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A Bhil stronghold in the foothills of the Aravallis, this fertile region was created into a state in the 13th century. Since the natural protection afforded it isolation, a highly decorative style of architecture developed.

Languages : Rajasthani, Hindi, English

Juna Mahal:Almost as old as the town itself, the construction of the palace was started in the turbulent 13th century using the superb natural defence of a rocky peak some 1500 ft above sea level. This seven storied structure resembles a fortress with crenelated walls, turrets and narrow entrances passage ways to slow down the enemy. Inside, one will se the most colourful and vibrant rooms embellished with frescoes, miniature paintings and glass and mirror inlay work. Juna Mahal is still owned by the royal family and can be visited by invitation only.

Gaib Sagar Lake:In Dungarpur, the most famous shrine is that of Shrinathji located on the embankment of the Gaib Sagar Lake. It is a conglomeration of several small and medium sized temples with one main temple, all massive and strongly built. The latest architectural glory in marble is the Vijay Raj Rajeshwar Temple, which is dedicated to Shiva, Carved and constructed by Shilpis of Dungarpur, it bears testimony to the greatness and glory of the art in this region. The Govt. Archaeological Museum in Dungarpur with its fine collection of old status is a worthwhile place to visit.

Baneshwar (60 kms.):The baneshwar temple, with the revered Shiva Linga of the area, is situated on a delta formed at the confluence of Som and Mahi rivers. Near this temple is the Vishnu temple, believed to be constructed on the spot where mavji, believed to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna, spent his time in meditation and devotion. There is also a beautifully constructed temple of Brahma, which has a spacious two storied building and exquisite carvings on pillars and doors. A big fair is held here annually.

Deo Somnath (24 kms.):One the banks of Som river, is a 12th century old beautiful Shiva temple. Built of white stones, the temple has imposing turrets. The juxtaposition of huge slabs of stone, both vertically and horizontally reflect the skill and intricate workmanship of the architect of those days. The features of this temple convey an impression of great antiquity.

Baroda (41 kms.):Baroda village, once the capital of Vagad, is famous for the ruins of various temples of old Rajput architecture and other historical temples. The village has a beautiful old Shiva temple in white stone and an old Jain temple whose black wall has a carved image of the twenty four Tirthankaras and their Panchakalyanas. Apart from this there are a number of Jain temples in the district.

Galiyakot (58 kms.):Galiyakot, a small village was once the capital of the Parmars. The village owes its importance to the Shrine of the Syed Fakhruddin. Thousands of Dawoodi Bohara devotees throng this place during the time of the annual Urs, which is held from the 27th day of Moharram, the first month of Mohammanden calendar when the shrine is tastefully decorated and illuminated at night. The Jain temples in this vicinity are also interesting.

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Major Crops and their Production:Production: 1999—00 (Tonnes), Paddy 5,818, Jowar 332, Bajra 37, Maize 73,837, Pulses 15,460, Sesamum 48, Groundnut 8, Sugarcane 20,101, Wheat 32,114, Barley 1,967, Gram 10,946, Rapeseed and Mustard 114

Minerals:Mineral Production: 1999-00, Tonnes, Stealite 41,214

Infrastructure:-

Electricity: There are five grid sub-stations in the district with the capacity of 22.1 MVA. As of March 2000, out of 846 villages 840 were electrified.

Water: There are three main rivers in the district viz., Mahi, Soni and Jakham. Ground water in the district occurs under semiconfined conditions about 5 metres below the ground level. The ground water available in the district is found suitable for both irrigation and drinking purposes.

Educational Facilities/Institutions:(Nos.) Colleges 18, Higher Secondary Schools 108, Primary & middle schools 1,661, ITIs 3, Others 2, Total 1,792

Industrial Scenario:No. of large & medium scale units: 1,No. of small scale units: 1,804, No. of industrial units: 2, Dungarpur, Sagwara, Main existing industries,
Acrylic and blended yarns, chemical based units, general engineering workshops, handloom cloth, masala grinding, marble slabs and tiles, marble chips and powder,oil and dal mills, printing press, rice milling, spun yarn and textiles.

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Road Transport: The National Highway No.8 running between Delhi and Bombay passes through the district. Most of the important towns and important places in the district are well connected by roads with district Headquarters. The total length of different categories of roads in the district is about 1,451 kms.

Rail Transport: The existing railway line is a part of the Udaipur-Ahmedabad meter gauge line and runs a distance of 42 kms. inside the district. The main stations of this district on this line are Kotana, Dungarpur, Bhawnath, Jagabor and Bechiwara.

Air Transport: The nearest air port is at Udaipur (100 kms.)

Communication Facilities: (Nos.) Post offices 297, Telegraph offices 54, Telephone exchanges 33, PCOs 532

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Holi:Holi is an important festival, different from its Hindu's namesake. It is dedicated to Jogan Mata, mother of the Universe and special male dancers called Gosais. On this occasion tribals perform the Gair dances in a big way. Different groups of tribals wearing colourful dresses, holding swords, arrows and sticks perform this dance at different places.

