The visit to Prehistoric burial sites
with Cairn Circles, Dolmens, and menhirs on the eastern side of the Perumal
Malai base, at Narasingampatti, Madurai, was a part of “Traditional Journey to
Yanaimalai”, on 31st August 2025, organised by the Kumbakonam Heritage by Gopinath, and kumbakonamheritage.com. Thanks
to Prof. Devi Arivu Selvam for leading our Heritage Journey with
valuable inputs.
Cairns are in a circle
Prehistoric
humans lived in caves/plains, where water was easily available from a river or
a lake. Since a prehistoric burial site contains more than a hundred burial
monuments in one place, it indicates that prehistoric human beings lived in
large numbers for a long period. The burial monuments are Cairn (கற்குவை),
Cairn Circles (கல்வட்டங்கள்), Cairn Circles with Cist (கல்வட்டத்துடன் கூடிய கல் பதுக்கைகள்), Dolmens (கல் திட்டைகள்). As per the historians, these burial
monuments belong to the Stone Age, ie, 3000 to 1800 BC, and were practised till
the Sangam Age, ie, 300 BC to 200 CE.
In cairn
circles, the stones may be pebble-like stones or laterite stones, or stone
slabs, or the available stones of that region are kept in a round or Square
shape, keeping the cist at the centre. The size of the circle and the Cist
depends on the person deceased, like the group leader. Burial pots are
pots in which the remains of the deceased will be kept and buried. In some cases,
part of the bones is also kept. Along with the big pots, small pots containing
the articles and food that are loved by the deceased are also kept. The cist
contains stone slabs on 4 sides and is covered with a capstone slab. The cist
will be below the ground level. In the case of Dolmens, side stone slabs are
erected in the form of an inverted swastika, and a cover stone slab is erected
on top. The Dolmens are erected where stone slabs are easily available, like
hills, and are also available in the plains. In Tamil Nadu, these burial
monument sites are found in the northern region, western region (Kongu Nadu),
and southern region up to Madurai.
Cairns, in Circles and Squares, Dolmens and Menhirs, Narasingampatti.
This
site is along the south side of Perumal Malai. All full stretches of the
hill base have the cairn circles, which signify that many humans lived in this
area. Most of the cairn circles and dolmens are disturbed. The cairns are erected using slab stones, in round and square shapes. The periphery stones
are projecting up to 5 feet in height in some of the cairns, which look
like menhirs. A few cairn circles are erected with laterite stones also.
Some stones around the periphery of the cairn circles look like menhirs
Some stones around the periphery of the cairn circles look like menhirs
WORSHIP
AND CELEBRATIONS
The
locals worship the Cairn Circle with a cist as “Emaveeran”. The locals consider
these cists, their ancestors’ atma are still living in these cists. Once in
three years, poojas are conducted, and Cocks are sacrificed for this Emaveeran.
In
addition to the above Dolmens, stone heaps (kal kuvai – கற்குவை)
are found in one place. It is said that, if a small stone is dropped in the
heap after Perumal Malai.
LOCATION
OF THE SITE: CLICK HERE
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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