Fountain Stone Slabs of Chamba

About the Book The fountain stone slabs of Chamba present a strange and unique chapter in the history of Indi~·n Art. For nowhere else they are found in such large number near the fountain and the springs and nowhere. else they are decorated with such motifs as drawn from Early Buddhist as well as from the classical and medieval art of India.

Thematically the fountain stone slabs of Chamba may commemorate the dead but geographically they mark the holly site of water. The marking of the site with the fountain stone slab indicate that it is dedicated to a higher presence. The worship of water places was prevalent since the Rig- Vedic time and water was considered a tangible manifestation of the cosmos. The scholars hitherto have referred, to the fountain stone slabs in passim only often dwelling on their inscriptional part either as a help to build up ;'chronology of. the Rajas of Chamba or to prove or disprove' a particular point in history or the subject of their study. This book attempts to take the less travelled path and endeavors to trace their origin, history, meaning and significance. It is hoped that the scholars and the students of the Indian Art will find this little book very stimulating and at the same time a welcome addition to the existing studies on the subject.

About the Authors S.M. Sethi, (M.A. L.L.BJ Former Curator, Himachal State Museum Shimla, Bhuri Singh Museum Chamba and also worked as Registering Officer (Archaeology).

Published Books:

Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Bhuri singh Museum Chamba.

Catalogue of stone sculptures in the Museums of Himachal Pradesh.

Monuments of Himachal Pradesh (Contributing Author).

Costumes and Ornaments of Chamba, (Co-Author).

Musical Instruments of Chamba (Co-Author).

He has numerous articles and research paper on art, History and Culture , of Western Himalayan region to his credit.

During his services in the Museums and Archaeology he undertook several explorations to the far flung area of Himachal Pradesh.

Hari Chauhan

M.A. Ancient History, Culture & Archaeology. Fundamental courses in Indian Numismatics from IIRNS, Nasik. Presently working as Curator, Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamba. He has contributed several research papers in Art journals and Magazines of National and International fame. Awarded fellowship for his renowned contribution on the 'Traditional Jewellery of Pabbar Valley, Himachal Pradesh'.

Foreword The social and religious life in the hills rests on the belief and faith embraced by the people since the times immemorial. One such faith gives rise to the worship of ancestor. Raising some kind of emblem of dead to commemorate his or her memory was exceedingly a common practice with the people of Chamba hills. It was also believed that these memorials brought tranquility and fertility to the house holder and the village apart from securing future bliss.

The erstwhile Chamba kingdom included the area watered by Ravi and its tributaries and the river Chandrabhaga. Most of the inscribed fountain slabs are found in the Chandrabhaga valley, especially around Killar, the head quarter of the sub-division of Pangi. In Churah, the north-west part of Chamba, watered by Syuhal river and its tributaries, such memorials stone are exceedingly numerous there. In the Ravi valley, fountain stones are found at many places from Barbour down to Kheri where the river Ravi enters the Panjab territory but they are of much smaller size than those which are found in Churah and Pangi and then seldom bear a line of dedicatory inscription. Many of such fountain stone slabs are now in the collection of Bhuri Singh Museum Chamba, a store house of ancient cultural heritage.

The custom of raising memorials developed and became a fashion with the Chamba hill aristocracy, the Ranas and Thakurs and later it was regarded as a Royal privilege and became customary amongst the Royal linage. These fountain stone slabs in their basic concepts are essentially memorial in character raised in respect of the deceased in order to keep his or her memory alive. Nevertheless they are a great source for reconstructing the history of the region. The dedicatory inscription incised on these slabs also informs us both with the names of done, deceased and the ruling king during whose period it was erected.

The subject for engraving these dedicatory fountain slabs are drawn from the world of Hindus mythology amongst which Vishnu-Sheshasayi (Vishnu's sleep) Nav-grahas (nine planets), Dasavatars (Ten incarnations) of Vishnu are popular. The donor of the slab is showing worshiping lingasa symbol of fertility who presides over such monuments. The most prominent is the figure of Varuna, the god of water, in whose honor the fountain slab is dedicated.' Few lines of dedicatory 'praise' incised on a fountain slab are cited here.

"No higher god than Varuna, no higher gain of penitence, no higher shrine than Varuna is heard of in the Universe" (Vogel, Antiquities of Chamba . . State part lap. 202) Some inscription read on fountain stone slabs revealed that the slab raised itself was Varuna Dev (people of the village] [have] erected a fountain stone (Lit. god Varuna) for the sake of the next world". (Vogel, Antiquities of Chamba State part I, p. 205) It also reveals important evidence, that, these slabs are not only commemorative in nature but was also raised for obtaining the bliss from god Varuna for the welfare of the people. It also gives important information that the slab cited above is not erected in the memory of any deceased one but raised. in the name of lord Varuna, the god of water, for the prosperity of the people. The transliteration of an inscription cut on the above referred fountain stone slab is as under.

Introduction The shape of Chamba is roughly oblong. On the front Chamba is restricted in its expansion by the river Ravi which marks its boundary to the east and acts its natural moat, though its territories seem to descend down to Nurture to include the vast and fertile tracts of Chari and Shunt and at one time also the claques Of Chari Garoh, Kanihara and Pathiyar of Kangra as well. But all its important monuments are located in the inner Ravi Valley. Blocked by the near perpendicular mountain of Shah-Madar acting as bulwark on the west Chamba then seems to stretch its arms sideways pointing to the north towards the ancient wizards of Churah, Tissa and Pangi bordering on the territories of Jammu and Kashmir and towards the south where lies its ancient capital of Barbour and the adjoining areas of Tagi, Basu, Gum, Chatrari, Holi and Kundi etc. It is in these two areas that the big chunk obits memorial stones are lodged. Chamba town proper the seat of the imperial power itself stands neutral having no true tradition of royal memorial stones of its own like the Barselas of Mandi, Kullu and Suket. But one do finds small tablets of memorial stones on the platforms built under the shade of the tree, or in the temple enclosures or arranged in a row near the kitchen garden or by the side of water aqueducts which are summarily treated by the local people as altars." The Rajas of Chamba seem to have commissioned memorials only for those members of the royal clan who suffered perils in the midst of their lives. They were elevated as semi- divine beings but in a lone case downgraded also as a ghost.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages