This visit to the Hero Stones collection at the Archaeological
Museum of Goa, Old Goa,
was a part of the Goa Heritage walk to the temples and Heritage sites, organised
by Aatrupadai, from 5th December 2025 to 7th
December 2025. Thanks to திருச்சி பார்த்தி for organising the Heritage walk.
MEMORIAL STONE
Accession No: Material: Basalt Rock
Period: 12th,
century Dimension: 0.86 × 0.38 × 0.11
meter
Provenance:
Malcornem village, Salcete taluka, South Goa district
This finely
carved memorial stone commemorating the death of a hero in a naval battle is depicted in two panels between decorated pilasters. The lower panel depicts the
hero rising from the ground or water and charging the enemy on a vessel with
a dagger, and the latter is charging the former with a spear. The ship has
wheels, which is a unique feature. Below the ship, a standing man is holding a
gong. The upper panel depicts the hero's enthronement in heaven, flanked by a
mob of apsaras, two of whom are holding a parasol over his head, and two flanking
apsaras on either side of him with chamaras. Sun and Moon are shown on the top
of the Stone
தெற்கு கோவா மாவட்டம், சால்செட் தாலுக்காவில் உள்ள “மோல்கோர்னெம்” கிராமத்தில் இந்நடுகல் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது. கடற்படைப் போரில் ஒரு
வீரனின் மரணத்தை நினைவுகூரும் இந்த நேர்த்தியாக செதுக்கப்பட்ட நினைவுக் கல், கோயிலைப் போன்று மண்டபம் மற்றும் அதனைத்தாங்கும் இரு உருளைத்
தூண்களுடன், இரண்டு அடுக்குகளாக சித்தரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
கீழ் அடுக்கில், வீரன் தரையிலிருந்து அல்லது தண்ணீரிலிருந்து
எழுந்து எதிரியை இடது கையில் உள்ள கட்டாரியால் எதிரியினைத் தாக்குவது போலவும்,
வலது கையினால் மற்றொரு ஆயுதத்தினை(?)
தாங்கியிருப்பது போலவும் சித்தரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. வீரன் அரைக்கச்சுடன், கழுத்து, கை மற்றும் காதுகளில் ஆபரணம் அணிந்து
காணப்படுகின்றான். இடதுகையில் ஆயுதம் காட்டப்பட்டு
இருப்பதால், இவ்வீரன் இடது கை பழக்கம் உள்ளவனாக கருதலாம்.
கப்பலின் கீழே ஒரு நிற்கும் மனிதன் பறை போன்ற வாத்தியத்தினை இசைப்பது போல காட்டப்பட்டு
உள்ளான். மேல் அடுக்கில் உள்ள சிற்ப தொகுப்பு வீரன், சொர்க்கத்தில் அரியணையில் அமர்ந்து இருப்பதையும், அருகே
அப்சரஸ்களின் கூட்டம் ஒன்றும் காட்டப்பட்டு உள்ளது. அவர்களில்
இருவர் வீரனின் தலைக்கு மேல் இரண்டு குடைகளையும், வீரன்
அருகில் இரண்டு அப்சரஸ்கள் சாமரங்களுடன் காட்டப்பட்டு உள்ளனர். சூரியனும்
சந்திரனும் அதன் மேல் காட்டப்பட்டுள்ளன.
MEMORIAL
STONE
The
concept behind the Here Stone was that in the past, those who died in
battles were considered to be the Heroes of Vira by their villagers and
families, and then they were remembered forever in the form of memorial stones.
They were paid tribute through these memorial stones, and hence, the
worship of these hero stones began. This kind of worship was also called the
cult of ancestors. There are groups of hero stones - one group belongs to the
earliest phase, i.e., the period of the Goa Kadambas, the ruling dynasty from the
10th century C.E., the other group is of the reign of the Vijayanagara kings of
Hampi, who ruled Goa from 14 to the 15th century CE. These stones in Goa are
generally made in three panels. Sometimes inscription is also carved in between
these panels in Sanskrit, Kannada, or Marathi. The lower panel generally depicts
the cause of the hero's death. The Central panel depicts the dead being
taken by the celestial damsels or apsaras to heaven. The upper panel shows the
hero seated in heaven.
This
one is a Viragall or hero stone from Molikarhem. The hero in the lowermost
panel is easily recognized by his disproportionately large stature, attacking an
enemy of a much smaller size. Both have beards, and they have combat
weapons in their hands in the charging act. Two attendants in the upper right
corner are shown in an attitude admiring the two combatants, the one on the
left raises both his hands, while the other on the right puts his index and
middle fingers into his mouth so as to whistle. Two vessels are carved above
the combatants. The hero stands under a parasol within a structural frame on
the deck of one of the vessels, and he is shooting an arrow towards a smaller in
size man in the vessel opposite to him. In this, it is not clear whether the hero
is represented twice in two combats. In the middle panel, he is sitting on a lion
throne, about to leave this world. He is accompanied by his wife, who is seated
on a smaller throne next to him on his left side. In the uppermost panel, he is
enthroned in heaven on a decorated seat, and behind the apsaras or female
attendants are depicted. Here, his wife is shown on the left side of a lower
throne.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 208, Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
11th, century Dimension:
0.78x0.38x0.14 meter
Provenance:
Velsao village, Salçete taluka, South Goa district
The
memorial stone is in low relief with a depiction of the self-immolation of the hero by his
decapitation. The lowermost panel plastically depicts the ritual of self-immolation;
the hero is seated cross-legged on a throne with folded hands; although his
head has already been cut off, and is shown in front of his throne, a person on
his left is seen with a raised sword as if about to cut the head off. Two
people to the hero's right side are playing drum and gong. The middle panel
illustrates the hero being lifted to heaven by the apsaras. In the uppermost
panel, the hero is seen in heaven worshipping a Shiva linga.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 30 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
12", century Dimension: G
Provenance:
Cuncolim village, Salcete takuk
The
memorial stone is depicted in three panels. The lowest panel depicts the
heroic death of a person being slain by his enemy, two persons, and playing drum and gong, motivating the figures. The middle panel shows the dead hero being carried to heaven
by celestial beings amidst the beating of a drum and a gong. The upper panel illustrates the
victorious hero enthroned in heaven by apsaras.
SATI
STONE
Accession
No 57 Material: Basalt Rock
Period
12th Century Dimension:
2.500.45x0.90 meter
Provenance
Score vile Marmugae taluka, South Goa district
In
this sculptured Sati stone, a male warrior holding a sword near Shivlinga is accompanied by a female figure wearing a long skirt. The total frame is composed under a
folded arm, depleting Sat's raised right arm projecting from a pillar with its
palm turned towards the onlooker in an attitude of blessing.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 215 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
15th, century Dimension: 0.92 x 0.63
x 0.18 meter
Provenance:
Veluz village, Satari taluka, South Goa district
The
inscribed and sculptured plaque, written in Marathi inscription depicting sun
and the crescent moon on the upper portion. At the lower portion, a woman is
depicted as taming a cow; behind her, a wild animal is stamping a woman lying
on her back. The inscription records the gift of a village and mentions the
names of persons - Pandusenuaiyya and Kalasavaka. It also shows the date saka
1324 Chitra.... Sr. Sud. 1. Friday 1402 July 1.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 216 Material: Basalt Rock
Period
15 century Dimension: 0.46 x 0.65 x 0.12 meter
Provenance
Véluz-village, Satari taluka, South Goa district
The
sculptured plaque is written in Marathi inscription on three sides - horizontal
lines on the upper and lower portions and vertical lines on the right side. The sun is
depicted on the top right. In the center, a woman is depicted as tending a donkey;
she holds a knot (rope?) in her left hand. The inscription is partly
obliterated in the upper portion. The left and lower portions are broken.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 26 Material: Basalt Rock
Period: 12th century Dimension:
0.93x0.27x0.16 meter
Provenance:
Cuncolim village, Salcete taluka, South Goa district
The
memorial stone is engraved in three panels punctuated by decorative crossbars with
torana (beading) decoration. The lower panel depicts a large, statured hero
being attacked by a small-sized enemy from a chariot. Two people are playing
drum and gong in an attitude of admiring the fight. In the middle panel, the
hero is represented as on his way to heaven, accompanied by musicians and a chamara
bearer. In the uppermost panel, the hero seems to be worshipping a shivalinga in
his heavenly abode, assisted by two celestial beings.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 27 Material: Basalt Rock
Period
12th Century Dimension: 0.88 x 0.42
x 0.18 meter
Provenance:
Concolinary, Salcete taluka, South Goa
district
Inscribed
memorial stone sculpted in bold relief and flanked by replicas of slender
pillars. The hero is represented as fighting against his enemies in two panels.
