RAS question
Pichola Lake in Udaipur was constructed by:
Correct answer: (D) A Banjara (tribal) named Pichhu.
Pichola Lake in Udaipur was created in 1362 AD by Pichhu Banjara, a Banjara tribesman, during the reign of Maharana Lakha of Mewar.
Explanation
Pichola Lake is an artificial freshwater lake in Udaipur, and its original creation is tied to Pichhu Banjara, not to a Maharana as the primary builder. Sea Water Sports records that the lake was created in 1362 AD by Pichhu Banjara, a Banjara tribesman, during the reign of Maharana Lakha of the Mewar dynasty. This distinction matters because Maharana Lakha provides the ruling-period context, while Pichhu is named as the person who created the lake. Maharana Udai Singh II later extended the lake after founding Udaipur, including work on a dam on its eastern shore.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharana Lakha is linked to the period in which Pichola Lake was created, but the builder named for its creation is Pichhu Banjara.
- (B) Maharana Udai Singh II extended the lake later, so his role explains its expansion, not its original construction.
- (C) Maharana Fateh Singh was a later Mewar ruler and is not connected here with the 1362 AD creation of Pichola Lake.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's lake geography through the historical origin of a major Udaipur lake. Such questions recur in RAS because lakes are asked not just by location, but also by builders, ruling periods and later modifications.