Godwar, a district of Mewar, west of the Aravallis on the Marwar border. It was taken by Emperor Jahangir's forces around 1611, and was recaptured by Maharana AMAR SINGH I a few years later, although many Mewaris perished in the battle. Also, the aging Maharana JAI SINGH (1653-1680) waited at Godwar for the outcome of talks between his representatives and his rebellious son, Crown Prince Amar (later Maharana AMAR SINGH II), the latter then pushing Mewar to the brink of civil war.

Gogunda (Jhala Rajputs), a town 35 km. northwest of Udaipur, situated on a very high peak about 905 m. above sea level in the Aravalli Hills (reached by a hair-raising pass). It abounds with Hindu and Jain temples, and it was here that Maharana Pratap Singh I was crowned in 1572. Gogunda has played an important role in Mewar's history. It was once the estate (jagir) of the JHALA clan. The founder of Udaipur, Maharana UDAI SINGH II died here (1572) and his eldest son and successor, Maharana PRATAP SINGH I (1572-1597) was subsequently crowned here. Being on the road between Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh, and thence to the kingdom of Marwar, Gogunda became a strategic staging centre. Pratap, forsaking the luxury of Udaipur, made Gogunda the new (temporary) capital of Mewar. Later he adopted Kumbhalgarh his new seat of government and began his guerrilla warfare against the Mughals. One of his first tasks was to reinforce many forts throughout the Aravalli Hills, Gogunda being one of them. Pratap held his final war council here prior to the Battle of HALDIGHATI (June 18, 1576), which is sometimes called the Battle of Gogunda, although the town is several kilometres south of the township of Haldighati.

The alternative name possibly came about because, following the battle, Mughal commander MAN SINGH of Amber captured Gogunda and made it his temporary headquarters. Around 1611, while Maharana AMIR SINGH I was regrouping his forces in the Aravallis, Mughal Emperor Jahangir captured Gogunda, along with other areas and Udaipur, in a desperate effort to crush Mewar resistance. In 1615, Amar Singh met with the Mughal's Prince Khurram (later called SHAH JAHAN) and negotiated a peace treaty at Gogunda, the first instance of Mewar submitting to the Mughals (see AMAR SINGH I, MAHARANA). Later, Emperor AURANGZEB dismissed the treaty when he renewed Mughal aggression against Mewar. The town was also the site of a decisive battle for Mewar, when Crown Prince Jai Singh, heir apparent of Maharana RAJ SINGH I (1653-1680), captured the army of Mughal prince, Akbar (see RAJ SINGH I vs. AURANGZEB). Almost a century later, a young Pretender named RATAN SINGH, son of the Gogunda chieftain's daughter, was presented as the posthumous son of Maharana RAJ SINGH II (1754-1761) and lay claim to the Mewar throne, which led to civil war (see ARI SINGH II, MAHARANA).

Today, Gogunda is the administrative headquarters (tehsil) of the Udaipur district. It features splendid palaces, the Mahadeo Baori, a number of temples, and the Chhatri of Maharana UDAI SINGH II. Gogunda belongs to the Jhala Rajputs and their title is 'Raj'. When Shatrusal, son of Man Singh of Delwara, had a dispute with his maternal uncle, Maharana Pratap Singh I (1572-1596), he went to Jodhpur, and his estate (Gogunda) was given to Mammandas Rathore of Badnore. When Mughal Prince Khurram attacked Mewar, Shatrusal returned to fight for his motherland, and sustained battle wounds attacking Mughal general, Abdullah Khan. Following his recovery, he attacked the Imperial check-post at Ravalia and was killed. Pleased by his loyalty, Pratap Singh returned the estate of Gogunda to Shatrusal's son, Kanah. Kanah's successor, Jaswant, was with Maharana Raj Singh I (1754-1761) at the time of Prince Akbar's attack on Mewar. Jaswant's seventh successor, Man Singh, became a member of the Regency Council during Maharana Shambhu Singh's minority.

Genealogy: Shatrusal Singh I; Kanah Singh I; Jaswant Singh I; Ram Singh; Ajai Singh I; Kanah Singh II; Jaswant Singh II; Shatrusal Singh II; Lal Singh; Man Singh; Ajai Singh II; Prithvi Singh; Dalpat Singh; Manohar Singh; Bhairon Singh: Himmat Singh.

Gogunda, Battle of: see HALDIGHATI, BATTLE OF.

Goha, Gohaditya: see GUHIL.

Gokuldas, Rawat, of the SANGAWAT clan (SISODIA family) (see DEOGARH). He was a giant of a man, about 2 m. tall, well built and perfectly erect. He died without an heir.

gola, (Hindi) a male servant; also the offspring of a servant (female, goli). See SERVANTS IN FEUDAL MEWAR.

goli, (Hindi) a female servant (male, gola). See SERVANTS IN FEUDAL MEWAR.

Gomati, a town on the Mewar/Marwar border, 96 km. from Udaipur via Eklingji, Nathdwara, and Rajsamand. From here, you turn left for the Desuri-ki-Nal, a narrow pass that links Mewar and Marwar.

Gomati River, one of three water courses that Maharana RAJ SINGH I dammed to create RAJSAMAND LAKE. The other two were the Tali and Kelwa.

Gomukh Kund, Chittor; a large, sacred pool in a deep cleft at the top of the fort's western precipice; also called the Cow-Mouthed Reservoir and the Cow's Mouth (Gao-mukh) Fountain. Because of many underground pockets of rainwater within the hill, there is a permanent supply of water for the fortress. This subterranean water issues forth in springs in many places. At Gomukh Kund it flows out on the high western side of the hill near MAHASATI STHAL, through the mouth of a cow, a man-made addition cut into the rock face. It falls on to a Shiva lingam, thence into a man-made reservoir on the very edge of the precipice. Hindus consider this reservoir as a sacred tank and bathe there. Often, small fish are to be seen in the water, and are fed by visitors. The excess water of this tank, especially during the rainy season, falls down the cliff, the waterfall being called Jharna.

On one side is a tunnel, Rani-bhandar, which allegedly led from Kumbha's Palace to suites of chambers in the rock and the clearing above, the Mahasati Sthal. This was the scene of horrible jauhar which pre-climaxed Chittor's three sackings (1303, 1534 and 1568). On the first occasion, it is thought that the fort's queens and other women and children used the tunnel to reach the Gomukh Kund to purify their bodies in its waters, before going to the nearby cremation ground. There they sacrificed themselves on large bonfires, rather than be taken by the enemy. However, following the 1303 siege, the cavern's entrance was closed.