1. The Iconography of sati
• An Archaeological Study Of Sati Memorial pillars of
Central India
Presented by; Ameeta Singh
Sarojini Naidu Government Girls College Bhopal MP
India

2. The Iconography of Sati : An archaeological study
of sati memorial pillars of central India
• This article is based on my extensive field work
as a part of my post doctoral research. I worked
as an explorer to find out sati monuments and
documented these memorial pillars as a source
of history .I surveyed about 500 villages in last
four years and wandered the region ,on a
nomadic basis to collect the information. As a
result I found about 3000 sati memorials in
seven districts of central India. These memorials
of sati show that the practice of sati was
common in central India.

3. • Surveyed Districts
• Bhopal , Neemach ,Sagar
Area of Research • Vidisha , Mandsour
• Raisen , Rajgurh
Central India • Ujjain , Shivpuri
• Dhar , Guna
• Chattarpur, Ashoknagar

4. Chanderi
Sundarsi Khimalsa
Amjhera
Eran

5. Widow sacrifice was universal
Scandinavia – The legend of Balder in which Nanna
ascend his pyre.
Indo-German custom
In Greek legend Evadne burned with her husband.
Egypt The King Amenhetap’s tomb some slaughtered
body of females were found.
In China The widow who committed suicide had
honorary gateways erected in their honor by imperial
Command.

7. Depiction of sati by European travelers

8. The Iconography of Sati
These depictions
on sati
memorial were
common in
central India
,Gujarat and
Rajasthan

9. Sacred relics of sati
• Sati stones are usually found on the
outskirt of small towns and villages
and the people of these areas,
usually the family members of
deceased couple, worship these
memorials with flowers and kumkum
(vermilion) it is strong belief among
the people that sati Mata (mother)
worship will bring fortune for their
family.

10. • The sculptures on these sati stones usually depict the
husband and wife and sometimes the event in which
her husband lost his life. A few even graphically
portray the event such as a fierce fight which led to
death of the hero and the depiction of lady with wifely
devotion. Some of these stones bear inscriptions
explaining the event and also the name of sati and her
husbands name and title of the family. Based on the
alphabets of the inscriptions , we are able to date the
period of the sati stone was installed .They in fact are
very important records for understanding the social
and cultural milieu of the period

11. The earliest inscriptional record of
sati in Central India
Eran This inscription is carved on a pillar,
records the death of Gopraja ,a noble of Gupta
King Bhanugupta and his wife cremated herself
on his funeral pyre. it is dated in the Gupta year
191 ( A.D.510-511)
The earliest sati stone found in Balod a small
village in central province. There are three
inscriptions on it. The third inscription is in
characters which James Prinsep ascribed to the
2nd century A.D. This inscription is therefore very
important as being the earliest sati record yet
found.

12. Sati stones

13. sati stones
with inscription
and without
inscription
depicted the
sun, moon,
hand, flower
and coconut.
In second
panel a lady
embraces the
feet of her
loving husband
Chanderi museum

14. The divine signs of sati
• Hand with bangles in upright
position
• Sun ,Moon and Stars
• Standing couple
• Shivling or worship of
Shivling
• Mirror
• Lemon
• Coconut
• Husband’s profession ex.

15. Bangla;The Sati ground
This place has many memorial pillars in group
scattered between the village and the river.
Inscribed and with sculptural panels depicting
various scenes such as warriors engaged in
battle, dying as heroes and enjoying in heaven
the company of heavenly nymphs or worshiping
a shivling. The inscription suggest a battle was
fought here in 1281 A.D.and the king Gopaldev
won and his followers who died in battle were
commemorated here. About 139 sati stones also
found here refer same battle in which wives of
some of the dead heroes cremated themselves
as satis.

16. Some interesting facts about sati
“Immolation is not always confined to
widows; among few suttee which have
occurred last year,1829 (One at Amjhera
and the other at Khachrod) have been
mothers who burnt to death of their only
sons”
Sir John Malcolm
Memoirs of Central India

17. Earliest record of mother sati
• Sesai in Guna district
a mother sati
memorial is found
with inscription
recording self
immolation of mother
(name last) sorrowing
for her two sons who
were killed in battle
datable to 6th century
A.D.

18. Mother sati stones at Amjhera

19. Mother Sati’s the earliest mother sati memorial was found
in Sesai (Gupta age)

20. Johar Cenotaph at chanderi
It is a marking
site of mass
immolation of
Rajput ladies
during the battle
fought between
Babar The
Mughal Emperor
and Medinirai in
1527 A.D.

21. • For instance I found many sati memorial
pillars at chanderi a medieval fort city,
depicted that these memorial were set up
during the reign of the great Sultan
Giyasuddin of Mandu who ruled over
Malwa and Chanderi (in central India)
• The larger sati memorial pillars also gave
a sculptural representation of the manner
of death of the satis husband. In that way
we can learn whether he was a horse
solider or foot soldier and what kind of
weapons in use at that time.

