Hero Stones / Nadukarkal / Veeragallu / நடு கற்கள் / Sati Stones , at Chikkahole, - Talakad Heritage walk.

17^th June 2018.

During our visit to Talakad on 17^th June 2018, planned to visit Choza Period temples and some heritage sites. On the way to Talakad, had seen many hero stones erected for various purposes. Hope the people of the villages had the practice of erecting hero stones in remembrance of the deceased, who had done some extraordinary brave activity. Depending on the bravery of the deceased, the relief scene of the hero stones is chiseled. Almost all the villages we traveled from Thalavadi to Talakad, have such hero stones. It is a paradise for researchers and enthusiasts to study the hero stones. At one stage we had seen some hero stones without stepping out of the car. In this blog, I will cover the hero stones of three villages and their importance.

In the Village Chikkahole, there are three hero stones found about 100 meters off the main road, inside a palm grove. Out of three,  two are three-tier hero stones and one is of single tier. The details with photos are..

LOCATION:  ( purposely not given )

It is believed that the hero stone belongs to the Gangar period, considering the style of reliefs and the weapon used. The three tiers hero stone was erected for a warrior, who died in the process of fighting. The hero is fighting with his opponent with a bow & arrow,  but the opponent holds a shield and a sword of unusual shape. In the second tier, the hero is being taken to heaven by the angels, In the third tier the hero is shown worshiping Lord Shiva in a sitting posture. The hero’s headgear ‘turban’, and the other warrior’s sword are worth noting.

The second one is a Sati stone. In the first tier, the hero is fighting with his opponent. Both are holding shields and swords symmetrically shown like mirror image. The hero’s wife is not shown in the first tier, but both the hero and his wife are shown in the second tier. Hero and his wife who took sati after her husband’s death are taken to heaven by the angels. In the top tier, both the hero and his wife worship Lord Shiva in a sitting posture.

The third nadukal is a simple hero stone of a single tier. Holding sword and shield.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---