Hero Stones / Nadukarkal / Veerakallu / Pulikuthi Sati Stone, Dolmen, Menhir at Sevur, Mottanam, Malayapalayam, Pothampalayam, in Erode and Tiruppur Districts, Tamil Nadu.

06^th January 2019.

It was planned to visit some pre-historic period heritage monuments  like Menhir, Dolmen, and 16^th Century Hero stone ( Veerakallu ), Pulikuthi Sati Hero Stones of Kongu Nadu on the way to Avinashi from Gobichettipalayam Via Nambiyur and Sevur on 06^th January 2019. During our visit, the temples at Malayapalayam, Mondipalayam, and Alathur constructed during the Kongu Chozhas period were also included. 

  

PULIKUTHI SATI STONE At SEVUR – POLICE STATION.

This Pulikuthi sati stone is erected inside the Sevur Police Station. As per the Lady inspector, it was unearthed near the Perumal Temple and the same was shifted and installed in the present place.

This pulikuthi sati stone is a 3 tier Nadukal. In the first tier, the hero is killing the Tiger by shooting an arrow. His wife who took sati by jumping in the funeral fire after her hero husband’s death is standing on the right side of the hero, holding a kattar-like weapon on her right hand. The bottom tier is not fully visible. In the second tier, Both hero and wife are taken to heaven by the deva kanniyars. The deva kannis holds the hands of the hero and his wife in one hand and whisk/ samaram in the other hands. In the third tier, the Pulikuthi hero with his wife are in a sitting posture and worshiping Lord Shiva. Shiva Linga and Rishabam are also shown to signify that the hero was a Saivaite.

HERO STONE AT MOTTANAM

This hero stone is on the left side of the main road near Karuppa Swamy Temple at Mottanam. The Village is on the way to Gobichettipalayam from Avinashi. This hero’s head is turned to his left side holding a kattar in his right hand and bow in his left hand. A half-dress is shown from his waist. Since the place Mottanam is near Gobichettipalayam must be land with vegetation for gracing cattle. It was a practice in those days to steel the cattle of one group by the other group. The hero might have died in the process of recovering the cattle stolen by the other group.

   

DOLMEN AT MALAYAPALAYAM

Like today’s burial of the deceased, this is the prehistoric Stone Age burial. During the stone age, it was started with the marking of burials by placing stones around, called cairn circles. Later the deceased are buried in a pot and kept at the centre called cist. Then 4 slab stones are erected around the cist with a cover stone slab. When it is erected above the ground is called a Dolmen.

The dolmen at Malayapalayam is on the North side of Sri Muthu Velayutha Swamy, Ayyanar, and Veeramathi Amman Temples, in the midst of the field. The west side of the side wall is missing now. The Dolmen is about 6 feet high, 6 feet in length, and 4 feet in width. This dolmen is under worship. It was told that some more will be there around this dolmen.

MENHIR – A SHIVA TEMPLE BEFORE POTHAMPALAYAM.

This menhir is in a Shiva Temple on the left side of the main road from Sevur to Nambiyur before Pothampalayam. On seeing the temple’s structure, thought the temple must be very old. We happened to see a stone standing in between Shiva and Ambal temple. As per the experts, this stone is a menhir. This menhir is about 4 feet high and 1.5 feet wide. This Menhir may belong to the Stone Age period 3000 to 1800 BC.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---