The villages of Hariyar, Kerti, and Jhanjihar in Mithi taluka in Tharparkar district are home to memorial stones which commemorate heroes and satis. Hariyar village, which is located 22 km east of Mithi Town, is noted for many sacred Hindu spaces. This village has also several memorial stones which are venerated by the local community. There are many memorial stones in Hariyar village commemorating satis (widow-burning) and jhujhars (warriors). These memorial stones are located on a dune that belongs to the Sonaras and Jagas. There are 13 memorial stones on this dune, which is locally called ‘Lohartin Wari Bhit’.
A hero stone at Hariyar village
The memorial stones of Sonara Hindus were erected to commemorate their heroism in feuds.
Legend has it that these Sonaras and a man from the Maganhar tribe were killed by the Jaga Sodha Rajputs, who attacked their wedding caravan.
The wedding caravan of Umbo was heading to the Rupa Maari in Badin from Ratnaghar, Rajasthan. The name of Umbo’s fiance was Son Bai. The animals were adorned with bells. As the caravan passed by village Hariyar, the sounds of the bells reached the nearby village. The Jagas, being devotees of Malhan Devi, state that Malhan had prohibited the wearing of elaborate jewellery, particularly small bells that jingle. Furthermore, Malhan had warned her devotees of the dangers of a luxurious life and the importance of simple living. Upon hearing the bells, the Jagas demanded women take off their precious jewellery and their refusal infuriated the attackers. The Jaga Rajputs killed four Sonaras and one Maganhar. In the fight, bridegroom Umbo was also killed. When the news of his murder reached Rupa Mari, his in-laws took his body to her. She proceeded to tie the wedding knot with his dead body and became sati. All other women whose husbands were killed in the fight immolated themselves with their deceased husbands.
Hero stones at Kerti village
Later, the descendants of the Sonaras erected memorial stones on the same place where their ancestors and Maganhar fell. The widows of those who were killed took the dead bodies of their husbands and became satis for whom the memorial stones also were erected. There are five sati stones in the Hariyar. The names of the satis are Son Bai, Shatra Devi, Chandi Devi, Chaund Devi and Vindi Devi.
The memorial stones of Sonara Hindus were erected to commemorate their heroism in feuds
They also erected a memorial for the Maganhar, believing that he also died defending their patrons. The name of the Maganhar was Kesro whose father Karo also served the Sonaras. Kesro belonged to the Bahudhar lineage of the Maganhars. The Bahudhars were famous musicians in Ratnaghar. They served not only Sonaras but also the Rajputs.
Jatna Sati Mata Dehro near Gongio, Jhanjihar village
Apart from the hero and Sati stones of the Sonaras, a few memorials stones belong to the Jaga Rajputs.
There is also a memorial stone of Hario Parmar Rajput situated east of the dune. It is partially a broken memorial stone. Only the upper part depicting a rider on the horse is extant. Hario from whom sprang Haripota, migrated some centuries back from the Janrro area near Jaisalmer and settled in Mithi, where he founded the village by the name of Hariyar. He was a devotee of Malhan Devi. The Jaga Rajputs have constructed a temple of Hario, where his memorial stone is found. He is a kuladeva (family deity of Jaga Rajputs). He is invoked on a number of occasions – especially whenever there is the birth of a child, or marriage in the family. Newlywed couples always visit the temple of Hario to get his blessings. Likewise, newly born babies are also brought to the temple of Hario.
A few memorial stones are to be found in the temple of Malhan. The temple is locally called Malhan-Jo-Khud. The interior of the temple has four pillars that support the superstructure. One of the pillars has four memorial stones which have been fixed on the it. Before the construction of the temple, the memorial stones were standing in a row. Later, these were fixed on the pillar and the western wall of the temple. These memorial stones are being honoured by the Jaga Rajputs of Hariyar.
Memorial stone of Satram at Jatna Sati Mata Dehro, Jhanjihar
Apart from Hariyar, Kerti which is located about 21 km south of Mithi town, also boasts some memorial stones. Kerti, now a small village, was once the capital of the Makwanas who ruled some parts of Tharparkar. The Makwana dynasty was supplanted by the Soomra Parmar Rajputs in the 10th century. The last ruler of the Makwana dynasty, Rajpal, fled to Gujarat. Kerti still holds the remains of the fort of the Makwanas and a few memorial stones located in different parts of the village. There were eight memorial stones of the Makwanas which are located south, north, and west of the village. The northern memorial stones lie close to the Marhi of Swami Ogharnath. There were two memorial stones adjacent to the Marhi of the Swami, of which one is lying on the ground whereas the other has been stolen. Two memorial stones were located in the west of the village. Unfortunately, both memorial stones were also stolen some years ago.
Memorial stone of Shivo at Jatna Sati Mata Dehro, Jhanjihar
Memorial stone of Hario Rajput at Hariyar village
Only four memorial stones of Makwanas are found, which are located in the south of the village. All these memorial stones are of metamorphic rock locally called Chucho. These stones are locally available in the village. In the heart of Kerti village, just adjacent to the well of Kaiser Makwano are found layers of metamorphic rocks. All the Chuchas (memorial stones) were extracted from this site and installed in different parts of the village.
Apart from these Chuchas, there are fifteen sandstone Lohartis (memorial stones) of Thakurs who died in an encounter between two wedding processions that occurred during the British period (1843-1947). All the fifteen memorial stones depict riders on horses. Unfortunately, the upper sections of all hero-stones have been damaged by the cattle that graze in the nearby gauchar (communal pasture). Some of the damaged hero-stones are lying on the ground. Most of these are inscribed hero-stones.
About 20 km west of Kantio is located Janjhihar village where there are four memorial stones of the Suthar tribe. All memorial stones are found at ‘Jatna Sati Mata Dehro’, 2 km southeast of the village. Jatna Sati Mata is kulsati of the Achu lineage of Suthars, who live in Gongio village, 9 km east of Janjihar village. There is a dehro (a small brick-built structure) of a sati here. Apart from the Achu Suthars, she is also venerated by the Hindu communities of Chelhar and Kantio. She became sati with her son Satram who died while grazing his goats at Silah Tarai.
The author is an anthropologist. He tweets at: @Kalhorozulfiqar. All photos are by the author
