Panihar is a structure made of stone, and is erected in memory of a dead person. It is installed near a water spring or a temple. This custom of setting up of a panihar is followed in Himachal Pradesh.
Panihars erected in the past featured images of Hindu deities, with Lord Vishnu being the prominent one. The images were carved in horizontal rows. Panihars of modern time are rough stone slabs containing a crude image of the deceased person. A variation of this kind of stone is the Auttara stones, which is erected for a person who dies without bearing a child.
