Hero stone

Hero stone ("viirakkal" in Tamil or "virgallu" in Kannada) is an Indian memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle in India. A hero stone can display a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, statutes, and figures of carved stone. [cite web
url=http://www.kamat.com/database/content/hero-stones/index.htm
title=Hero-stone Memorials of India
publisher=Kamat Potpourri
accessdate=2007-03-15] Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle.

Findings

The Tamil Nadu Department of Archeology recently found several hundred hero stones that had been erected in the memory of warriors who sacrificed their lifes defending their community or region. Scholars call these hero stones "veeragallu" or "virakkal". 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 a tank or lake outside a village. [cite web
url=http://www.tamilnation.org/heritage/dolmens.htm
title=Dolmens, Hero Stones and the Dravidian People
publisher=
accessdate=2007-03-15] Recently 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. [cite web
url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/11/24/stories/04242238.htm
title=Pallava period 'herostone' unearthed in Vellore dt.
publisher=
accessdate=2007-03-15] Another was recently 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 [cite web
url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/05/stories/2006040518340600.htm
title= 2,300-year-old hero stones found in Theni district
publisher=The Hindu
accessdate=2008-05-14] , and continuing until the Nayak and post-Nayak period around 200 years ago. [cite web
url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/22/stories/2006072202680200.htm
title='Hero stone' unearthed
publisher=
accessdate=2007-03-17] Hero stones were not only for persons. A hero stone made to commemorate the favourite hound of a Western Ganga Dynasty King Butuga II who died fighting a wild boar has been found.Altekar (1934), p351]

Notes

References

*cite book |last= Altekar|first= Anant Sadashiv |title= 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|origyear=1934|year=1934|publisher= Oriental Book Agency|location= Poona|oclc=3793499

External links

* [http://www.kamat.com/database/content/hero-stones/index.htm Hero-stone Memorials of India]
* [http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/28/stories/2006092808360500.htm Rare Hero stone found near Erode]
* [http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/11/24/stories/04242238.htm Pallava period 'herostone' unearthed in Vellore dt.]
* [http://www.chennaimuseum.org/draft/gallery/01/04/stone.htm Government Museum Chennai]
* [http://huntington.wmc.ohio-state.edu/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=showThisDetail&ObjectID=30033611 Huntington Archive Hero Stone]