Hero Stones / Veeragallu / நடுகற்கள் /புலிகுத்திசதிகற்கள் / Pulikuthi Nadukal , Thalavadi, Erode district, Tamil Nadu.

04^th November 2017.

This heritage visit on 04^th November 2017, was mainly focused on Hero stones and Sati Stones in and around Thalavadi, a part of western ghats. This place was once a dense forest and wild animals like lions, tigers, pigs, Boar, and Elephants live in this area. ( even now the villages used to erect electric fences around their houses and the fields ).  These wild animals are used to damage the fields, attack & eat domestic animals and even human beings live in the hamlets. To save the domestic animals the villagers used to fight with them and sometimes they died in the process. A hero stone used to be erected in remembrance of the person who died. These are called the Hero stones and Pulikuthi Kal is one erected for the hero who died after killing a Tiger. During this visit we had seen 3 Pulikuthi hero stones of 3 tiers of these two are Sati Hero stones.
  

Kumparakalankadu Pulikuthi Sati stone: This nadu kal is of three tiers. In the lower level, the Hero is shown with a spear killing a tiger with his wife on the left side ( The hero’s wife might have ended her life in the funeral fire. In the middle level, both husband and wife are taken to heaven by the angels, who are holding the samara. In the top level. Both husband and wife are paring Lord Shiva. Chandran and Suyan are also shown at the top level. This indicates this should be maintained till the Moon and Sun exist.

Madheswaran Temple Pulikuthi Sati Stone:  This Hero Pulikuthi Sati stone is also of three levels. Similar to the previous  Kumparakalankadu Pulikuthi Sati stone, both husband and wife are shown in the first level. In the second level, only the hero alone is taken to heaven by the angels. In the third level, only the Hero is shown worshiping Shiva Lingam with Rishabam.

The Madheswaran Temple. A Stucco Rishabam is on the entrance arch instead of  Gopuram

Thottapuram Pulikuthi Stone:  This Pulikuthi stone is installed inside a kalveedu ( stone house ). This is also of three levels. In the lower level, the hero is shown with a spear killing a male tiger ( the testicles are shown distinctively ). In the Second level, the hero is taken to heaven by the two angels. In the top level, the hero is shown worshiping  Shiva Linga and Rishabam in a sitting posture. In addition to this, there is also a person male/ female in a standing position, which is not very clear.

   Stone houses – the outer two have the Hero stones of which one is a Pulikuthi Nadukal.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---