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Day 6 and we drive up from Udaipur to Mount Abu, the tallest peak in the Aravalli Hill range, in southern Rajasthan. The last time I went to Mount Abu was almost exactly 30 years ago in December 1984, as a 23 year old youth travelling from the UK with my mother, accompanied by my uncle and cousin sister from India. It was only at the time of writing this article that I realised that, by strange coincidence, I was now taking my own 23 year old son on the same journey up the same mountain road, this time accompanied by my wife and daughter.
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The reasons for travelling to Mount Abu were two fold. Firstly to show my family the famous Dilwara Jain temples. These are perhaps the finest most intricately carved temples in the whole world. I was amazed to see them as a young man, and had recommended them to my wife several times over the years as one of the wonders of India.
The other reason for going was to explore the heritage sites of the North Gujarat/ South Rajasthan border area, where my research had indicated that our Samaj clans may have originated from before migrating down to the Surat region sometime in the late-1700s/early-1800s. Specifically also I wanted to visit Mount Abu again, as in my research I had come across the intriguing Agnivansha Legend. Per this legend, Mount Abu was the original (mythological) birthplace of the Parmar, Chauhan, Solanki (Chalukya) and Pratihar Rajput clans. What better reason to travel to a place than to see the 1000-1500 legendary birthplace of your clan ancestors!
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Agnivansha literally translates as the people (Vansh) of the fire (Agni), and historically delineates Rajputs of these clans from the other two clan groupings – the Suryavansha (Solar dynasty) Rajputs and the Chandravansha (Lunar dynasty) Rajputs. There are a number of slight variations on the Agnivansha legend, but all follow the general theme of the famous sage Vashistha performing a fire sacrifice (Yagna) to the gods in a fire pit (Kunda) asking for the creation of warrior clans to fight the demons or enemies. More on this in future blog articles, but for now suffice it to say that this historical legend is also known by the names of Agnikunda (sacrificial fire-pit) and Agnikul (where kul approximately translates as clan), i.e fire clans. Spotify audio converter platinum 1 2 2.
On the drive up Mount Abu, I recalled that 30 years previously this was a treacherous 2/3 hour journey up a hazardous narrow mountain road with crumbling cliff faces on one side and steep unprotected certain-death drops on the other. All coupled with cars, bikes, buses, trucks and crazy drivers fighting for your space from both in front and from behind. This time, possibly as a sign of progress, the journey up was much more relaxed and only took about an hour to climb up to the 1200 meter height of the main town and visitor attractions. The road had been widened and the sheer drop to one side was completely protected by concrete blocks. Plus it helped that our driver, unlike most Indian drivers, was a relaxed take-your-time individual. Even the langur monkeys seemed totally chilled out, basking on the sun-bleached concrete blocks.
The Dilwara complex comprises of five major temples/sections devoted to five Jain Tirthankars (saints). The temples are completely nondescript on the outside, but have the most intricate and beautiful carvings on the inside. The temples were built under the overall patronage of the Parmar dynasty kings who ruled from the 900s AD followed by the Chauhans from about 1300 AD onwards. However the temples themselves were funded by kings and benefactors from other kingdoms in the region as well. The oldest temple is carved entirely out of white marble and was built in 1031 A.D. by Vimal Shah, a minister of Bhimdev I, the Solanki king of Gujarat. There is also the impressive Hastishala (Elephant Cell) which was constructed by a descendant of Vimal Shah in 1147-49 and which features a row of elephants in sculpture.
I had not planned to see anything specific about the Agnivansha legend, as quite frankly I was not aware that there was anything there to see. This is when I realised that the power of the Internet had failed me. Upon buying a local guidebook it became clear that there was a specific place where the yagna to create the four Rajput clans was said to have taken place. The tourist guide book states: “the Gaumuck (mouth of the cow) temple and its beautiful surrounds is located in a wild valley reached by a 700 step descent. Mafia ii 1 1. Nearby the temple is a spring that emerges from a rock shaped like a cow’s head. There is a stone sculpture of a Nanda, the sage Vashistha’s cow and nearby a tank, the Agni Kund, where the fire ceremony was supposed to have taken place.”
Originally I had planned on staying two nights in Mount Abu, but had changed it to one night on hearing that Mount Abu is a bit of a drinking den for prohibition deprived Gujaratis from across the state border; and also it gets very crowded and noisy over the Christmas period. As it turned out the crowds and noise were not as bad as I had thought. But alas! There was no time left to journey to the site where my first ancestor stepped out of the fire.
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Ah well. I am not sure if I will be passing by Mount Abu again, but if any of you Parmars, Chauhans, Solankis or Pratihar’s do manage the 700 step descent and return ascent, please do take some pictures and send them to me.
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