Mahasatiya (Cremation Site)

When Maharana Amar Singh I (1597-1620) died, he was cremated at Ahar, where he had spent his last days. At the same spot, his son, Maharana Karan Singh (1620-1628) raised a magnificent chhatri or cenotaph in memory of his father. Since then, Ahar has been the Mewar royal family's mahasati (cremation site). It is graced by memorial cenotaphs; handsome columns raised on lofty terraces support vaulted roofs, the architraves of which are enormous single blocks. All are constructed of white marble and are encircled by the sacred Gangabhar Kund (tank). Each was carved with decorations that resemble some 15th century temples located nearby and contain, in addition to the image of Shiva, a single upright stone on which are carved figures representing the Maharana and each of his Satis (his wives who perished in his cremation flames). Nineteen Maharanas who ruled and died in Udaipur have cenotaphs here, including Swaroop Singh, Shambhu Singh, Sajjan Singh, Fateh Singh, Bhupal Singh, and Bhagwat Singh Mewar. Another fine specimen is the cenotaph of Sangram Singh II who, in 1734, was cremated with twenty-one wives. It has a fifty-six pillared portico with an octagonal dome in the centre, supported by eight small pillars.