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History written in stone - A
Story of Rajasthan 

History has been always written in stone, at least the one that
we know. From the Great Pyramids to the ruins of Babylonian
gardens, from our own cynosure of Taj to the lesser-known
temples deep within the Deccan plateau. Rajasthan has its own
story to tell, in stone. Not just from the ramparts of the
gargantuan citadels of Mehrangarh or the spirituality suffused
stone art of Osian Temples. Our own humble offering of a resort
in Jodhpur which we hold to the highest standards of hospitality
and service is also set in red sandstone built in the style of
traditional Dhanis of Thar.

A few other humble precedents in stone that have a rich story
to tell, of ordinary people, made heroic by their actions and not
just by birth. Celebrating these forgotten lives we will take a
walk through some landmark discoveries of the stone tablets
and epitaphs from aeons ago found in Rajasthan.

Humans world over have a desire to leave their mark behind.
Admire the stone henges of UK, the Moai, megalithic structure
of Rapa Nui people or the many nameless and faceless stone
inscriptions strewn all over India, in fields, in backyards and
beyond. India, both south and north have a rich tradition of
stone inscriptions with even Emperor Ashoka setting his
learnings from the Buddha in stone in all directions of his
kingdom and beyond, including Sri Lanka. South India has its
famous and lesser-known Veergallu or Hero Stone found in
Hampi and all over Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Rajasthan has its own rich repertoire of these stones. Here we
explore a list, not exhaustive by any means, yet which gives one
an idea of the progression of languages, history and traditions
with the flow of time. Manvar, our resort in Jodhpur prides in its
rich legacy and traditions of the land. Showcasing these little
known facts and facets of our rich history, where not just kings
and warriors but even ordinary people’s contribution is
celebrated is something dear to us.

One of the oldest stone inscriptions that have survived is found
at Barli near Ajmer. It dates back to 443 BC. Inscribed in the
Brahmi script, the Barli epitaph reveals the prevalence of Jaina
cult in and around the region during the Madhyamika era.

Fast forward almost 500 years, Gosundi near the fort town of
Chittor plays host to an interesting stone inscription that tells a
story of King Sarvtata who ruled during 1 BC performing the
Ashwamedha Yagna for expansion of his dominion. There are
mentions of names Krishna and Sankarshana (Balarama) too.
Whether this is historical proof of their existence is still open to
debate.

Nandsa Jageer in Bhilwara has a rich history and the stone
pillar found here dating back to 224 AD is a testament to its
antiquity. The Nandsa Yupe Stambha in Bhilwara is incidentally

bearing Sanskrit script, a language of the privileged caste. Why
this becomes interesting is because Yupe Stambha or Yupa
Stambha means a sacrificial post where animals were tied and
ritualistic sacrifice held. Another Yupe Stambha from this era is
now preserved in the Amer Museum at Jaipur. This again has
Sanskrit inscriptions and mentions seven Pathashalas or
traditional schools. One more stone pillar called the Badwa
Stambha found at Baran with Sanskrit inscription dating to 240
AD describes in some detail the Triratra Yajna performed by
three brothers who lived here at the time. A couple of other
Stambhas describing yajnas or fire rituals are seen during 270
AD in Bichpuria, Tonk and Vijaygarh. The Tonk tablet refers to
Agnihotra, the person who conducts the Yajna by a sanctified
fire.

Certain epitaphs act as historical texts suggesting further
archaeological investigations that could lead to some great
discoveries. One such instance is the stone inscription found at
Gungdhar in Jhalawar near the border of Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of an important tributary of the
famed Chambal River. It suggests a Vishnu Temple was being
built by Mayurakhsa, a minister in the court of Vishwakarma. A
similar stone tablet from Nagari also suggests Vishnu worship
implying the spread of Vaishnavism in the region.

Epitaphs from the late 5th century act as genealogical records
of important families and can be found in various parts of
Chittor, Mewar and Sirohi regions of Rajasthan. The late 7th
century witnesses epitaphs narrating legends of local heroes.
One of particular interest is found in Nadi village in Mewar. It
sings about the bravery of Guhil ruler, Aparjit. Again the
inscription itself is in Sanskrit language but the script is Kutil
which is quite unusual. Another such tablet exists at Mandore
not very far from Manvar Desert Camp and Resort in Jodhpur.

A village called Ghatiyala in Jodhpur district has many
interesting epitaphs from 860 AD. One of them talks about the
social, political and religious policies of the Pratihara dynasty
and another by Harishchandra, the founding father of the
Pratihara dynasty. The interesting thing about this is that
inscription has Marathi verses with Sanskrit explanations of
these verses. Osian near Jodhpur, a drivable destination from
Manvar Resort in Jodhpur has an epitaph from the same period
which clearly states the Varna system.

A few sporadic inscriptions are seen until the end of the first
millennia after which it peters out. Possibly the advent of paper
and record-keeping through books and journals replaced the
good old stone epitaphs.

Images references:
Rock Inscriptions of Rajasthan
Wikipedia

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+91 94141 29767 Milestone 110 from Jodhpur to
Jaisalmer, NH125, Khiyasariya,

Rajasthan 342025

[email protected]

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