Bhope Jo Tar is a historical village in Tharparkar’s Mithi taluka. It is located about 35 km southeast of Mithi town. The village is known for sacred spaces dedicated to Khetarpal (Khetarpar), Pabuji, and Dongar Puri. These sacred spaces play an important role in the religious and social life of the communities that worship there. They are not simply places of devotion but living cultural spaces where rituals are performed, beliefs are expressed, and connections with local deities and sacred traditions are maintained. Through regular visits, offerings, prayers, and other ritual practices, community members strengthen their sense of belonging and preserve religious traditions passed down through generations.
I visited this village with Hari Singh Dohat of Vejhiar village to study the sacred spaces in Bhope Jo Tar village.
The Thaan of Khetarpar
The Thaan of Khetarpar (also called Khetarpar Jo Marh) in Bhope Jo Tar is one of the village's most famous sacred spaces. Khetarpar is a folk deity whose Thaans, or Marh (shrines), are located in many villages in Tharparkar. Under the tree is placed a wooden tablet depicting a snake.
Celebrated as a protector of cattle and a warrior who honoured his promises, Pabuji occupies a central place in the oral epic tradition
The lower part of the tree is covered with cloth. Khetarpar protects the territory, lands, fields, and villages. In Bhope Jo Tar village, Dohat Rathore Rajputs, Bhils, and Meghwars venerate Khetarpar. Outside the village, many other communities visit and frequent Khetarpar Jo Thaan.
Pabuji Jo Thaan and the Rathore Legacy
Apart from Khetarpar, Pabuji Jo Thaan is another sacred space in Bhope Jo Tar village. It is one of the earliest Thaans in the village, established by Bhopo Amro Dohat Rathore, the village's founder. I met Heerji Bhopo, a descendant of Bhopo Amro, in 2016. I interviewed him about various sacred spaces in Bhope Jo Tar, particularly Pabuji Jo Thaan. He was the caretaker of Pabuji Jo Thaan. He died a few years ago.
Pabuji is a folk deity of Thar and is venerated by many communities. His Thaans are found in several villages of Tharparkar district. Five stone tablets lie inside the Thaan under the tree. One enters through the entrance to Pabuji Jo Thaan. The most prominent stone tablet, or Loharti, belongs to Pabuji Dhandal Rathore. It is partially broken. Pabuji is shown riding a horse, holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.
A partially broken image of Dhenbo Bhil is also depicted on Pabuji's stone tablet; Dhenbo also died along with Pabuji. Pabuji Dhandal Rathore died while retrieving the cattle of Deval Mata in the fourteenth century. It is believed that Pabuji’s brother Bhuro and a guard, Chando, also died in the encounter. In most of the Thaans in Tharparkar, one finds stone tablets of Pabuji. Recently built Thaans or shrines contain his posters and images.
Pabuji Rathore was a legendary Rajput hero and folk deity of Rajasthan, particularly associated with Kolu near Jodhpur, and is generally believed to have lived during the fourteenth century. Celebrated as a protector of cattle and a warrior who honoured his promises, Pabuji occupies a central place in the oral epic tradition known as Pabuji ki Phad. According to the legend, he left his own wedding ceremony to recover the cattle of the Charan woman Deval, which Jindrav (Jindrao) Khichi had taken. During the ensuing conflict, Jindrav Khichi killed Pabuji. His death was later avenged by his nephew Rupnath, the son of Pabuji's brother Buro, who killed Jindrav Khichi and subsequently renounced worldly life to become a holy man.
In Pabuji Jo Thaan, a stone tablet of Rupnath alias Jhararo is also found. He is also venerated by the local community, who know him as Jhararo (Rupnath). After renouncing the world, he became a follower of Gorakhnath. Gorakhnath's stone tablet is also found next to Jhararo's loharti (stone tablet) in Pabuji Jo Thaan. His loharti is broken in the middle. He is shown riding a horse and holding a sword.
Pabuji is the tutelary deity of the Rathores of Tharparkar. Along with Pabuji, Jhararo or Rupnath is also worshipped.
Next to the stone tablet of Pabuji is the Loharti of Bhopo Amro Rathore, after whom Bhope Jo Tar is named. Bhopo Amro Rathore is also shown riding a horse and holding a sword. A stone tablet of Gorakhnath is also found next to the Loharti of Jhararo. Apart from these stone tablets, or lohartis, a small stone fragment shows only a bust, probably of Lord Shiva. This is one of the most sacred spaces not only in Bhope Jo Tar but also in neighbouring villages. Inhabitants of Bhope Jo Tar, as well as residents of many other villages, venerate it.
Dongar Puri Ji Marhi
Apart from Pabuji Jo Thaan, Dongar Puri Ji Marhi (also called Veeram Puri Ji Marhi) is another sacred space in Bhope Jo Tar. Veeram Puri was a Gadisar of Dongar Puri whose samadhi is located at Chotan in Rajasthan’s Barmer district. Dongar Puri was an eminent ascetic who had a large following in Rajasthan and Sindh. He and his Gadisars kept visiting Tharparkar. I interviewed a shivadari of Dongar Puri at Bhope Jo Tar in 2016. The samadhis of some of Dongar Puri's devotees are located in Rareli village in Chachro taluka. It is said that Sant Jai Ram Das was a follower of Veeram Puri. Veeram Puri visited him at Bhope Jo Tar. That place later became the most sacred space for followers of Dongar Puri and Veeram Puri. Sant Jai Ram Das became the caretaker of this Marhi.
Dongar Puri Ji Marhi is a domed structure. One can see an image of Sant Jai Ram Das under the domed structure. Above the three entrances leading into the Marhi are written 'Dongar Puri Mahraj Ki Jai' (Long Live Dongar Puri Mahraj), 'Sant Jai Ram Das Ki Jai', and 'Veeram Puri Mahraj Ki Jai'. A few Marhis in Tharparkar are associated with Dongar Puri’s followers. These sacred spaces hold an important position in the local society and culture. People visit these sacred spaces and invoke them on special occasions. One of the most prominent Marhis associated with the cult of Dongar Puri is located in Rareli village.
On the premises of the marhi is a small structure built on a platform. This is located under a tree. It contains the image of Veeram Puri.
The Chucho Memorial Stone
Apart from these sacred spaces in Bhope Jo Tar, one can also find the Chucho memorial stone, located east of the village near the Meghwar cluster. It depicts a standing hero who probably died in an encounter. It is one of the earliest monuments in Bhope Jo Tar, probably erected long before the village was founded. Old remains of the village were likely buried under sand over time. Chucho memorial stones are generally undecorated, largely because their rough and fissured surfaces make carving difficult.
The stone is marked by numerous small natural cavities and cracks that resemble tiny eyes, a distinctive feature from which the name Chucho is believed to derive. Found across Tharparkar, these simple yet evocative memorials form an important part of the desert's funerary landscape, preserving memories of the deceased and reflecting long-standing traditions of commemoration.