RAS question
The Eklingji Temple near Udaipur is the tutelary deity temple of which dynasty?
Correct answer: (D) Guhila/Sisodia (Mewar).
The Eklingji Temple near Udaipur is the tutelary deity temple of the Guhila/Sisodia rulers of Mewar.
Explanation
Eklingji Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva near Udaipur, is tied to the Mewar ruling house rather than to Rajasthan's other major Rajput lineages. The Arvind Singh Mewar official website states that the principal deity of Shri Eklingji Temple is the personal family deity of the Maharanas of Mewar and that the shrine was founded by Bappa Rawal. The Guhila/Sisodia rulers of Mewar treated Eklingji as their tutelary deity, with the Maharana understood as the Diwan, or servant, of Eklingji. Therefore, the dynasty association tested here is Mewar's Guhila/Sisodia line, not Rathore, Chauhan, or Kachwaha.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rathores are not associated with Eklingji; the temple is linked specifically to the Mewar ruling house.
- (B) Chauhans are not the dynasty indicated by the Eklingji tradition; the deity is the personal family deity of the Maharanas of Mewar.
- (C) Kachwahas are ruled out because the temple's tutelary association is with Mewar's Guhila/Sisodia rulers, not with the Kachwaha line.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan art-and-culture link between a major temple, a ruling dynasty, and royal legitimacy. Such deity-dynasty associations recur in RAS because they connect political history with religious patronage and regional identity.