About Futala Lake:
- Futala Lake, also known as Telankhedi Lake, is located in the western part of Nagpur, Maharashtra.
- It is believed to be more than 200 years old.
- It is spread over 60 acres.
- Built by the Bhonsle kings of Nagpur, this lake is known for its colourful fountains.
- The lake is surrounded on three sides by forest and a landscaped beach on the fourth side.
Key Facts about Bhonsle Dynasty:
- The Bhonsle or Bhonsale (pronounced Bhoslay) were a prominent Maratha clan who served as rulers of several states in India.
- Raghuji Bhonsle of Berar founded the dynasty in 1730. The most prominent member of the clan was Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire.
- His successors ruled as maharajas from their capital at Satara, although "de facto'' rule of the empire passed to the Peshwas, the Marathas' hereditary chief ministers, during the reign of Shahu I.
- In addition to the Bhonsle Maharajas of Satara, rulers of the Bhonsle clan established themselves at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu in the 17th century, and at Nagpur and Kolhapur in modern-day Maharashtra in the 18th century.
- The Bhonsle of Thanjavur were descendants of Sivaji's half-brother Venkaji, while the Bhonsle of Nagpur and Kolhapur were descended from Sivaji's sons, Sambhaji and Rajaram.
- After the British defeat of the Marathas in the third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the Marathas were forced to accept British rule. The four Bhonsle dynasties continued as rulers of their princely states, acknowledging British sovereignty while retaining local autonomy.
- The states of Nagpur, Thanjavur, and Satara came under direct British rule in the mid-nineteenth century when their rulers died without male heirs; Kolhapur continued as a princely state until India's independence in 1947, when the rulers acceded to the Indian government.
