Established by Rawal Veer Singh in 1282, Dungarpur (the City of Hills) was one of the major cities of the Vagad region. Veer Singh acquired this land from the Bhil chief Dungaria from whom the place got its name. The rulers here were a faction of the Sisodias (ruling dynasty of Udaipur) who had separated themselves from the main branch in the 12th century. Several stories relate to this fact, among which the best is the one that refers to the misunderstanding between the heir apparent of Mewar and his father, the Rana. In those days it was customary for the bride’s family to send a ceremonial coconut to the groom’s family which was to be accepted by the groom himself. It so happened that the Rana mistakenly accepted the coconut sent for the prince. Whereupon the prince got annoyed and said that since the father had received the coconut he might as well marry the girl. With this parting shot he left for Dungarpur with his followers to establish a kingdom by the same name. The prince’s younger brother inherited the Mewar kingdom while the elder happily ruled the Dungarpur region of Rajistan. Later this rough country was taken over by the East India Company in 1818

Dungarpur district is the stronghold of the Bheels, a tribe whose history of occupancy in the Aravalli range is said to date back to 4000 BC.Founded in 1197. The rulers of Dungarpur claim descent from the Rajput house of Mewar. The first rulers of Dungarpur were Kunwar Mahap and his descendants who resided in the town of Galiankot, where their ruined castle still stands. Towards the end of the 12th century, Samant Singh, the eldest son of the ruler of Mewar, had to leave Mewar in favor of his younger brother Kumar Singh. Samant Singh drifted into the hilly area of Bagar and, within the next century, Samant Singh's successors controlled the whole province of Bagar. Rawal Udai Singh of Bagar was killed at the battle of Khanua in 1527, fighting for Mewar against Moghul Emperor Babur. His territory was thereafter divided between his two sons, forming two separate states. Prithvi Raj remained in Dungarpur while his brother Jagmal Singh became independent ruler of Banswara.

The district Dungarpur is named after 'the town of hillocks' and the capital of the former princely state of Dungarpur. It is located in the southern part of Rajasthan between 23o20' and 24o01' north latitude and 73o21' and 74o01' east longitude. The town of Dungarpur itself is said to have been a Bhil ' Pal' or a hamlet of 'Dungaria', a Bhil Chieftain whom Rawal Veer Singh Dev caused to be assassinated in the fourteenth century. Whatever may be the legend about the beginning of the settlements in the district, there is no doubt that it formed the part of the territory known in history as ' Bagar' or 'Vagad' with ' Vatpadrak', present 'Baroda' (a village in Aspur tehsil) as its old capital.

Fastival in Dungarpur:

Vagad Festival:
In the celebration Dungarpur does not lack in festivals. The Vagad Festival is a beautiful amalgamation of folk music and local amusement like archery competitions.

Baneshwar Fair in Dungarpur:
Baneshwar Fair (17-23 Feb 2000), a famous tribal festival at the Baneshwar Temple. This fair is held on the full moon day in the month of February when hundreds of Bhils from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh take a holy dip at the confluence of the Mahi and Som rivers. Magic shows and acrobatic skills are on display as a part of the festivities.

Holi:
Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated in an interesting way with gair dances by the tribals in their bright clothes and swords, arrows and sticks.

Bar Bij Fair:
The Bar Bij Fair is held a month after Diwali, the festival of lights.

Diwali:
Diwali is an important festival of Hindus and is also celebrated thoroughly by the Bhils of Dungarpur. The tribals show up in all their finery and sing, dance and revel in their celebrations.

Places to see in Dungarpur:

Juna Mahal:
The seven storey palace, Juna Mahal was built in stages between 13th and 18th centuries. It is filled with many old frescoes.

Rajmata Devendra Kunwar State Museum:
The Government run museum has pieces from 6th century. They are well displayed but the captions are in Hindi.

Deo Somnath Temple:
The beautiful Deo Somnath Temple about 25 km north of town, dates back to the 12th century. An amazing banyan tree which .

Galiakot:
About 50 km south east of Dungarpur is the important Muslim Pilgrimage center of Galiakot.

Baneshwar:
Baneshwar is the confluence of three holy rivers: the Mahi, Som and Jakham. In January - February the week long Baneshwar Fair