Hero stone
Hero stone (வீரக்கல் Viirakkal in Tamil) is a memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle of Tamil People. A hero stone can display a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, statues, and figures of carved stone.[1] Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle.
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[edit] Findings
The Tamil Nadu Department of Archeology found several hundred hero stones that had been erected in the memory of warriors who sacrificed their lives defending their community or region. Those that are carved with inscriptions detail the acts of the hero, the battle involved, and the name of king in whose name the battle was fought. The stones are found alone or in groups, usually near an irrigation tank or lake outside a village. [2]
A hero stone has been unearthed, dating from 9th century of the Pallava king Dantivarman, in which the hero is riding a galloping horse, beautifully dressed and carrying a spear.[3] Another was recovered at Pappapatti in Usilampatti taluk and probably dates from the 18th century. The ancient stone shows a warrior posed heroically, accompanied by his wife who holds a flower. Many of these statues have been recovered over southern India depicting heroic warriors in battles. Creating hero stones had been prevalent since the Sangam period, dating back 2,300 years,[4] and continuing until the Nayak and post-Nayak period around 200 years ago.[5] Hero stones were not only for persons. A hero stone made to commemorate the favorite hound of a Western Ganga Dynasty King Butuga II who died fighting a wild boar has been found.[6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Hero-stone Memorials of India". Kamat Potpourri. http://www.kamat.com/database/content/hero-stones/index.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- ^ "Dolmens, Hero Stones and the Dravidian People". http://www.tamilnation.org/military/dolmens.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-30.[dead link]
- ^ "Pallava period 'herostone' unearthed in Vellore dt.". http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/11/24/stories/04242238.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- ^ "2,300-year-old hero stones found in Theni district". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2006-04-05. http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/05/stories/2006040518340600.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ "'Hero stone' unearthed". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2006-07-22. http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/22/stories/2006072202680200.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
- ^ Altekar (1934), p351
[edit] References
- Altekar, Anant Sadashiv (1934) [1934]. The Rashtrakutas And Their Times; being a political, administrative, religious, social, economic and literary history of the Deccan during C. 750 A.D. to C. 1000 A.D. Poona: Oriental Book Agency. OCLC 3793499.
[edit] External links
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