Pabuji

Pabuji is a folk-deity of Rajasthan in India. He lived in the 14th century in Rajasthan. He was one of four children of Dhadal Rathore of village Kolu, two boys (Buro and Pabuji) and two girls (Sona and Pema). The historical Pabuji was a mediaeval Rajput prince; he is now widely worshipped as a deity by Rabari herdsmen and others throughout the Rajasthan countryside; and he is served by Nayak priests.

Pabuji lived in the remote desert village of Kolu, and in that village are to be found the only well-known conventional temples to him—two small temples within a single compound, where puja (worship) is offered to the deity. Small shrines, commemorative stones etc. abound, but, outside Kolu itself, the absence of actual temples is conspicuous. There are two reasons for it: first, Pabuji has yet to achieve sufficient prestige as a god to warrant the construction of pieces of architecture; and, second, many of his worshippers—in particular, many Rabaris—are semi-nomadic, and are thus not in a position regularly to visit a temple in a fixed spot.

Bhopa community in Rajasthan are considered to be priest singers of Pabuji. They depict the story of Pabuji on canvas and recite it to the public through religious songs. This painted canvas is called Phad. The Phad is a 30 feet long sheet on which are painted (or sewn) miniature scenes depicting the life of Pabuji on which his adventures are narrated.

The narrative of Pabuji is sung by the Bhopa poet-singers of Nayak community is based according to the tradition on a text, the Pabuprakasa. This text, according to the Bhopas consists of number of episodes of two different types, parvaros and sayls. The narrative of Pabuji is found in the Khyata of Muhanot Nainsi (17th century) under the title Vata Pabujiri.

Dhadal Rathore had four children, two boys (Buro and Pabuji) and two girls (Sona and Pema). When he died, both his sons set up court in their village of Kolu; but Pabuji was a god incarnate, born not from Dhadal's wife but from a celestial nymph who had promised him that when he was twelve years old she would return to him in the form of a mare for him to ride. He had four companions: Cado and Dhebo, two brothers of whom Dhebo was a colossus with an insatiable appetite for food, drink and opium, and immensely aggressive; Salji Solanki the augurer; and Harmal the Rebari herdsman.

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