The landscape of Nagarparkar, the south-eastern region of Sindh, is dotted with memorial stones – many of which are also Sati and hero stones. These stones are objects of veneration for the Hindu community living in the area. Memorial stones belong to the Sodha and other clans of the Rajputs. The Sodha once ruled over Nagarparkar.
The memorial stones are erected for men who either died in battles or met with unnatural deaths and for women as Satis who immolated themselves either on the funeral pyre of their husbands or on hearing the news of their husbands’ deaths in battle. The cult of Sati- and hero-worship is prevalent in Nagarparkar even today.
Locally, these memorial stones are called Pariyo, Khambi, Chucho, Dagalo, Theso, Lohrti, Khatri and Jaryo. The local community uses Pariyo only for the memorial stone of Jhujhars (headless heroes) who died heroically – such as defending a village against raiders, cattle against cattle-lifters or protecting the honour of women or someone who died on the battlefield. Such stones have come to be called hero-stones by scholars. Local people call these hero-stones “Jhujhar Ja Pariya”. Sati-tones are called “Sati ji Khambi” or “Sati ni Khambi” in Nagarparkar. A “Khatri” (memorial) is erected to honour those who died an accidental death, or were murdered – or for priests or heads of villages. Such stones are located at Khanpur near Nagarparkar town.
A memorial stone at Khanpur, Nagarparkar
The memorial stones invariably face east and are divided into two sections; the upper featuring a carved motif and the lower bearing a brief inscription. Mostly, the memorial stones in Nagarparkar have the sun and the moon carved on their upper sections. The sun is carved with distinct rays, and occasionally has a human face, while the moon may be represented either full or crescent-shaped and recumbent. A sun with a human face is depicted on one of the hero-stones located at Khanpur near Nagarparkar town. The interpretation of these carvings, according to the locals, is that as long as the sun and moon remain, these people will be remembered – thus symbolizing eternity.
One also comes across hero-stones depicting camel riders. These stones unfailingly belong to the Rabaris, also a Hindu community. One such hero-stone bearing a camel rider is located at Sabusan. There are six hero-stones at Sabusan. Barring one, all others depicting horse-riders belong to the Seendal Rajputs. Only one hero-stone bears the relief of camel rider and belongs to the Rabaris. The Rabaris are associated with camel breeding in Nagarparkar. The camel is also vehicle of Mammai, the most popular goddess of the Rabaris. Many temples of the Mammai goddess exist in different villages of Nagarparkar. However, the most popular is situated at Chanida village.
Image of Mahadev on Jaryo at Mokriyo
Sati-memorials sometimes have depictions of naked arm or an armful of bangles. Representations of raised arms with bangles are found on two of Sati stones at old Qasibo. There are two such memorials in Nagarparkar carrying the motif of a raised arm and the figure of a Sati at Bodhesar and Khanpur near Nagarparkar.
At times the images of both a Sati and her husband are seen on the same stone. The husband is shown as a mounted warrior on a horse while Sati stands on his right with her hands joined; others are either holding a pot or carrying objects. Such motifs can be found on one of the memorial stones commemorating both husband and wife at Khanpur near Nagarparkar town.
Memorial stones at Rareyaro, Tharparkar
A warrior with a sword and shield, riding a horse, is most frequently depicted on hero stones in Nagarparkar. In the topmost panel of the stone, the sun on the left and the moon on the right are depicted. Some memorial stones bearing representations of horse-riding warriors are located in the villages of Adigam, Ranpur, Veeksar etc.
When two brothers or any two members of the family die together in the battle, their memorial stones are erected at one place. In this case, the hero stone depicts two horse riders together. Such stones are located in the villages of Sabusan, Surachand, and Mithi Veri.
Jaryo Mahadev at Mokrio is a most magnificent stone which was accidental discovered by the villages and installed near the village. It has now become an object of intense veneration for the local Hindu community. These Jaryas are actually architectural features of Jain temples or shrines which were discovered by the villagers and later become shrines for the Hindu community.
The condition of the memorial stones located in various villages of Nagarparkar is pathetic. Stealing and whisking away of these monuments continues unabated. The culprits are either local people or outsiders who sell these stones abroad. Some of the hero-stones at Oran Jo Wandhio have been damaged by local people. The broken hero-stones lie at Sabusan, apparently damaged by local people, either in an attempt to steal them or in sheer vandalism. One also finds badly damaged Sati-stones in Berani village. The broken pieces of the Sati-stones are scattered over the site. Destroyed hero-stones can also be seen near the pond in Adigam village.
In order to protect these from further vandalism, the authorities concerned should appoint security guards at the prominent memorial stone sites in Nagarparkar and other talukas of Tharparkar. Furthermore, they should renovate some of the Sati and hero monuments located at Sabusan, Surachand, Khanpur, Berarai, Mokrio, Oran Jo Wandhio and Old Qasibo villages, which are fast falling to pieces. In order to check further decay and destruction of this visual heritage, the concerned authorities should chalk out a strategy to map all the memorial stones – which I have been doing at my own expense. I have documented more than 2,000 memorial stones in Tharparkar.
If I could have mapped the cultural heritage of Tharparkar with meagre resources, the authorities concerned could also map and save this visual heritage from further deterioration and destruction.
The author is an anthropologist Islamabad. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com
