Hero stone / Veeragallu / நடுகற்கள், Sri Panchalingeshwara Swamy Temple, Sri Kolaramma Temple, Kolar, Tippu's Summer Residence, Nandhi Hills Begur, of Karnataka.

22^nd August 2018.

During our recent visit to the old temples with Dravidian-style architecture, in Karnataka built by Gangas, Nolambas, Chozhas, Vijayanagara, etc, happened to see Hero Stones in some of the temples. The Panchalingeshwara Temple, Begur, Kolaramma Temple at Kolar, and Tippu Lodge at Nandi Hill have the Hero stones/ veeragallu. The details are as follows.

SRI PANCHALINGESHWARA SWAMY TEMPLE, BEGUR.

This temple has 8 Hero stones/ Veeragallu of which 3 are in broken condition. One number is safely erected on a pedestal with details.

Three  Hero stones/ Veeragallu are kept near the Stone stambah. The first one ( in Fig) is a single-stage Sati stone. In that hero stone is a Navakandam and his wife who took sati holds a lotus in her left hand. The hero wears a dress below his hip and ornaments on the neck. Both hands hold the sword. Also, he wears anklets on both legs.

The second one is the hero stone holds swords in both hands. The left-hand sword looks like Ganga's period sword, whereas the right-hand holds the regular sword. A katar is shown on his hip. The hero died due to the hitting of two arrows, of one arrow pierced through both of his legs. Another arrow pierced through his chest and came out on his back.

The third one is also a two-stage hero stone and 2^nd tier is half broken. The hero holds a Gangar’s sword in his right hand and does not know what he holds in his left hand probably a shield.

A Hero stone is erected on a pedestal. Sitting in padmasana and hands-on folded condition. Written as the person’s name is Thondabe, who Voluntarily fasted to death. Hope this is not the one mentioned in the inscription. A person on the right side holds a big knife which is not proportional. Inscriptions are there on the left side of the Hero Stone.

This two-tier hero stone was kept between two shrines with inscriptions. The hero holds a bow in the left and an arrow in the right hand. The hero died due to the hitting of multiple arrows. All 5 arrows are shown pierced through his body, especially on the head. In the second tier, the hero is shown between two deva kanniyar with samara/ chowry/ whisk.

This one is the three-stage Hero stone/ Veeragallu. In the first stage cattle/buffalos are shown. In the second stage, two heroes are shown with swords in their right hands. In the third stage, the two heroes are between three deva kannias, Ramba, Urvasi, and Menaka. On the right side, the Hero stone was found broken. The left-hand man holds a bow in his hand. This Hero stone was taken for these two heroes who are involved in the "Thoru proposal, to save cattle/buffalos - ஆநிரை / எறுமைகள் மீட்டல் /கவர்தல் / "-  is special and unique.  

In this hero stone, a dog is shown on his right side in the first tier. The hero holds a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. 8 arrows are shown which pierced through his body from his left side. In the second tier, the hero is shown between two deva kannis holding samara. Faint impressions of the inscription are also seen on the left side of the hero stone. The Dog might have died after the hero's death.

On the north side of the temple, we noticed 3 hero stones in broken condition. In one the hero is riding on a horse. The battlefield is shown on the sides.

SRI KOLARAMMA TEMPLE, KOLAR.

In this temple, two hero stones / Veeragallu are erected in the mukha mandapa. The left hero stone is a navakanda stone. The right hand is shown with a sword cutting his head, and what the hero holds in the left hand is not known.

On the right side of the mandapa, a hero stone is erected which depicts the war scene shown on the lower portion. The bodies of the soldiers lying on the ground, some without heads are shown. Some soldiers are fighting with swords and some with spears sitting on the horses. In the middle portion, the hero is standing alone holding a Gangar sword in his right hand and a shield in the left hand in front of a king who is on the elephant. The hero’s horse with his attendants holding umbrellas is shown on his back.  In the top portion, deva angels are shown dancing, deva angels hold a chowry/ samara and the hero is shown sitting in a small mandapa ( this denotes a pallipadai ). It was said that the hero stone belongs to the Ganga period and the war scene depicts the war between the Ganga and with Chozhas. This hero stone was erected for a hero of Ganga's, maybe a small King, a Chieftain, or a powerful person,  who was killed in the war. The Hero stone was fixed firmly and do not know if any inscriptions are there on the backside. This Hero stone belongs to the 11th Century.

 

TIPPU’S SUMMER RESIDENCE, NANDHI HILLS.

There are two hero stones / Veeragallu erected on a platform in front of the Tippu’s summer residence in the Nandhi Hills fort.  In the first hero stone, the hero is holding a sword in his right hand and a bow in his left hand. A lady or a man in short is also shown on his right side. A Shiva linga is shown on the top of the Veeragallu.

The second Hero stone is of two tiers, the hero must be a left handier holding a shield in the right hand and a sword in the left hand. In the second tier, the hero is shown in a sitting posture and two ladies are holding the hero. The hero looks like a female, which may be studied further.

 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---