22. Sculptural representation of sati
The panel also depicted husband and wife
doing worship of shivling (symbolic
representation of Lord shiva) this indicates that
the sati is united with her husband in the
heaven.
Some sati memorial pillars depict only a
woman’s hand with bangles placed between
emblem of sun and moon and a short inscription
with the date of burning of the sati with her
husband. But some of the longer records gave
the name of the village and the reigning king,
they also gave valuable aid both to history and
geography

23. Inscribed sati memorial

24. Sati stones showing Shivling worship and
inscription bears name of sati and his
husband

25. Hand with bangles depicts the
blessing of sati

26. Table 1 sati stones of central India
District Village No. of sati Period
stones
Rajargh Sundersi 40 10th to 17th
Jirapur 20 17th 18th
century
Vidisha Ahmadpur 15 17th 18th
century
Dhar Amjhera 37 14th ,17th , 18th
century
Ashoknagar Chanderi 34 13th to 18th
century
Khimalsa Sagar 51 1453 to1823

27. Sculptural representation of sati
• The memorial pillars usually divided in three
vertical panels The lower panel portrays ,the
scene of battle. The husband of sati shown
prominently either on foot, on horse or on
elephant back . In case of king or Generals an
umbrella is shown over his head. The top panel
represents the heaven Sun and Moon . The
representation of sati which is common in India
from north to south is the right hand of sati bent
upward to the elbow sometimes holding lemon
between the thumb and forefinger.

28. Sculptural representation of sati
• The holding of a lemon is a symbolic
representation of offering themselves to
their husbands. Lemon is also used for
sacrificing ritual in Hindu religion. The
husband usually shown on her right by
holding the right hand of sati or placing his
left hand over shoulder of sati. If the hero
is having more than two wives committing
sati then all of them were shown.

29. Sati’s of khimlasa
The Sager district contains large numbers of sati
stones. Khimalsa an old town , contains the
largest numbers of sati stones ;51 of these are
inscribed. Almost all are dated but in about a
dozen pillars figures are illegible. The dates
range between 1453-1823 A.D. Some of them
mention the names of the Mohammedan
Emperor Shahjahan, Nourangshah
(Aurangzeb)and also the names of Sarkar the
district to which khimalsa belonged. The sati’s of
khimalsa belonged to various castes such Kori
(weaver) Nai (Barber) Silat (mason) ,etc. In
some of them the caste name is written, in
others the caste marks are carved, such as a
hammer and anvil for a blacksmith, razor for a
barber, and so on.

30. Medieval references of sati in
central India
• Ibnabatuta
While passing through
the city of Amjhera he
witnessed three
women committing
sati whose husband
were killed in fighting
at Sumera of Sindh.
I have registered 37
sati stones in one
funeral ground here.

31. Sati cenotaphs at Amjhera

32. Royal Cenotaphs at Amjhera
• At the funeral of rulers
attendants also used
to burnt with wife or
wives. This stone
depicts a attendant,
carrying fan (chanvar)
burnt alive with the
ruler.

33. The royal sati

34. Sati cenotaph

35. Sati stone with inscription

36. Depiction sun and moon symbolize the glory of sati as long as they
exit

37. Sati
stone

39. Forgotten sati

43. Sati ritual depicted a lady sitting
amidst the fire holding her
husband’s body

44. Sati earthen ware memorial sketch by
Fanny Parks 1820

46. FOUR FACED SATI MEMORIAL
• Earliest example of
Sati memorial cubical
shaped with depiction
on each face.
• Mainly of 11th and 12
th century period.
• Profession and daily
routine can also be
found.

47. “During my long sojourn in India I have
observed that nearly all the sati
monuments are placed on the western
bank either of a stream or of a reservoir,
with the face towards east.” Cunningham

48. Sati stones usually found near water
sources. I found about 20 sati stones and
cenotaphs near this reservoir at Chanderi

49. Sati in converted Muslims
• There are some examples of Muslim sati
also Cunningham mentioned some Muslim
sati tomb in central India. This indicates
that these converted Muslim followed the
Hindu faith.

52. The handprints of sati which left out by the satis later engraved on
Fort walls

56. Handprints of satis

57. Deceased
Wife 2
Wife 1

59. Example of Anugaman ( to follow), women committing
sati with husband’s turban or shoes.

60. Chanderi

61. Ahmadpur

62. Ahmadpur

63. Dated 1885 A.D day Monday name of sati “Dayali” husband’s name
( illegible)

64. Sati worship in rural India
• When a woman
committed sati a
memorial erected in her
memory, and worship
made to her as a
goddess. Partly this is
worship of general
homage and respect,
partly it is for specific
benefits, of which female
fertility is important.

65. Worship of sati stone

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