Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/377

 Decexbxb, 1873.] LEGEND OP THE RANI TUNE. 389 LEGEND OF THE RANI TUNK. BY HAJOB J. W. WATSON, ACTING POLITICAL SUPERINTENDENT, PALANPUB. TpHE Surbakri Hills are a subordinate portion J- of the great Aravali range, and at their western extremity is a conical peak called the Rani Tnnk. This peak is a conspicuous feature in the landscape from Disa, and the peak itself is only about a mile and a half from the town of D&ntiwara, under Palanpur. This small peak can be seen by the traveller between Disa and Abu (lying to the right of the road) as far as Reodar, and it can be discerned on a clear day from Abu itself. Near the foot of the peak is the site of the ruined city of Dharapura and the Dharasar tank The legend regarding this tunic or peak is as follows :— Chandan Soda, Chief of Nagar Parkar, went one day to one of his villages bordering the Ran, for shikar. One morning he roused a noble boar in the village fields. As he was mounted on his good steed and had his trusty lance in his hand, he gave chase; the boar went straight across the Ran, and Chandan Soda followed it. At length evening drew near, but, as the moon was full, Chandan Soda did not draw rein, and at last the boar reached the Wagar side of the Ran. Chandan Soda still urged on his panting steed, and as the dawn broke he overtook the now exhausted boar and laid him dead at his feet with one thrust of his spear: this happened close to the walls of Kela- kot, where reigned the celebrated Lakha Phu- lini. The following duho describes the magni¬ ficence and pomp of Lakha:—

Lakha, the son of Ocean, took an incarnation at the house of Phul. O Lakha, in thy darbur the pigeons feed on pearls, On the saddles of thy steeds diamonds, O thou of surpassing wisdom, L&kha Phulani, Hindu King of the West! On seeing the boar speared by Chandan Soda, a villager informed Lakha Phulani that a stranger had ventured to spear a boar close to his castle walls. Lakha Phulani, indignant that any one should venture to hunt without per¬ mission in his domains, at once mounted, and taking with him a troop of horsemen soon over¬ took Chandan Soda. Observing their hostile in¬ tentions, Chandan Soda appealed to Lakha in person and asked him why he was following him to slay him without cause. Lakha re¬ proached him with having slain his boar. Chan¬ dan Soda replied: “ The boar is not yours, but one of mine I chased from my fields on the other shore of the Ran.” Lakha refused to believe this, as the distance w*as so great, and threatened Chandan Soda with instant death. In this extremity Chandan Soda proposed that the stomach of the boar should be ripped open, and that if bujri-ears and water-melons were found in it, then it would be clear that the boar came from his (Chandan Soda’s) country, where¬ as if its stomach contained sugarcane or pulse, that he would agree that the boar belonged to LakhA Phulani. Lakha Phulani then said : “And if the boar be mine, what then?” Chandan Soda replied: “ And if the boar be mine, what then ?” Eventually they agreed that if the boar should turn out to be Lakha Phu- lani’s, Chandan Soda should submit to impri¬ sonment at that Chiefs pleasure and pay a heavy ransom for his release, but that if the boar should be Chandan Soda’s, then Lakha agreed to give Chandan Soda his daughter Phulmati in marriage. The boar was now ripped open, and bdjri-ears and water-melons were found in its stomach, as Chandan Soda had said. Chandan now claimed the performance of Lakha’s promise. Lakha ji held a kacfteri and solemnly betrothed Phulmati to Chandan Soda. He then dismissed Chandan Soda with honour, and told him to return to celebrate his nuptials as soon as ho should receive an invita¬ tion. Chandan now returned to Parkar. After Chandan’s departure, Phulmati’s mother and all Lakha’s court declared that he would be disgraced if he married his daughter to Chandan Soda, who was but a small Chief comparatively with Lakha the King of the West. To all their remonstrances Lakha replied: “ I will never go back from my plighted word.” One of his ministers suggested that there was a mode of