the lake is dedicated to Devayani. The legend has it that Shakambhari Devi, the tutelary goddess of Chauhan Rajputs (Prithviraj Chauhan) and the consort of Lord Shiva, converted a dense forest into a plain of silver as payment for some service. Subsequently, at the request of the inhabitants who dreaded the greed and strife that such a possession would beget, she transformed the silver plain into a lake. The name of the lake, Sambhar, stems from a variation Shakambhari, which happened around the sixth century. Another temple near the lakeshore is dedicated to Shakambhari Devi. In 1884, ancient sculpture art was discovered in the area as part of small-scale excavation work done in Sambhar Lake. During that excavation, some terracotta structures, coins, and seals were found along with a clay stupa. Sambhar sculpture art appears to be influenced by Buddhism. Later on, around 1934, a large-scale systematic and scientific excavation was conducted in which a large number of terracotta figurines, stoneware, and decorated discs were found. A number of these sculptures from Sambhar are present at the Albert Hall Museum. Tourism and filming destination Sambhar Mahotsav For the film Delhi-6 directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, production designer Samir Chanda recreated inner lanes of Old Delhi at Sambhar. Later for certain scenes, historic Jama Masjid was digitally added to the frame as a backdrop. Certain scenes of many other popular films have been shot around the lake and the main Sambhar Lake Town such as: Delhi-6 Veer Gulaal Highway Drona Zila Ghaziabad PK Tevar Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela Super 30 Bard of Blood Songs shot: DJ Wale Babu, "She move it like" - Badshah "Car Me Music Baja" - Neha Kakkar "Mar Gaye Meet Gaye Lut Gaye" - Hans Raj Hans "Lahore, Surma Surma" - Guru Randhawa On the 68th Republic Day of the India, Nissan GT-R set a world record in Limca Book of Records by making the largest outline of the map of India. It recreated the approximate outline of Indian map spanning 3 km in length and 2.8 km in width with a total outline periphery of 14.7 km at Sambhar Lake. Transport The nearest airports are Jaipur International Airport and Kishangarh Airport Commute through public transport: Sambhar Lake Town railway station, Phulera Junction railway station and RSRTC bus stand. Environmental concerns Rajasthan government confirms botulism killed thousands of birds at Sambhar Lake in Jaipur - INDIA TODAY;