Dausa, Rajasthan, India

The Kachwaha Rajputs of Central India first moved into Rajasthan through Dausa, which was then ruled partly by the Chauhans and partly by the Birgoojur Rajputs. Dulhe Rai (also known as Tej Karan) the Kachwaha descendent of Gwalior, married the daughter of Ralhan, the Chauhan ruler of Ajmer. He received Dausa as dowry, which was part of the Dhundhar region of Rajasthan. The Meenas Kings were the early rulers of Dhundhar. In 1037 AD, Dulhe Rai annexed the land from the tribe of Meenas and made Dausa his capital. He further initiated the conquest of Khoh and other areas of the Birgoojur Rajputs. Dhundhar region includes the present districts of Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Tonk and northern part of Karauli.

Such is the pedigree of a city called Dausa that one would expect this historic city to look something like Jaipur or Amber. After all, the Kachwahas ultimately moved their capital to Amber and then finally to Jaipur. What you see today is a sleepy little city where nobody has heard of Mataji ka Mandir, Pratap Vatika or even the Balaji Mahadev Temple.

The District of Dausa is basically known for the Chand Baori (step well) at Abhineri. The Baori has come into focus after the release of a popular film “Paheli”. The megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee have created such awareness of this spectacular monument. Legend has it that the Baori was built by ghosts in one night. The sculptures surrounding the Baori are artistic and a marvel of excellence for their craftsmanship. This could be an enormous draw for the tourism business for the District of Dausa.

The city of Dausa has a Shiv Temple called Neel Kanth Mahadev Temple on top of a hill where a large stone Linga was found with only its top visible above the ground. The temple is located on the Aravalli mountain range and has quite a steep climb to the top. Unfortunately, before you approach the temple complex, you have to go through a sizable community of houses with small, narrow lanes leading up to the base of the temple and the 200 year old monument is totally unprotected. It is likely that you would come across some riff-raffs, even before you decide to make the climb. Mr. Sachin Pilot, the Lok Sabha member from Dausa can look into this predicament and make a contribution.

The other monument of consequence in the city of Dausa is the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Jamaluddin Shah Baba. Few in the city have heard about this Dargah and when you reach the shrine, the people in and around are very helpful and courteous. Unfortunately, the Khadims at the Dargah have no clue about the story of Hazrat Khwaja Jamaluddin Shah Baba. They all were either born or brought up within the Dargah complex. The Dargah itself is a modest monument, located in peaceful surroundings. Despite the unfortunate lack of knowledge, it is generally believed that nobody ever returns from there without getting one’s wishes fulfilled.