In the lower panel, he is riding on a horseback, and in the middle panel, he is
being slain by his enemies on the wall of a rampart, which is plastically
positioned. The uppermost panel depicting the hero's usual seat in heaven is
broken.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 234 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
12", century Dimension: 0.27 x
0.87 x 0.21 meter
Provenance:
Pilerne village, Bardez taluka, North Goa district
The
three-paneled memorial stone is topped by a kalasha (vase) motif. The lower panel
plastically represents the immolation of two persons by their decapitation. The
heroes are seated on two thrones with folded hands, although their heads are
cut as raising weapons as if to cut off the heads. The middle panel depicts one
off and shows in front of their thrones two persons, a decapitated hero
being lifted by celestial beings, and the uppermost panel illustrates the other
hero being carried to heaven by two apsaras.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 235 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
12th, century Dimension: 0.39 x 0.00 x 0.20 meter
Provenance:
Malcornem village, Salçete taluka, South Goa district
The
inscribed memorial stone is depicted in three panels. The Lowermost panel
illustrates a sati about to immolate herself in the funeral fire of her husband, who died a heroic death. The middle panel depicts the hero about to
start a combat with his enemy. The uppermost panel represents the hero seated on a
throne.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 207 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
12th, century Dimension: 0.85 x 0.41
x 0.13 meter
Provenance:
Malcornem village, Salçete taluka, South Goa district
Bi-paneled
hero-cum-sati stone commemorating a hero who died a heroic death and his wife, who followed him to the pyre (funeral fire). The lowermost panel represents the
wife standing with folded hands before her husband's pyre. Ready to self-immolate. She is flanked by devotees. Musicians are depicted within a
structural frame just below the sati; they are playing drum and gong. The upper
panel illustrates the enthroned hero in heaven, seated on a throne, and his wife, too, seated on a throne to his left. The heroic couple is shown as attended and
worshipped by apsaras and devotees. The apex of the slab has a kalasha.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 3 Material Basalt
Rock
Period:
11th, century Dimensions: 26 x 0.40 x
0.11 meter
Provenance:
Betki village, Ponda taluka. North Goa district
The
inscribed memorial stone represents three sculptured panels that illustrate the voluntary immolation of a hero by fire, representing the hero seated with folded
hands amidst the flames. Musicians are on the left side, and a person in an
adoring attitude accompanies the act of self-immolation in the middle panels. The hero is being lifted to heaven by four apsaras (celestial damsels), two of whom
have chamaras in their hands. The uppermost panel depicts the hero on his way
to heaven on horseback in place of his usual seat in heaven. The top portion of
the slab replicates a two-tier South Indian Shikara (Superstructure)
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 24 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
13th, century Dimension: 0.89 x 0.37
x 0.14 meter
Provenance:
Malcornem village, Salçete taluka, South Goa district
A
four-paneled memorial stone framed by replicas of decorative pillars. In the
upper panel, the hero is depicted as seated on a high asana (seat) flanked by
apsaras and protected under parasols. A person is folding their hands before the
couple. In the middle panel, a naval battle is depicted where four people are
fighting. In the lower panel, three musicians are depicted. The uppermost panel
represents an entire hall of a South Indian temple, enshrining a Linga.
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 22 Material: Basalt Rock
Period:
11th, century Dimension: 0.94 x 0.32
x 0.13 meter
Provenance:
Not Known
The
oldest preserved and inscribed memorial stone of Goa depicts a naval battle.
The record inscribed in Kannada characters contains the date of the year 97(6) of the saka era (1054) belonging to the reign of Jayakeshi the 1. The
record commemorates Annayya, the servant of Jayakeshi the 1, who bravely
defended Chandrapura, the ancient capital of Goa. The hero is represented
standing in the foremost of the three vessels, is being propelled by five carmen.
In the middle panel, the hero seems to be worshipping a Shiva linga flanked by
two persons holding a parasol over him. In the uppermost panel, the hero is
seated in heaven between two apsaras (celestial dasels) holding a chamara
(flywhisk).
MEMORIAL
STONE
Accession
No: 239 Material: Basalt Rock
Poriod:
12th, century Dimension: 0.35 x 0.90
x 013 meter
Provenance:
Agassaim village, Tiswadi taluka. North Goa district
The
memorial stone is in three panels depicting a naval battle. The lowermost panel
portrays the death of the hero in a naval battle; it depicts a fight between
warriors in two boats. The third boat is empty; its occupant's presumably lying
slain at the bottom of the sea. The middle panel shows apsaras lifting the hero
to heaven. The uppermost panel illustrates the hero as seated in heaven and
worshipping a Shivalinga.
LOCATION
OF THE HERO STONES: CLICK HERE
A 13th-century Hero Stone with 4 tier. Bottom tier a war scene. The hero may be sitting on an elephant.
--- OM
SHIVAYA NAMA ---
