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Sandhur - Indian Princely State

Indian Princely State

image by Blas Delgado Ortiz

Source: Indian Princely States

State Flag

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The little state of Sandhur had a flag outstanding because of its story - legendary and real. The name of the dynasty, which reigned there, Ghorpad, means "lizard" and traces its origin from the following. In 1469, at the assault on the fort of Khelna (now Vishalgar, on the coast west of Kolhapur) the Mahratta princes Karna Sinha and Bhim Sinha (father and son) climbed, the first sacrificing his life, a peak with the assistance of a huge lizard (in reality a varan) named Ghorpade in Mahratti - The Ghorpad can stick fast to any surface and a number of adults can use this force to scale a vertical cliff with the help of a rope, one end of which is tied to the Ghorpad - and from this stemmed that princely name. (The same story is told about the assault of Sinhagahr (the Lion's fort) - see also http://www.balagokulam.org/teach/biographies/tanaji.html.

The lizard became the emblem of the family, portrayed in grey color and surmounted by a saffron umbrella with a grey skeleton, posted on the Zari Patka (gold field) with the form of the sun with rays colored saffron. The Zari Patka was the gift of Sivaji Chhatrapati to the Ghorpads as a reward of their courage and sacrifice for the Mahratta cause. The Huzur Standard consists of a saffron flag with a roundel (the Bhagwa Zenda). The state flag was saffron with a canton in black on white (occupying c. 1/4 of the field). Source: Ziggioto (1998)
Jarig Bakker, 15 June 2002

From Filcher (1984):

State Flag

by Chrystian Kretowicz

From Filcher (1984):

PRINCIPALITY OF SANDUR
Princely States of Madras Presidency, Present-day Tamil Nadu

(no gun salute)
Area: 433 sq. km
Acceded to the Union of India on April 1, 1949. Founded about 1700

"The flag for the state use is rectangular of saffron (orange) color with the black over white bicolor in the canton.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 12 January 2003

Armed Forces

by Chrystian Kretowicz

The Armed Forces, the famous "Ghorpades of Sandur", have a triangular flag displaying the old Maratha Empire emblem, the "Zari Patka" in saffron, on white. The triangle's upper and lower edges are black."
Chrystian Kretowicz, 12 January 2003