Mahadev Temple
Sawai Jai Singh had decorated the Paundrik’s Haveli according to his Chandra mahal. As the 18th century’s Jaipur style frescoes, metal-painting work can be seen in Chandramahal, similarly can be seen in the Pondrik’s Haveli. The entire Haveli of the Pondrik drawn with murals with many natural and human scenes. These scenes include the Royal Court, Gangaur-Teej fairs, pictures of Court Activities, Holi-Deepawali Celebrations, Army Movements and Battle Scenes, scenes from various parts of the Palace, Musicians, Court Concerts, Maharajas with his Queens sitting on the Throne, pictures of Vrindavan, Raas Leela, pictures of Maharaja Jagat Singh with Ras Kapoor, some Intimate Scenes. It also has Mango, Neem, Ber, Khejri, Peepal, Banyan Trees, Flowers and Fruit trees, plants and vines. The garden of the Haveli was elegant and artistic, in which frescos were in many Chhatris. This park was only a fence away from the Taal Katora. Pundarik had a pretty good and pleasant residence, after him, his sons and grandsons have experienced that happiness a lot.
Celebration of a Festival
Maharaja Jagat Singh – Raskapoor
Music Program in Private Court
The present remains of this Haveli now declared as a National Protected Monument. They are only the southwest part of a much larger residential complex. It is a double-storeyed building with small rooms inside. The building is famous for the frescoes on the upper storey, which depict the musical gatherings of the royal court, the festivals and fairs of Gangaur-Holi, Army Exodus and Royal Processions.
Raasleela and Movement of Army
Wall of Events
Corridor
Celebration
Today the southwest part of this Haveli has been preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India. The remaining has become a colony but still, Pondrick Park is somehow alive. Which has become a public park, the frescos of its cenotaphs are finished today. Now the situation is that the Municipal Corporation Jaipur Heritage is now going to make it underground parking, against which petitions are being filed in the High Court and it is being completely opposed.
The Remnants of Paundrik Haveli
To visit Paundrik Haveli one has to take permission form the Directorate of Archeological Survey of India, Jaipur Circle.
If you want to know more or want me to elaborate more about the Jaipur School of Frescos and Mural, please let me know!
There are many languages in the world like Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Bangla, Gujarati, Urdu, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Oriya, German, French, Italian, Chinese. One of the important factors for India becoming ‘The India’ is the combination of many dialects and languages. It believed that Sanskrit is the formula language of all our Indian languages.
There are two ways to express a language, oral and written; Oral through interaction in the form of speeches and prompting, and writing through the script. However, language evolved for expressing the objects of material life, human behaviour and thoughts. It does not always remain the same, other dialects from contact languages come into the main languages. The affectionate relation of people towards life is because of the language. The basis of any civilized society is its developed language.
Hindi Khari Boli (Common Dialect of Hindi) has developed its vocabulary by mixing other sub-languages, Sanskrit and other contemporary foreign languages but the various forms of the grammar of Hindi have remained their own. In Hindi, words from foreign languages like Arabic, Persian, English have also been incorporated based on usage and based on practice. Language is not permanent, it keeps on changing while in contact with people of other languages.
The local form of a language spoken in a limited area is called a dialect, also known as a sublanguage. It has been said for India that water changes on every Kos and the dialect on five Kos. There are a change of dialect every five to seven miles. The limited, undeveloped and common colloquial form of language is dialect. Dialects are area-specific, don’t have literature, no grammar and no dictionary, whereas language is spoken in a wider area, it has grammar, dictionary and literature written in it. If the area of a dialect starts expanding due to conservation and other reasons, then literature starts being written, the language begins to form, its rule of grammar begins to be determined.
Rajasthani language is also known as a dialect in India. Indian languages are in Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution. Rajasthani is not a language in Schedule 8, when it was discussed in the Parliament while making the constitution, due to the negligence and absence of the leaders of Rajasthan, the Rajasthani dialect could not be discussed and accepted. It has been left from being included in the schedule initially and even after that due to the lack of perseverance of the leaders; they have not been able to get it to attest in Schedule 8 till today. Even if some debate arises, due to lack of support, the matter has not been solved to date.
