slaves: see SERVANTS IN FEUDAL MEWAR.

sloka: see SHLOKA.

smarak (sometimes incorrectly spelled smark), (Hindi) a memorial, either in the form of a chhatri or a statue. See PRATAP SMARAK.

Sobhag Pura, Udaipur; a northern suburb, adjoining Bhupal Pura.

Sobhag Singh. There were a couple of leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Bemali (Choondawat); Nimbahera (Mertia Rathore); and Sobhag Singh, second son of Sher Singh, ruler of the jagir of Bagore; he died young. See also SHER SINGH AND THE BAGORE LINE.

Sogdoi, the town on the Indus River in western Rajputana (now in Pakistan) where Maharana PRATAP SINGH I decided to resettle, far from the Mughals who had overrun his beloved Mewar and who, he finally considered, would never be driven out of India. However, because of the patriotism and overwhelming generosity of his Treasurer, BHARMA SHAH, and a persuasive letter from PRITHIRAJ, he changed his mind and returned to Mewar. See PRATAP SINGH I, MAHARANA.

Sohan Singh. There were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Bagore (Ranawat); Bambori (Paramara); Gurlan (Chauhan), and Sardargarh (Dodia Rajput).

Solanki, a clan of Mewar, who held the jagirs of Rupnagar and Marchya Khedi.

Solar Boat Cruise, part of the Commercial Division of the MAHARANA MEWAR INSTITUTION TRUST. As the name suggests, they supply solar powered cruise boats for relaxing cruising on Pichola Lake.

Solar Observatory: see UDAIPUR SOLAR OBSERVATORY.

Som River: see NATURAL FEATURES OF MEWAR.

Sompura Depa, architect of the Ranakpur temple complex. See RANAKPUR, FOUNDING OF.

Songir, the 'golden mount' in Jalor, on which stands the fort of Jalor, which belonged to the Chauhans of Ajmer. They adopted the name Songara as distinctive of their tribe.

Sonhagpura, a suburb of Udaipur.

Soorajmal: see SURAJMAL.

Sorath: see SAURASHTRA.

Sorathdes: see SAURASHTRA.

Southrons. According to James TOD in his ANNALS AND ANTIQUITIES OF RAJASTHAN, this was another name for the Maratha invaders who came from what is now Maharashtra, south of Mewar.

Sri Nathji, Lord Krishna as a boy. See NATHDWARA.

Sringar Chavri, Chittorgarh; a small, lavishly carved Jain temple, erected in a break in NAULAKHA BHANDAR. There are two doors to the temple, one on the north, the other on the west. In the middle of the floor stands an elevated platform, upon which are four carved pillars supporting four beams. Beautiful carvings on its outer walls represent gods, goddesses, animals and dancing figures. Bhandari Belka, son of Maharana Kumbha's Treasurer, Shah Kelha, built it (1448). Originally, the temple was dedicated to, and enshrined an idol of, Shanti Nath, the sixteenth Jain Tirthankara. It was also a chavri, a place where marriage ceremonies were performed. (It is thought that Kumbha's daughter was married there.)

stambh, (Hindi) a pillar or column.

sthal, (Hindi) an open space. Examples: a meeting place is sabha sthal; a marriage place is vivah sthal; a place where a widow commits sati is a sati sthal.