The episodes they sing include his miraculous birth, foretold by astrologers. He is said to have been fed by a lioness and destined to become a protector of cows.

Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik

Pabuji lives in many forms across the desert of Marwar. He is a Rajput hero, a cow protector, a martyr, a folk god, an avatar of Lakshman, a mounted warrior carved in stone, and a presence invoked in drum and song. His story is not contained in one book or one temple. It lives in poetry, in ritual, in hero stones, and in the faith of different communities who see him through their own lens. He is most remembered for introducing camels to India from distant Lanka for his niece’s wedding. 

His central story revolves around a promise. Pabuji vows to protect the cows of the Charan woman Deval. On the day of his wedding, Deval comes to him and warns that........

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