While roaming in Rajasthan, you will read some words repeatedly suffixed with the names of villages and cities in Rajasthan. You will wonder these words are coming again and again and are unique. These words are from the Rajasthani language but are not popular now, once were much in vogue throughout Rajputana. That is why some special words are associated with the names of these places. Those words are Khurd, Kalan, Bas, Garh, Pura, Dera, Thikana, Sar, Ner, Gudha, Dwara. All these words have some meaning to be there but hardly people are aware of their meaning, so it is important to know about them,
Rajasthan consists of the Aravalli ranges from South West to North East. These ranges extend from Mount Abu to Delhi, which is highest in Mount Abu and becoming smaller at regular distance ends between Alwar and Delhi. It extends in half of the state, that, it divided Rajasthan into two parts, East Rajasthan, East of Aravalli and Western Rajasthan West of Aravalli. It also has a wonderful contribution to stopping the spread of the Thar desert. A mountain range formed by joining many mountain ranges. Rajasthani calls Dungar or Dungra to small mountains. Mountain ranges plains in foothills and many upper-level plains. There is a desert in the west and fertile land in the east of Rajasthan.
Khurd These are mainly areas that are in one’s foothills. It can be in the foothills of the mountains can be outside a palace or fort but adjacent to them. These are small villages or towns which doesn’t have administration bigger than the gram panchayat. Most of the Khurd named areas or Khurd suffix villages are in the foothills of the mountains. All these villages have a natural bottom lake or pond used there for irrigation. These areas can never be big, enough inflow of rainwater from the mountains makes them more fertile, the waterlogging prevents the settlement of more population. Most of such names are in the Leeward region of the mountains. Some examples of Khurds are Bagru Khurd, Singoda Khurd, Ramjipura Khurd, Sadwa Khurd.
Kalan Kalan and Khurd have the relationship of twins. Kalan is a large area or big town whose administrative size can be up to Tehsil. Kalan is the area outside the city but in the same district or manor. These are self-dependent in most of the cases, the city is so far away from them that it is not possible to visit for daily and monthly need, so here all those things are found in small proportion. Which caters to almost all our requirements many Kalan also has vehicle showrooms. There are always Khurds around Kalan. Kalan’s boundary touching the city so far is not possible till now some Kalan can bordering with Jaipur City soon. The mountain Kalans are the areas settled at enough height that there wouldn’t be any waterlogging occur and ease of light and roads. Kalan’s are the trade centres in those areas and there is good connectivity from here to all the places. Beyond the jurisdiction of the Gram Panchayat, the Khurds depend on them. Wherever there is Kalan, there will be Khurd. Both of them may have the same name by applying Khurd or Kalan in the name or suffix. Some examples are Bagru Khurd-Bagru Kalan, Manota Khurd-Manota Kalan. , Bhainswata Khurd-Bhainswata Kalan, Dhadhot Kalan-Dhadhot Khurd, Dumoli Khurd-Dumoli Kalan, Ghardana Khurd-Ghardana Kalan, Pacheri Khurd-Pacheri Kalan, Bhanpur Kalan, Bhavgarh Khurd-Bhavgarh Kalan.
Khurd and Kalan are mainly Persian language words whose meaning used to be small and big, gradually to linguistic change. These have become indigenous words keeping original meaning is the same while the usage has become slightly different.
Baas/Vaas Rajputana or Rajasthan maintains a large area within, because of the limited cultivation of food and water, the settlements used to be very far, when people used to go from one place to another by their means, at that time the journey took many days. Therefore they used to stop for the night at many places along the roads, resting places used to have small settlements surrounding the cities from all sides as the travellers could take any route from any direction. These settlements used to be so small that they could not even be called a Dhani. These settlements had buildings for night stay and maintained by a family, mainly the cowherds or shepherds as they could provide food for the travellers with their cattle products. Rajasthan mostly has Jats and Gujjars as the cowherds and shepherds, so only Jat and Gurjar communities reside in all Bass. There are also palaces and jagir of Jaipur around these residences. Baas was also important for security and there used to be outposts of the raj or jagir; or it would be more appropriate to say that the passengers used to rest for the night near the security checkpoints and some people used to live there for the care and food of those passengers, due to which those places were called Bass. The word Basti abbreviated the name, Baas. This bass or habitat was for ordinary travellers. The royal riders used to stay in their jagirs because of the speed otherwise they used to take their camps with them tied up somewhere near the habitat. Some examples of bass/bass are Golya ka bass, Kapadiabas, Mehndi ka bass, Rajawas, Durjaraniyawas, Jatan ka bass.
