Barsela Stone memorial pillar, collected from the Community of Folk of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, has been displayed under the latest and popular online series of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) entitled ‘Exhibit of the Week’. This is the 53 exhibition and has been displayed for the audience on official website, Facebook, Instagram and twitter page of the IGRMS. In this regard Dr Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum of Mankind), Initially this series will focus on the masterpieces from its collection which are considered as unique for their contribution to the cultural history of a particular ethnic group or area. Barsela are memorial stone pillars mainly erected in the memory of dead.

 

The reverence of souls of dead is considered to be a religious act of merit. In Himachal Pradesh the memorial stones are locally known as Barsela or Barsile. These were constructed or carved in the memory of kings, queens and concubines and considered as a royal privilege. It is also called as sati stones. Queens and other women who burnt themselves on the pyre of their dead husbands are called sati. In this memorial stone the carved figures of king and queen is depicted together within a ornamented niche. The figures of the dead are carved upon the slabs in such a way that the thickness of the original stones used for the purpose remains intact. These memorial stones were worshipped by the deceased family for one year after the death of the king and queen. Barsela are valuable memorial stone for ascertaining the old traditional hierarchical cultural practices.