Historic Background Of Dungarpur

Established by Rawal Veer Singh in 1282, Dungarpur (the City of Hills) was one of the major cities of the Vagad region. Veer Singh acquired this land from the Bhil chief Dungaria from whom the place got its name. The rulers here were a faction of the Sisodias (ruling dynasty of Udaipur) who had separated themselves from the main branch in the 12th century. Several stories relate to this fact, among which the best is the one that refers to the misunderstanding between the heir apparent of Mewar and his father, the Rana. In those days it was customary for the bride’s family to send a ceremonial coconut to the groom’s family which was to be accepted by the groom himself. It so happened that the Rana mistakenly accepted the coconut sent for the prince. Whereupon the prince got annoyed and said that since the father had received the coconut he might as well marry the girl. With this parting shot he left for Dungarpur with his followers to establish a kingdom by the same name. The prince’s younger brother inherited the Mewar kingdom while the elder happily ruled the Dungarpur region of Rajistan. Later this rough country was taken over by the East India Company in 1818.