Sudarshana Lake is an artificial lake located in the semi-arid region of
Kathiawar
Kathiawar (), also known as Saurashtra, is a peninsula in the south-western Gujarat state in India, bordering the Arabian Sea and covering about . It is bounded by the Kutch district in the north, the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest, and by the ...
. The lake was originally commissioned by
and later renovated by several kings across different dynasties.
History
Sudarshana Lake was originally constructed by Pushyagupta, a governor under the Maurya emperor
(c. 320–297 BCE). The lake was built as part of a water conservation project in the semi-arid region of Kathiawar, now Gujarat. Later, during the reign of
Ashoka
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...
(c. 268–232 BCE), the lake underwent renovations by
Tushaspha, a governor appointed by Ashoka.
The lake suffered damage in the 2nd century CE due to heavy rains, which led to a breach in the dam. In 150 CE,
Rudradaman I, a king of the
Western Kshatrapas, undertook a major renovation as recorded in the
Junagadh Rock Inscription of Rudradaman
The Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman, also known as the Girnar Rock inscription of Rudradaman, is a Sanskrit prose inscribed on a rock by the Western Satraps ruler Rudradaman I. It is located near Girnar hill near Junagadh, Gujarat, In ...
. The lake was also repaired by Suvisakha, a Parthian governor under Rudradaman.
The lake was also restored by Chakrapalita, the son of Parnadatta, the governor of Saurashtra under King
Skandagupta
Skandagupta (Gupta script: ''Ska-nda-gu-pta'', r. –467) was a Gupta Empire, Gupta Emperor of India. His Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta, Bhitari pillar inscription suggests that he restored the Gupta power by defeating his enemies, ...
. Chakrapalita repaired the breach and rebuilt the embankment—100 cubits long, 68 cubits wide, and as tall as seven men—in just two months.
Architecture
Sudarshana Lake has an elaborate system of channels and conduits that were constructed to direct water into the lake. The embankment of the lake was reportedly 100 cubits long, 68 cubits wide, and 7 cubits high.
See also
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Tushaspha
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Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman
The Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman, also known as the Girnar Rock inscription of Rudradaman, is a Sanskrit prose inscribed on a rock by the Western Satraps ruler Rudradaman I. It is located near Girnar hill near Junagadh, Gujarat, In ...
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Saurashtra
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Western Satraps
The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas (Brahmi: , ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps") were Indo-Scythian (Saka) rulers of the western and central parts of India (extending from Saurashtra in the south and Malwa in the east, covering moder ...
References
Bibliography
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Artificial lakes of India
Lakes of Gujarat