Sunday, March 25, 2001		Article

FOR many years I had nurtured a desire to personally visit the old Jat bastions of Bharatpur, Deeg and Kumher in eastern Rajputana. The State of Bharatpur, carved out of the crumbling Mughal empire in the early 18th century of the Circa by Thakur Badan Singh, father of Maharaja Suraj Mal, has ever been a source of pride and inspiration for the Jats of India. For once, portions of erstwhile Gurgaon and Rohtak districts and parts of the Ganga-Jamuna Doab were under the domain of the powerful Jat Rajas of Bharatpur.

In modern tourist literature circulated by travel agencies and Rajasthan State Tourism Department, Deeg does not find as attractive a mention as the other more frequented and well-known places like Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jaipur. But things are opening up now and many edifices of old rulers are being converted into heritage hotels. Deeg has escaped till now.

I arrived at Deeg in a state transport bus. From Govardhan it was only half-an-hour’s journey. The entrance to Deeg was through a winding, narrow and dusty metalled road and the passengers could view the huge walls of a castle blackened due to centuries-old dried up moss and lichens. The conductor dropped me near the deserted Sinh Pol, i.e., the Lion Gate or main entrance to the fountain palaces. It was already a bit hot in the morning at this time of the year. Even occasional tourist lodges and hotels have not come up at Deeg, as it is not part of the usual tourist itinerary. Once in a while, foreign tourist groups or an occasional research scholar arrives here only to return to a cosy and comfortable hotel at Mathura or Agra to spend the night. By all means, I felt comfortable at the Dak Bungalow. However, the rent at the nearby Circuit House accommodation was four to five times higher than at the Dak Bungalow. Later I discovered that the food served at a nearby dhaba run by a Faujdar was fresh and affordable.

Deeg is a very old town, mentioned in the Skand Puran. In Bhagawat Puran, it has been called Dirgh or Dirghpur, from which the present name Deeg is said to be derived. The town is situated to the south of Manas Nadi, the south-eastern branch of the Ruparel river. In order to protect the town from flood waters during the monsoons, a couple of bunds were built by the Jat rulers. During the times of the Jat rajas, a high and thick mud wall with several ramparts was built around the town to protect it from invaders. The vestiges of the masonry wall can still be seen on the western side but most of the mud fortifications are in ruins and have been washed away by successive rains in the last two centuries.

Even the enclosure wall around the complex of Bhavans is of medium height and thickness and has been built from rubble. Between the Bhavans complex and the fort is situated a very large masonry water tank, called Roop Sagar. Immediately upon entering from the Sinh Pol the magnificent view of the bhavans, water courses and fountains, a rectangular and manicured garden, greenery and big shady trees captivate the eye. Massive structures built during the reigns of Badan Singh and his heir Maharaja Suraj Mal enchant visitors.

The most impressive and lofty structure is the double-storey Gopal Bhavan situated on the deeper side of the Gopal Sagar. It is flanked on the north by Sawan Pavilion and on the south by Bhadon Pavilion. In fact, had it not been for these two ornate pavilions, the building would not have been so charming. It looks beautiful when viewed from the other side of the Gopal Sagar. The evening sun rays paint the Gopal Bhavan and the Sawan-Bhadon pavilions in a golden hue.

The grey sandstone with which this and other buildings or bhavans were built reflects the wisdom of the architects and designers of the Jat rulers. Awash in the golden rays of the evening sun, the reflection of the Gopal Bhavan in the still waters of the Gopal Sagar presents an almost unreal view and looks as if some ancient ship were floating on the high seas. It is hard to describe the beauty of the Bhavan and its reflection in words. One has to be physically present at site to fully appreciate it. The roofs built in the Gajaprastha-style (like an elephant’s back) with beautiful pinnacles, jaali-covered arches with pillar supports, intricately carved brackets and built one upon the other, three storeys two of them immersed in water, make each of the pavilions an unmatched romantic resort. The waterfront wall of the Gopal Bhavan has narrow, arched windows to let fresh and cool air enter the building. The interior design of this Bhavan also presents some unique features. Besides its marble floored rooms, the central upper hall has dining stones laid in an oval manner where the food could be taken only by sitting cross-legged. Indeed, Maharaja Suraj Mal inspired the designers to shape this dining table which afforded equal status to each one present. The events and lifestyle of those glorious days when this palace was Suraj Mal’s abode have not been recorded. Gopal Bhavan’s design suggests that it might have been used as a state guesthouse where Suraj Mal entertained his friends and dignitaries. His successors followed suit, but, later they added English-style furniture and articles for interior decoration. Much of that is also missing, since articles of personal significance and value to the Royal family might have been removed to the city palace at Bharatpur long ago when the A.S.I. decided to take over the Deeg Palaces.

