shloka (sometimes spelled sloka), a chapter or poetic couplet in Sanskrit from Vedic or other religious texts, for invoking the Gods. There were many black marble tablets with shloka inscriptions on Chittor's Tower of Victory, which gave the whole genealogy of the Rulers of Chittor. Unfortunately, Muslim invaders, bent on wholesale iconoclasm broke and defaced all but one slab containing two shlokas, numbers 172 and 183.

shooting box (khasi odi), either a cylindrical or square stone structure, from the safety of which royal hunters and their guests could shoot passing game, including tigers. A typical example can be seen halfway up the hill immediately south of Shiv Niwas Palace, Udaipur.

Shri Eklingji Trust, part of the Non Commercial Division of the MAHARANA MEWAR INSTITUTION TRUST, a Religious Trust for the preservation and perpetuation of Puja of Shri Eklingji in the old Paddhatis (forms of worship).

Shri Goverdhan Trust, part of the Non Commercial Division of the MAHARANA MEWAR INSTITUTION TRUST, concerned with ecology and the environment; particularly the preservation of forests and wildlife.

Shri Raghunath Temple: see MT. ABU.

Shri Shiv Shakti Peeth, Udaipur, a Religious Trust for students of religion and those studying social welfare. Now a part of the MAHARANA MEWAR SPECIAL LIBRARY.

Shrubs and Herbs of Mewar: see NATURAL FEATURES OF MEWAR.

Shuchi Verma, Rawal, twenty-second ruler of Mewar (r. 1007-1021); succeeded Rawal AMBA PRASAD and ruled for fourteen years from Ahar. Very little is known of his reign. His son, NAR VERMA, succeeded him. See also MEWAR'S LOST GENERATIONS.

Shyam Singh. There were a couple of leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Bavlas (Sisodia), and Jharol (Jhala).

Shyamal-das, an historian commissioned by Maharana SAJJAN SINGH (1874-1884) to write a history of Mewar, which gave birth to the valuable work, the VIR VINOD. Today, a copy of Shyamal-das's book can be found in the new MAHARANA MEWAR SPECIAL LIBRARY. It has not been translated into English.