Devi Kund Sagar
Devi Kund Sagar is located in Bikaner, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Bikaner is very famous in Rajasthan as it was the capital for the ruler of Bikaji, and the city was also named after the Bikaji dynasty. Devi Kund Sagar is a crematorium for the royal family of the Bikaji rulers. The cenotaphs present at the Devi Kund Sagar crematoriums were built for each and every member of the royal family of the Bikaji rulers who passed away during battles or due to sickness.
Devi Kund Sagar cenotaphs are built with pure white marble and red sandstone where an inscription of the remains is engraved on top of the cenotaph. The inscriptions provide the details about the ruler or the royal family member ad how they passed away. The Devi Kund Sagar crematorium was built according to the Rajputana architecture style where a slight hint of Islamic culture could be seen.
Maharaja Anup Singh was considered as one of the great rulers of the Bikaji regime (1669-1698 AD); therefore the architecture of his cenotaph is different from others and is considered as a marvellous historical monument. His cenotaph consists of 16 pillars surround the white marble. The tales of Lord Krishna are carved onto these pillars along with other animals. A similar cenotaph was also built for another great ruler, Maharaja Ratan Singh. Even though the remains of the royal family member were cremated and the ashes are not present in the cenotaphs, these cenotaphs were built to remember all the royal family members.
History of Devi Kund Sagar
The royal crematory, Devi Kund was erected for commemorating the founder of Bikaner, Rao Bikaji, his descendants and the other members of the Bikaner royal family. There are several cenotaphs and memorials here. Built in the memory of deceased royal family members, each cenotaph is lined by Chattris (ornamented canopy), along with a stone slab that has beautiful carvings. In chronological order, the chattris belong to Rao Bikaji, his great grandson Jet Singh, Rao Kalyan Singh (1542-1571), Maharaja Anup Singh (1669-1698), Maharaja Gaj Singh (1745-1787), Maharaja Surat Singh and Maharaja Karni Singh (1950-1988), the last ruler of Bikaner.
Architecture of Devi Kund
These cenotaphs are known for their wonderful architecture. Some of the highlights include inscriptions, oral patterns, engravings, beautiful designs and splendid portraits. The main difference that can be noticed in the cenotaphs is that while the cenotaphs that were built earlier were in red sandstone, but the newer ones are in white marble. There architectural pieces are a mix of Rajput and Mughal style of architectures.
It was with the memorial cenotaph of Raja Ratan Singh that the art of paintings started to be done on these monuments. The cenotaph of Maharaja Anup Singh is one of the best as far as art work is concerned. This chattri stands on 16 decorated pillars. There are animals and floral designs along with sculptures depicting the life of Lord Krishna. Another attractive chattri is that of Maharaja Surat Singh, made from white marble. The roof has Rajput paintings and exquisite decorative designs.
The cenotaphs of the royal ladies and the wives of Rajput rulers can also be found here. These royal chattris have a canopy and inscriptions with stunning decorative designs along with footprints on their bases. The canopy of the male members is white in color with stela that contains their portraits and names.
Another notable feature of Devi Kund Sagar is that the cenotaphs of 22 female Satis (royal ladies who self-immolated themselves on their husband’s pyre) and 1 Sata (self-immolation by man on his wife’s pyre). A reservoir lies close to this attraction.