Some Famous Sculptors & Architects of Mewar
Summary
Ratna Chandra Agrawala surveys inscriptions from fifteenth‑century Mewar to reconstruct the genealogies of families of sculptors and architects. The Śṛṅgī Ṛṣi inscription of Vikrama year 1485, issued by Mahārāna Mokala, credits the epigraph to Phāṅa, son of Hādā, ‘the foremost of all masons’ and a devotee of Nārāyaṇa. An unpublished inscription from Kadiyān dated V.S. 1500 refers to Hādā and his sons, including Phaga (Phāṅa), confirming a family of celebrated artisans. The paper then introduces Vijala and his son Maṇā, who repaired the Samīdhēśvara temple at Chittor during Mokala’s reign. An inscription of V.S. 1485 lists Vijala’s descendants, including Mana’s sons Visa and Viśāla, and demonstrates that this clan of sūtradhāras (master builders) worked on royal projects. Agrawala tabulates these lineages to show interlinked families. The author next examines copper‑plate grants and epigraphs of Maharana Kumbha (r. 1433‑68). A copper‑plate of V.S. 1482 records that Mokala summoned Mandana, an expert architect from Gujarat, to oversee royal constructions. Subsequent inscriptions reveal Mandana’s sons, Govinda and Liara (Livara), and his grandson Chitara, continuing the profession. On Kumbha’s Kirttistambha at Chittor, a V.S. 1499 inscription identifies the sūtradhāra Jaita (Ja‑i‑tā) as chief architect and names his sons Nipa, Punja and Pima. Later inscriptions mention Jaita’s other sons Bhīami and Cithi and his brother Nārada. Another epigraph states that Balarāja, son of Jaita, carved an image for the Adbhut temple. Agrawala organises this mass of data into two genealogical tables: one for Mandana’s family (Kṣetra → Mandana → Govinda & Livara → Chitara) and another for Jaita’s family (Lakṣa → Jaita & Nārada → Nipa, Pima, Punja, Bhīami, Cithi, Balarāja). By collating the inscriptions, the article demonstrates that masonry and sculpture in Mewar were hereditary professions practiced by closely related clans. The masons enjoyed royal patronage and contributed to iconic monuments such as the Kirttistambha and the temples of Ekalingji and Chittor. Their inscriptions, rich with pride in their craft, provide valuable insight into the social history of artisans in medieval Rajasthan.
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Conclusion
Through a meticulous compilation of inscriptions, the article reconstructs artisan lineages in fifteenth‑century Mewar and shows how skills in architecture and sculpture were passed down through families. Royal benefaction under Mokala and Kumbha enabled masons like Hādā, Phāṅa, Mandana and Jaita to leave lasting monuments. The study highlights the social status of sūtradhāras and illustrates the importance of epigraphic sources for understanding the lives of medieval craftsmen.