Gadh These are the places surrounded by the walled area or whose settlement has been in fortification, jagirdars and kings built and settled them. The summer and winter residence of the Maharajas used to be different in manors and princely states. There used to be many palaces of the Maharajas. The palaces outside the city were called Garh in which goddesses compulsorily resided. Many holy and famous places of Goddess are near all the fortifications. Some examples of the famous fortifications are
Mehrangarh of Jodhpur – Chamunda Devi
Madhavgarh of Jaipur – Ashawari Devi and Nai Ke Nath, Ramgarh – Jamuvay Mata, Achrol Garh – Kalka Mata, Jaigarh – Shila Devi
Bhangarh – Narayani Mata of Alwar, Ajabgarh – Mansa Mata
Kumbhalgarh of Chittor – Kheda Devi
Ranthambore – Chauth Mata and Lohgarh of Bharatpur – Chavad Devi There are more numerous examples of these.
All these bastions have been the headquarters of the army and have their importance even today.
Pura Puras have been the main cities because of their vastness and necessity have been called Pura or Pura. They settled by some Maharaja or Jagirdar administrative jurisdiction extends to Municipality, Municipal Corporation and Metropolitan Corporation. All these are the villages or towns of the main jagirdars or servitors of the city. They have the markets, many temples, army headquarters, many resources, everything. Examples of pura are Jaipur – founded by Jai Singh, Jodhpur – by Rao Jodha, Udaipur – founded by Maharana Udai Singh. Jaipur itself has many Pura settled by the Jagirdars. Harnathpura, Jaisinghpura, Lalpura, Jagatpura, Kanakpura are all the villages inhabited by the generals of Jaipur.
Dera Those areas or villages around the city where the king used to go for hunting, play or excursion and put his tents. It has the name of the same Dera today is known as Dera Gaon. These are all small villages or dhanis. Now, there are some majestic Havelis in Dhani at the hunting places. Some examples of deras are Dera Viratnagar, Dera Kumbhalgarh, Dera Amer, Dera Alwar, Dera Baghdad, Dera Sarna Dungar, Dera Nangla.
Thikana A state is a defined area that is the jurisdiction of that state where the rules and laws of that state apply. To help the king in the administration of these princely state there were many jagirdar, whose jurisdiction was their jagirs. They are called the Thikana of those jagirdars. This practice is in the entire Rajputana or Rajasthan Jagirdars consider it an honour to add the name of their abode at the end of their name. There is a rule, that the one on the throne deserves to suffix Thikana in their name. If the eldest of the three brothers would sit on the throne, then only his lineage can suffix Thikana with name. With the crowing of the eldest brother, the rights of the families of the younger brothers go away, but being a paternal society, the younger brothers can suffix Thikana because of their father. All jagirs are Thikana examples, Thi. Kanota, Thi. Samod, Thi. Alsisar, Thi. Mundota, Thi. Rawatsar, Thi. Chaksu.
Sar This suffix is prevalent mainly in Shekhawati and Marwari region. This area is reaching the municipality administration and is continuously growing. Sar comes at the end of the names of the main villages and towns in Shekhawati and Marwar. Sar can be as big as Khurd, Kalan and Garh. All sars have a speciality that these have been the birthplaces of the generals or the main fighters of the princely states. All of them have a specially favoured god or a local deity whose glory will be very famous in that area because they have protected that area in some or other way. For example, Salasar – Salasar Balaji, Jasrasar – Jasrai ji, Kanasar – Kanasar Mai, Lunasar – Jambhoji (local god), Raisar – Raiji Bhomia, Jagannathsar – Sangia Mata.
Gudha There are many Gudhas in Rajasthan that can be a suffix and also the name. Almost all the districts have one Gudha. Gudhas are said to be hiding places for thieves, dacoits, robbers and crooks who lived in the outskirts of the princely states of Rajasthan; but it has to be accepted that there used to be honesty in dacoity and these dacoits used to rob only wealthy people. They’re also used to be a frontier of dacoits, by a rule and by law, which they did not cross if any Brahmin, poor Vaishya or Kshatriya came in front, dacoits used to help them and not rob them too. From time to time, they used to face the army of the Jagir or the princely state. Therefore, they choose places where it was naturally easy for them to hide like forests, hilly areas, dungars, wet areas. If their whereabouts discovered, they would go on guerrilla warfare if they can fight and in defeat can run away easily. Today, there is no robber anywhere, but the hiding place of famous bandits is still famous as Gudha. In all the districts of Rajasthan, these hiding places are Gudha village or Gudha tehsil and the nature of the people there is something similar even today.
