Paliya
[1] There are several types of memorials including dedicated to warriors (mostly Charanas), sailors, sati, animals and figures associated with folklore.
[citation needed] Those dedicated to warriors fall under the term hero stone, of which examples are found all over India.
Loharti may be derived from term Lohar which means iron-smith which were commissioned in past to engrave memorial stones instead of stone-engravers.
It is mostly used to refer memorial stone dedicated to people who end their lives or commit self-immolation.
[4] The tradition originated in Vedic period when the dead bodies were not cremated but either buried or floated in the river.
Later the practice evolved into Lashti or a stone column with inscriptions which had names of persons, place and dates.
They often carry inscriptions displaying a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, frieze, and figures on carved stone.
The earliest memorials are found in Andhau village in Khavda, Kutch which dates back to the 2nd century.
[7] Sometimes they are erected on pavilion and rarely deri, a shrine or Chhatri, a cenotaph is built over them when they belong to royal families.
These memorials have three parts; the head with various types of symbols, middle has a person dedicated to whom the stone is erected and bottom having inscription which include name, place, event and time with some more information sometimes.
The stones erected after 17th century includes swastika and deepak and detailed decoration in backgrounds.
The middle part includes human figure with variety of weapons, mounts, clothes and items.
[3] Traditionally, they are classified as paliya (flat stone memorials), khambhi (column without carving erected as memorial to deceased), thesa (small crude stones near paliya), chagio[what language is this?]
Initially they were erected to honor the deeds such as saving tribe, women or cattle which later became tradition associated with battles.
[7] Vir-jo-jod paliya marks the land which are granted to brave person for his act of bravery specifically found in Sindh.
The woman entering into the flames and having the body of his husband in her lap, the ritual of Sati practice, are depicted in some memorials.
[3][7] Several memorials marks the people associated with folklore about religious devotees, love stories, sacrifices, friendship, suicides to protest.
[7] Gauchar paliya has figures of cow which were installed on communal pastures to mark boundaries between villages.
As the memorial inscriptions has place and year, the evolution of language and method of recording time can also be documented.
