| The district is named after the capital of the former princely state of Dungarpur. Dungar means a hill or a mountain and pur means a town, thus Dungarpur means a hill town. Rawal Veer Singh
Dev took over this part of the state from the Bhil Chieftain Dungaria and laid the foundation of the city as well as of the Old Palace on 14 October 1282 AD. The district is wild and rugged
being situated in the foothills of the Aravalis. The terrain though fairly open in the south and east is interspersed with stony slopes covered with low jungle of cactus, jujube trees and
salar (Boswellia Servata, gum producing tree). A variety of shrubs and trees which require neither a deep soil nor moisture also grow in this area. In the north and the east the country is rugged and
wild but towards the south west border the harsh features gradually become softer. The eastern part of the Gujarat region, slopes down towards the basin of the Mahi river and consists of a
plain and a level cultivated area. Two rivers, the Mahi & the Som, flow through the area. The former separates the districts from Banswara and the latter forms the natural boundary between this
district and Udaipur. The cultivated area is mostly confined to the valley and low ground between the hills where the soil is alluvial. Dungarpur is famous for its particular style of
architecture. The palaces of the Dungarpur princes and the residence ot the noble ones are adorned by stone jharokhas and a new style of jharokhas which was developed by Maharawal Shiv Singh
reign (1730-1785 AD). The gold and silversmiths of Dungarpur and Banswara are well known for lacquer painted toys and picture farming. |
