Deorala
Encyclopedia
Deorala is a village in the Sikar district
of Rajasthan
, India
.
Deorala is a village in Shekhawati
region. It is located near Amarsar which was the capital of Maharao Shekhaji, ancientor of all Shekhawat rajputs.
Deorala (or Divrala) became famous because of the Sati
incident that took place on 4 September 1987. The victim was a well educated 17 year old woman named Roop Kanwar
, who was a resident of the village. Her husband, Mal Singh Shekhawat
had died of disease. The rest of the details are not clearly known, as many claim that she took the decision to follow the ancient custom and died on the funeral pyre of her husband, while the general feeling is that she was forced by the villagers on to the pyre, perhaps after having been given some sedatives. After she had burnt to death, the place was converted into a memorial and thousands of people from surrounding regions started visiting it.Though afterwards that place was sealed to demote the cause of sati incidents further happening. However, there was no proper evidence of anyone forcing Roop Kanwar to become a Sati. Spectators say that she chose to be a Sati rather than living as a widow for her whole life. Local people even claim some miracles that happened to them when this whole incident went on. Sati Pratha was banned in India since the beginning of 19th century by British Government and in independent India also, Sati Pratha is a offense to law and order. That is why this incident became so popular and got the attention of whole world. Sati Pratha was a sacred ritual in Hindu religion in which a wife dies within the burning pyre of her husband, for some people it is divine love and for others it is a brutal act.
Sikar district
Sikar District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Sikar is the district headquarters.-Location:The district is located in the north-eastern part of the state of Rajasthan. It is bounded on the north by Jhunjhunu District, in the north-west by Churu district, in...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Deorala is a village in Shekhawati
Shekhawati
Shekhawati is a semi-arid historical region located in the northeast part of Rajasthan, India got its name from Shekhawat Rajputs....
region. It is located near Amarsar which was the capital of Maharao Shekhaji, ancientor of all Shekhawat rajputs.
Deorala (or Divrala) became famous because of the Sati
Sati (practice)
For other uses, see Sati .Satī was a religious funeral practice among some Indian communities in which a recently widowed woman either voluntarily or by use of force and coercion would have immolated herself on her husband’s funeral pyre...
incident that took place on 4 September 1987. The victim was a well educated 17 year old woman named Roop Kanwar
Roop Kanwar
Roop Kanwar was an 18-year old Rajput woman who committed sati on 4 September 1987 at Deorala village of Sikar district in Rajasthan, India. At the time of her death, she had been married for eight months to Maal Singh Shekhawat, who had died a day earlier at age 24, and had no children.Several...
, who was a resident of the village. Her husband, Mal Singh Shekhawat
Shekhawat
Shekhawat is a sub-clan of Kachwaha Rajputs found mainly in Rajasthan, India. The Shekhawat clan claims descent from the great rajput warrior Maharao Shekha Ji. The Shekhawats were the most prominent among all sub clans of Kachwahas of Jaipur. Shekhawats were the rulers of Shekhawati.-History:The...
had died of disease. The rest of the details are not clearly known, as many claim that she took the decision to follow the ancient custom and died on the funeral pyre of her husband, while the general feeling is that she was forced by the villagers on to the pyre, perhaps after having been given some sedatives. After she had burnt to death, the place was converted into a memorial and thousands of people from surrounding regions started visiting it.Though afterwards that place was sealed to demote the cause of sati incidents further happening. However, there was no proper evidence of anyone forcing Roop Kanwar to become a Sati. Spectators say that she chose to be a Sati rather than living as a widow for her whole life. Local people even claim some miracles that happened to them when this whole incident went on. Sati Pratha was banned in India since the beginning of 19th century by British Government and in independent India also, Sati Pratha is a offense to law and order. That is why this incident became so popular and got the attention of whole world. Sati Pratha was a sacred ritual in Hindu religion in which a wife dies within the burning pyre of her husband, for some people it is divine love and for others it is a brutal act.