Bar-Bij Fair:Held one month after Diwali on the occasion of bar-Bij, this is one of the most important celebrations of the district. The Bhils in their traditional costumes sing and dance. Akshaya, Tritiya and Chaitra Krishna are the main festivals of the farmers

Baneshwar Fair:The name 'Baneshwar' is derived from the revered Shivlinga, which is kept in the Mahadev Temple in Dungarpur. "Baneshwar means the 'Master of the Delta' in the local Vagdi language and this name was given to the Shivlinga. The Baneshwar fair is held at a small delta formed by the river Som and Mahi, from Magh Shukla Ekadashi to Magh Shukla Purnima. Baneshwar fair in its present form is actually one of two fairs: one which used to be held in of Baneshwar Mahadev (Lord Shiva) and another fair, which started after the construction of the Vishnu Temple by Jankunwari, daughter-in-law of Mavji, a highly revered saint considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.Two disciples of Mavji named Aje and Vaje built the Lakshmi- Narain Temple near the confluence of rivers Som and Mahi. The 'pran-pratishtha' ceremony of the idols was performed on Magh Shukla Ekadashi and since then, the fair is held on this day. The large congregation that gathers here at the time of the fair pays homage to all the deities with equal reverence.

On Magh Shukla Ekadashi, the priest - called the Mathadhish, arrives at the fair site from Sabla, in a huge procession. A 16 cms silver image of Mavji on horseback is also brought here. The river water supposedly becomes holier when the Mathadhish takes a bath. Hence, people bathe along with him in the river. The Bhils consign the ashes of their dead at the confluence of the rivers.The Baneshwar fair is predominantly a tribal fair with more than half of the congregation consisting of Bhils. They revere Baneshwar Mahadev as well as Mavji. The majority of the gathering is from the Districts of Dungarpur, Udaipur and Banswara.

Worship and Offerings:The temple of Baneshwar Mahadev remains open from 5.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. during the fair. In the morning, saffron is applied to the Shivlinga after it is bathed and an 'aarti' of burning incense is waved before it. In the evening, 'bhabhut' (ash) is applied to the Linga and an 'aarti' with a fine-wick lamp is waved. Devotees offer wheat flour, pulses, rice, jaggery, ghee, salt, chillies, coconut and cash.Prayers are offered five times a day in the temples of Lakshmi -Narayan and Brahma. Brass gongs are struck at the time of 'aarti'. During the fair, 'aarti' of Mathadhish is also performed and Raslila takes place at night in the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. Offerings, similar to those at the Baneshwar Temple, are made at these shrines too.

Cultural Programmes:The Bhils attending Baneshwar Fair sing traditional folk songs in high pitched voices sitting around a bonfire every night. Cultural shows are arranged by youngsters of the clan. Groups of villagers are also invited to participate in the programme.The fair resounds with the gaiety of songs, folk dances, magic shows, animal shows and acrobatic feats. Adding to the excitement are the joy rides on merry-go-rounds and swings. The large number of shops in the fair provides an opportunity for buying and selling of essential goods and fancy articles.

How to Reach:The fair site is at a distance of 6.5 kms from Sabla, a village on the Udaipur-Banswara-Dungarpur bus route, which is at a distance of 123 kms. from Udaipur, 53 kms. from Banswara , 45 kms. from Dungarpur and 22 kms. from Aspur, the Tehsil headquarters. On normal days, one has to reach Sabla from Baneshwar on foot or on private carts. However, buses go right up to the bank of the river Som during the fair.

The people of this district, particularly the Bhils, celebrate festivals with great enthusiasm and fanfare. Among the festivals of Hindus, the principal are Holi, Dussehra, Ram navami, Diwali and Basant Panchmi. Moharram and the two Eids are the main festivals of the Muslims.

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CLIMATE

Climate and Rainfall:The district has a dry climate with hot season, milder than in the desert regions of Rajasthan.The maximum temperature in the district is between 40-45 degrees celsius.The minimum temperature is between 10-12 degrees celsius.The annual rainfall varies from 820 mm at Kanaba to 477 mm at Dhambola.

Climate :Mean Max. Mean Min.

Summer :43.0° C 26.0° C

Winter :25.0° C 9.0° C

Rainfall :47 to 76cms.

Summer :Light Tropical

Winter : Light Woolen

Best Season : October-February

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Area:3,770 sq. kms. (1.01 per cent of the State)

Location:The district is located in the southern part of Rajasthan. The district Udaipur and Banswara lie in north and east of Dungarpur district respectively. On south and west, it is surrounded by the borders of the neighbouring state of Gujarat

Distance from Major Cities:Jaipur-425 kms., Udaipur-100 kms., Delhi-737 kms., Ahmedabad-160 kms,.Mumbai-711 kms.

Latitude : 3.50 N

Longitude : 73.50 E

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The district is named after the capital of the former princely State of Dungarpur. Dungar means a hill or a mountain and pur means a town, thus Dungarpur means a 'Hill Town'.Rawal Veer Singh Dev took over this part of the state from the Bhil Chieftain Dungaria and laid the foundation of the city as well as of the Old Palace on 14th Oct. 1282 ADThe district is wild and rugged being situated in the foothills of the Aravallis. The terrain though fairly open in the south and east is interspersed with stony slopes covered with low jungle of cactus, jujube trees and salar (Boswellia Servata, gum producing tree). A variety of shrubs and trees, which require neither a deep soil nor moisture also grow in the area. In the north and the east the country is rugged and wild but towards the south west border the harsh features gradually become softer.The eastern part of the Gujarat region, slopes down towards the basin of the Mahi river and consists of a plain and a level cultivated area. Two rivers, the Mahi and the Som, flow through the area. The former separates the district from Banswara and the latter forms the natural boundary between this district and Udaipur. The cultivated area is mostly confined to the valley and low ground between the hills where the soil is alluvial.Dungarpur is famous for its particular style of architecture. The palaces of the Dungarpur princes and the residence of the noble ones are adorned by stone jharokhas and a new style of jharokhas, which was developed by Maharawal Shiv Singh reign (1730 - 1785 AD). The gold and silversmiths of Dungarpur and Banswara are well known for lacquer painted toys and picture framing.

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