There are numerous water channels and fountains meticulously laid in the middle of the masonry platforms in front of each Bhavan. The fountains used to be run on water released from 203 channels hidden in the walls of an overhead reservoir, the dimensions of which are 135 x 104 x 6.75 feet. The water-holding capacity of this reservoir is 94,770 cubic feet. It was filled with the aid of a pair of bullocks who pulled substantial quantity of water in a ‘charas’ (a leather bucket made of dried buffalo skin) from two capacious and practically inexhaustible wells situated at either corner in the southern wall.

The technology used here was unparalleled in the history of architecture of those times in India. The pipes were specially cast of fine clay and locally burnt and laid as a jigsaw puzzle, hitherto unknown, through the thick walls of the building supporting the reservoir. The appreciation of the designers lies in the fact that these pipes and channels are functional even to this day.

Another spectacular building called Suraj Bhavan, named after its builder, is made of marble. Consists of a single storey and is devised as a square of 26.80 metres with a flat roof of a height of 6.70 metres. The rich material and general architectural treatment of the Suraj Bhavan reminds one of Shah Jahan’s structural products and its design too bears affinities with earlier Mughal edifices. It is said that the marble used for this building was extracted by Jawahar Singh from buildings in the Dilli fort, probably in use by royal princesses. The grey and slightly pinkish sandstone used for raising other buildings in the complex was quarried from the State mines in the north at Bansi-Paharpur villages. This sandstone is harder and appropriate for fine relief carving than the red stone used by the Mughals. Suraj Bhavan is a sort of a jewel piece among other buildings around. Its interior as well the exterior is soothing to eyes and exudes a cool effect, owing to the character of marble. Since Bharatpur is no less notorious for high temperatures during summer season, the buildings like the Suraj Bhavan could keep its occupants cool and comfortable. In a relaxed ambience, the occupants of the Suraj Bhavan could beat the heat with lotus fountains carved in the floor of the main hall and water channels and cascading water falls built into the verandas. The Jat ladies of the royal household used to stay in Suraj Bhavan during the day.

Another landmark building is the Roop Sagar, a huge reservoir of water. Domestic cattle can enter the tank through a ‘cattle quay’. I observed a horde of urchins indulging in water sports here. The bathing and washing ghats remain crowded with womenfolk till late in the afternoon. The masonry walls and several ghats of the Roop Sagar are intact even after 270 years. It was said to have been constructed by Badan Singh in the memory of his elder brother Roop Singh who had died issueless. The huge masonry tank was built on a depression and the mound of the earth dumped on its western bank was later levelled and all the Bhavans were built on this site. The Roop Sagar measures 270 x 270 feet and is 20 feet deep. It is still surrounded by a high protective wall built with rubble and fixed in chuna. Several large vat, neem and peepul trees stand on its northern bank to refresh the air. A fine well and a temple devoted to Gopinath (Lord Krishna) and an adjoining sarai were built in 1917 A.D. on its north-western corner by a local money-lender Gobind Lal Garg, the reputed son of Narayan Lal of the town. This inexhaustible well still yields sweet and potable water to the neighbouring households. Roop Sagar, contrary to its name, nowadays presents a very ugly picture. People do not hesitate to defecate on its long quays and garbage is indiscriminately thrown into it. Its pucca floor has not been probably cleaned for over a century.

Touching the eastern side of the huge Roop Sagar is the impregnable Fort of Deeg. This massive castle was raised by Suraj Mal in 1730 A.D. in his capacity as a prince. This formidable edifice has a square plan. Its walls are made of rubble and mud and measure over 64 feet in height and 4 metres in thickness. They have been strengthened with 12 imposing bastions, the largest being towards the north-west corner known as Lakkha Burj or the principal watch-tower. From this 70-foot-high tower, one could keep a watch on the neighbouring countryside for as far away as 10 km on a very clear day. It was also used as a flagstaff tower. There are a number of high mud towers inside the fort.

A couple of artillery guns can still be seen rusting on a few mud towers and southern ramparts. No attempt was ever made to restore them to their rightful places. The whole Fort structure presents a scene of utter neglect by the caretakers. The gun barrels were cast in the foundry of the State. The protective high walls of the fort are at least four metres wide.

All the Bhavans, the Roop Sagar and the fort lie towards the south of the town of Deeg. Some remoteness from the township was necessary since the plan envisaged that the townspeople should not be unnecessarily disturbed while the Jat Royals were either raising new buildings or conducting the business of the State, or, when the State troops were moving in and out. Two centuries later, Deeg is like any other small town in India, slowly moving towards modernity.

It is better to visit the town just after the end of the rainy season or during winter season when the days are clear.