VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Hero Stones / Sati Stones / Nadukarkal / Veerakallu / Navakandam, of Penneswaranadam, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Hero Stones / Sati Stones / Nadukarkal / Veerakallu / Navakandam, of Penneswaranadam, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu.

24^th August 2019.

Krishnagiri Hero Stones Part- 1
During our Heritage walk, to the Temples and heritage sites in and around Kaveripattinam, we came across 6 Nadukals / Hero stones installed in front of Penneswaramadam Shiva Temple. Out of these 3 nos belong to Hoysala King Vira Ramanathan’s period and the rest belong to the latter period. Experts of the opinion that Navakanda practice in front of Kotravai was followed till the 17^th century for many purposes such as for the well-being of the King, to get victory in the war, to get cured from any decease, to escape from other punishment & took Navakandam and die as hero, etc,. A memorial stone in the form of a bas-relief is erected either at a common place or where the hero took the Navakanda. Some of the Navakanda stones have the inscription of the Hero’s name and the purpose of his death. Usually, lands are offered to their family for their survival.

A Navakandam

Arikanda Hero Stone ( holding tuft in the left hand cutting the head in the right hand )

Hoysala King Vira Ramanathan’s period Tamil mixed with grantha inscription inscribed on the Penneswaramadam Shiva Temple sanctum Sanctorum wall, speaks about the severe punishment which includes beheading/chopping/slicing of head on their own (Navakandam) if anybody proved to be corrupt and seeking of cooked food (Mendicants/ Beggar) at Penneswaramadam or in the Villages gifted to Penneswaramadam Shiva Temple. Severe punishment will be given to the kanakkar (Accountant) and the concerned Officials, who have not enforced this order. Further, the inscription mentions that if anybody obstructs this order is a sin equivalent to killing a cow on the banks of the river Ganga. Hence this inscription is considered an important and unique inscription. The inscription is reproduced as given below.

In the group of hero stones, a Sati stone was not installed and laid down on the floor. In that hero is Isaipanar (maybe an othuvar who recites Thevara hymns in this Shiva Temple ). The Isaipanar holds a tambura in his right hand. His wife who took sati is shown holding a pot in her right hand. One of the inscriptions mentions a Madam called Cheraman Perumal Madam was functioning at Penneswaramadam. Experts of the opinion that a Thevara school might have functioned at Penneswaramadam.

A Hero Stone Isaipanar Sati stone

PENNESWARAMADAM GIRIVALAM ROUTE

Our next visit was to the Hero, sati, and Pulikuthi Stones with stone houses on the Girivalam route near Penneswaramadam. Some of them are damaged and some of them are in unapproachable condition. These Hero stones belong to the 15^th to 17^th Century. A large number of Hero and Sati stones indicates that this place Penneswaramadam near Kaveripattinam in Krishnagiri District witnessed many wars during Hoysala and Vijayanagara rule.