Kankroli
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Kankroli
Chief town of an estate of the same name in the State of Udaipur, Rajputana, situated in 25 degree 4' N. and 73 degree 53' E., about 36 miles north-by-north-east of Udaipur city. The town contains (1901) 3,053 inhabitants, and is the head-quarters of a Gosain who is a descendant of Vallabhacharya. The estate, which consists of 2 1 vil- lages situated in different parts of Mewar, is held by him as a muafi or free grant from the Maharana. To the north of the town lies the Raj Samand, a fine sheet of water 3 miles long by 1 ½ miles broad, with an area of about 3 square miles. The lake is formed by a dam built at the south-western end by Rana Raj Singh between 1662 and 1676. Its construction served to alleviate the sufferings of a starving population, and it is the oldest known famine relief work in Rajputana. It is said to have cost about 70 lakhs. The dam forms an irregular segment of a circle nearly 3 miles long ; the northern portion, which lies between two hills, is about 200 yards long and 70 yards broad, and is entirely faced with white marble from the adjacent quarries. Along the front, a flight of steps descends to the water's edge, while jutting out into the lake are three marble pavilions, all richly sculptured in different patterns. At one end of the embankment is the temple of Dwarka Dhish, one of the seven forms of Krishna ; and the image now worshipped there is said to be the identical one brought to Rajputana in 1669 by the descendants of Vallabhacharya when they left Muttra from fear v of Aurangzeb. On a hill to the north-east are the remains of a large Jain temple, said to have been built by Rana Raj Singh's minister, Dayal Sah. Its spire was partly destroyed by the Marathas and replaced by a round tower, but it is still a picturesque ruin.
[J. Fergusson, Picturesque Illustrations of Ancient Architecture (1841). J