In a well-planned city, the playground is a must. The city did not only have places for people to do business and display their art, read, write, and organise various events but there are many institutions and gardens for playing and doing physical exercise, in which the biggest stadium for the boys of Jaipur used to be Chaugan, which was also a district stadium. The word ‘Chaugan’ means ‘an open ground for playing’ in the Jaipuri language. If seen from literary analysis, the Persian meaning of Chaugan is a wooden stick bent at one end, something like hockey used to be today. The game played by hitting the ball with this wood was called Chaugan. During the time of Akbar and other Mughal emperors, Begam’s used to play Chaugan on horses. The Polo through which Maharaja Man Singh made Jaipur recognised at the international levels is a modern and improved version.
Ladies of Royal Court playing Chaugan (A Miniature Painting Art)
Chaugan is situated in the west of the palace and surrounded by the city. There is a massive ground enclosed by ramparts, in which there is an open ground and many small open and closed enclosures. Because it was the largest ground in the city, the Teej and Gangaur fairs gathered here the most. To the south of the Chaugan are three octagonal bastions with eight-cornered pavilions where the king and other dignitaries loved to sit at the time of fairs and festivals. In the front, down in the ground used to happen feats of Cavalier, Naga Paltan, agile riders and soldiers. These three bastions are Cheeni Ki Burj (bastion decorated with Chinese Materials), Moti Burj and Shyam Burj.
Ladies of Royal Court are playing Chaugan (A Miniature Painting Art)
Since Chaugan was a public place, information about its daily activities is not available, but complete details of each fair or festival are available. Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur, was very fond of playing Chaugan, there are many pictures about it, but there is no specific written document about it. One line is that Jai Singh participated in the Chaugan game at his in-laws’ house in Udaipur. In many pictures and documents, the kings Sawai Ishwari Singh and Sawai Madho Singh-I have shown playing and enjoying Chaugan.
Ishwari Singh used to enjoy animal fights. In the chhatris of the Gaitore, on the walls of the Sukh Niwas, in the paintings of the museums, Ishwari Singh is shown everywhere doing Satemari and watching the animals fight. In a picture made by an artist named Jagroop, Ishwari Singh is sitting on the Moti Burj, in which elephants are fighting with each other with their riders coming from both sides of the Chatar ki Aad (Chatar an Obstacle) in front of him. Another picture drawn by Uda depicts two horses fighting in the same way, where some Christian priests are also in the crowd of spectators. In a painting made by the most experienced Chitere Sahabram, the lion and elephant battling in Chaugan and different kites are in the sky. The arrival of Europeans traced back to the city was built what could be better for their entertainment than the various games in Chaugan including ‘The Game Chaugan’. After him, his step-brother Madho Singh-I was also drawn in many similar activities.
Persian Art depicting the game of Chaugan (A Miniature Painting Art)
Chaugan has always been the biggest and most famous sports ground for the people of Jaipur. After independence, when it had become a district stadium, it got its identity to some extent. But with the passage of time and lack of space, it felt that this place started looking smaller. A new ground identified near Rambagh didn’t affect the charm of Chaugan until the Municipal Corporation decided to build underground parking here.
Years ago, studies started in the city regarding underground parking. To convert Chaugan into underground parking was finally decided and completed as all government works. Chaugan’s parking is gathering dust today because of the ill-maintenance and non-appointment of a responsible person neither the parking is in use nor the playground. A large area of the playground once hosting Ranji matches has become a parking lot. There is very little space for the people to play these days becoming less and less.
Cricket Pitch and Pavilion at Chaugan
Children are playing at Chaugan
Despite all these things, Chaugan, which is the venue of all the fairs and festivals of the city, is and will always be the gathering point of the city people for Teej and Gangaur fairs from where the parade of Gangaur comes out dancing with pride, love and pomp.
Gathering of Royal Court on a day of the festival at Chaugan
