Observatory, Udaipur: see UDAIPUR SOLAR OBSERVATORY.

Old City Wall, Udaipur; a quite accessible part of it can be seen in the city's southern sector on City Station Road, east of Sajjan Niwas Garden. Nearby is the old gateway, Udiya Pol. See also GATES (POLS) IN UDAIPUR.

Old Fatehpura, a northern suburb of Udaipur.

Omras: see UMARA.

Onar Singh. There were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Bambora (Choondawat); Kelwa (Jaitmal Rathore), and Salumbar (Choondawat).

opium. This drug was considered a leisure opiate and was in fairly common use. For example, it was commonly used on the occasion of friendly visits between members of different families and, in company, after the evening meal. When two families were setting up an arranged marriage, sharing in the eating of opium was a sacred pledge of friendship, which could not be violated. A widow about to commit sati (suicide on her late husband's funeral pyre) used it as a sedative, as did warriors before going into battle, and especially the thousands of brave Rajput women who committed jauhar (mass self-immolation). See JAUHAR; PADMINI and CHITTOR, 1^ST SACK.

Osara (Courtyard of Ceremonies), a place of worship for the ladies of the palace, in the Zanana (Janana) Mahal, City Palace, Udaipur. This area, part of Laxmi Chowk, is now used for official ceremonies. See also ZANANA MAHAL.

Ozha, Rao Bahadur Gauri Shankar, author of History of Udaipur, an excellent source book for researchers and scholars (available only in Hindi). It was first published in 1928.