Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Barsela, a stone memorial pillar of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, is the fourth Exhibit of the Week of this month, which has been displayed on the official website and social media pages of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal.
The museum collected the pillar from Kullu 1999. This is the 53rd exhibition under the Exhibit of the Week.
Museum director Praveen Kumar Mishra said Barsela is a stone pillar erected in memory of dead. In Himachal Pradesh, the memorial stones are locally known as Barsela or Barsile.
They were constructed or carved in the memory of kings, queens and concubines and considered a royal privilege. They are also called sati stones. Queens and other women who burnt themselves on pyre of their husbands are called sati. In this memorial stone, the carved figures of king and queen are depicted together within an ornamented niche.
The figures of the dead are carved upon slabs in such a way that thickness of the original stones used for the purpose remains intact. These memorial stones were worshipped by the family for one year after the death of the king and queen.
“Barsela are valuable memorial stones for ascertaining the old, traditional hierarchical cultural practices,” Mishra said.
