Population : 600,000
Distance : 14km from Bundi
¤ Cities Existence
Till the middle of the 13th century, Kota did not exist. In a sense
it did, but what was to be seen of it were barren lands with not a
soul in sight for miles. Lying in southern Rajasthan close to Madhya
Pradesh, Kota was eclipsed by the already functioning court of Bundi,
those stalwarts of Rajputana called the Hara Chauhanas who were forced
to flee Ajmer in the face of Muhammad Ghori’s feared invasion in
1192AD.
¤ The Foundation of the City
The foundations for the town of Kota were laid in 1264AD after the
local Bhil tribal chief was defeated and beheaded by a faction of the
Chauhanas. However, nothing much occurred for another four hundred
years. The actual building of Kota began only in 1624 when it broke
away from the imposing Bundi. Madho Singh, the new ruler, realised
that he couldn’t really live in a village surrounded by forests,
so he got down to building a township which would suit his royal
needs.
¤ Kota's Coat of Arms
Kota’s royal coat of arms is based on the winged Garuda, the
carrier of Lord Vishnu. Set within a shield and flanked by winged
griffins, Garuda and the shield are crowned by a warrior rising forth
from flames, signifying the ruling family’s ascendency from fire.
Like most of the Rajput states, Kota’s coat of arms borrows from
European designs, probably because they were fashioned by Britishers.
Although the titles of princes and kings was abolished in 1970, Kota
is currently `ruled’ by Maharao Brijraj Singh who enjoys a 17 gun
salute on royal occasions.
¤ City In Clutches of Bloody Battle Games
Kota has a fiercely rich history steeped in war. Bloody battles were
fought here by Rajput clans and the Mughal empire for control of Bundi
and Ajmer. Rao Madho Singh, Kota’s ruler, was engaged by the
ageing Shah Jahan to fight his son Aurangzeb, who eventually did take
the Delhi throne anyway. Unlike the fortified Bundi, the rulers of
Kota had to face intrusions from Mughals from the east, the rulers of
Jaipur and Mewar from the north, the Marathas from the south as well
as from their own clans. These many and frequent battles paved the way
for another kind of war – that of diplomacy, at which Kota rulers
excelled. One of them was Zalim Singh, a ruler by default who rose to
power through his vision, diplomacy and cunningness when he was made
regent for Kota while an infant king `ruled’. Zalim is said to
have defied the laws of nature and planted trees of exotic fruits and
flowers where not even grass would grow. He imported coconuts and
palmyras from Malabar, apples from Afghanistan and oranges from north
Bengal and laid out beautiful gardens. Besides that, Kota’s most
famous ruler also solicited the services of weavers from Kashmir to
migrate to Kota and weave the fabulous Pashmina shawls, rivaling those
that Kashmir produced. Zalim Singh claimed that when he ascended the
throne three-fourths of Kota was barren and one-fourth was cultivable.
Within a few years he had reversed the balance.
Zalim Singh was no ordinary ruler, and his adaptability to
circumstances and situations saw him grow into one of the most
belligerent rulers Rajasthan has ever produced. He had tremendous
foresight, and military tactics and diplomacy were his forté.
He incorporated the use of European armour and weaponry, set a modern
administrative system which introduced the taxation system and
eventually formed an alliance with the British to see his ambitions
come through.
¤
Arts &Crafts
With more of a military history than one of peace, Kota’s
warriors devised a dangerous weapon to maim their enemies. The
bhujtrans was quite similar to a knuckle duster except that the studs
were replaced with three lethal daggers. Imagine what that could do at
close quarters with a punch into an unwilling face! Also famous during
this time were shields manufactured in Kota, made of animal skin. Kota
shields were usually made of crocodile or buffalo hide and were works
of art. Decorated with gold and silver intricately merged into a
painting, the shield came to be regarded as a status symbol for nobles
and kings both in Rajput as well as Mughal courts.
¤ Kota's Animated Miniature Paintings
A few hundred years ago Kota was a dense forest, and its rulers
hunted with gay abandon. After each successful expedition into the
forests the kings of Kota would naturally expect a documentation of
their gallantry. What better means than to get someone to paint them a
picture of their exploits in the jungles? From this evolved
colourfully animated miniature paintings of royal hunts which exist
even today.
¤ Places of Attractions
Within Kota itself are a number of monuments and places to see such
as the city palace built in the middle of the 17th
century, the tiny island of the Jagmandir temples and the rather
European Umed Bhawan. Then there’s the solar clock, perhaps the
only one of its kind in the world which fired a cannon at a particular
time of the day all on its own! Towards the southeast is the
spectacular fort in Gagron, a fine example of jala durg which
literally means `protected by water’.
¤ Famous Doria Saris
Doria saris can be found only in Kota, but the people who originally
weaved them were not from here. In fact, a certain Kota ruler
discovered them during one of his military campaigns in the south.
Sometime in the 17th century the Rao was in Mysore with his army
fighting wars and trying to increase his kingdom when he bumped into
weavers of the doria cloth. This cotton and silk fabric intricately
woven with colourful floral motifs caught his fancy, and he brought
its makers to Kota. Interestingly, doria weaving has now died in
Mysore and flourishes only in Kota. The finished fabric is also known
as Kota Masuria (from the word Mysore) as a tribute to its original
ancestry. Kota is also celebrated for its painted ceramics and black
painted pottery, filigree work (thin strands of silver or gold wound
around ornaments), calico (heavy cotton cloth) printing and lacer work
on toys and inexpensive ornaments.
¤ A Touch of Modernity
Modern Kota has shrugged off its medieval aura and is one of the
foremost industrial towns in Rajasthan. Famous for its industries,
hydro electric plant (fuelled by the only permanent river in
Rajasthan, the
Chambal) and an atomic power station, Kota is equally popular for its
buildings in the Victorian style brought to India by the British. Kota
is also the place where Asia’s largest fertiliser plant exists,
no mean feat for such a small town.
¤ Kota Festivites
and if you’re in Kota during the festival of Dussehra don’t
miss out on the grand Dussehra festival, a 12 day affair in which
everyone from and around Kota gathers. More than 75 feet tall effigies
of the demons Ravana, Kumbhkarna (who incidentally slept for six
months at a stretch) and Meghnad (Ravana’s son) are consignd to a
fiery end in a glorious celebration of Good over Evil (see Festivals
of India).
