Pabuji of Marwar, the Rajput hero who brought camels and courage to India

Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

Pabuji lives in many forms across the desert of Marwar. He is a Rajput hero, a cow protector, a martyr, a folk god, an avatar of Lakshman, a mounted warrior carved in stone, and a presence invoked in drum and song. His story is not contained in one book or one temple. It lives in poetry, in ritual, in hero stones, and in the faith of different communities who see him through their own lens. He is most remembered for introducing camels to India from distant Lanka for his niece's wedding.

His central story revolves around a promise. Pabuji vows to protect the cows of the Charan woman Deval. On the day of his wedding, Deval comes to him and warns that her cattle are in danger. Even before completing the sacred wedding rounds, Pabuji leaves his bride and rides to battle. He keeps his word. He dies fulfilling it. For devotees, this act defines him. Many say that what makes him divine is not power, but the keeping of a vow.

The Bhil Bhopas of Kolu keep his story alive through the mata epic. They sit near the shrines of Pabuji's seven Bhil companions and sing paravaraus, episodes of his life, while striking earthen pot drums covered with goatskin. These drums are sacred. Tradition says that when Pabuji once ascended to heaven, it was the beating of these drums that brought him back to earth.

The episodes they sing include his miraculous birth, foretold by astrologers. He is said to have been fed by a lioness and destined to become a protector of cows. His wedding is narrated in detail, with gods and heroes attending. But the wedding turns into renunciation when he rides out to battle. Another episode tells of his companion Dhembo, who fights fiercely and rescues the cattle. Yet another tells of his nephew Jhararo, who becomes the Nath yogi Rupnath after being initiated by Gorakhnath. When his ears are pierced, milk flows instead of blood, a sign of spiritual power. In this way, the cult links Rajput heroism with Nath asceticism.

At Kolu, his main temple stands in the desert. The red temple, built in the fifteenth century, houses hero stones showing him as a mounted warrior with lance and sword. Oil lamps burn before them. Newly married couples circle the shrine to seek blessing. Women tie threads for fertility.

Pabuji's companions are also honoured. The seven Bhil warriors have their own shrines. Stories tell how their blood mingled with that of Rajputs on the battlefield. Some interpret this as a sign that in death, all who fought with Pabuji became equal. Bhil devotees see in him a hero who treated them as brothers. Rajputs see in him the image of perfect martial honour. Each community tells the story in its own way.

For many, Pabuji is still active. Devotees narrate small miracles. Someone trapped in a well calls his name and is saved. A traveller in trouble finds help after praying to him. These stories keep him present, not distant.

Pabuji is thus not just a memory of the past. He is a hero, god, guardian, and witness. In poetry he resembles epic figures. In ritual he is invoked by drum and flame. In belief he is the one who keeps his word and comes when called.

The author writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt.pattanaik@mid-day.com