Anjar is a beautiful city in the Kutch region of Gujarat, which has some of the most attractive forts and monuments. It is said that many centuries ago this region was an abode for dacoits. One such villainous dacoit was Jesal, who longed to steal the king's pedigree horse named Toral.
Apparently the queen’s name too was Toral.
One night when Jesal entered the stable
to steal the mare, sensing the presence of a stranger she broke away from the peg and fled to her master. The guards brought her back and pegged her rope to the ground near a hay stalk. It so happened, that Jesal was hiding in the hay stalk and his hand was at the place where the peg was hit. Hearing the moans of pain the king came to the stable and on seeing the dacoit asked him what he had wanted. Jesal said he had come to take away Toral.
The king being a Daani (donor) gave away his Toral- his horse and his wife. Toral being a devoted wife did not question about why she was being sent away. Jesal became extremely guilty about his act and reformed from dacoity. Toral too helped him through her preaching on the right path of life and devotional ways to become a saintly person.
Their relationship is spoken with great respect in this region. It is believed that Toral took sati when Jesal died. Both their tombs are at a monument in Anjar and is a tourist spot.
This story was narrated by the locals when we were at Naliya, in ’96-99. They believe that these tombs move and when they come too close a calamity hits this region. They feared that it was moving closer then.
Anjar was the most devastated city during the Bhuj earthquake (Jan 2001). But people say the tombs were undisturbed.
… Believe It or Not...!! ...
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