Hero Stones /வீரக்கல்லு/ Veerakallu/Sati Stones/Memorial Stones, at Chejerla, Ramappa Temple, Warangal, and Amaravati, of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States.

KAPOTHESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE
TITLE              : Hero and Sati Stones
LOCATION       : Sri Kapotheswara Temple, Chejarla
PERIOD           : 12^th to 14^th century
DETAILS          :
Three Hero stones and Deity sculptures are staked inside a small room at Sri Kapotheeswara temple, Chejarla, in Andhra Pradesh. Of the three hero stones, two are unique with similar postures. The Heroes hold a kattar in the left hand and a knife or sword in the right hand. Both Heroes wear earrings in their elongated earlobes and ornaments around the neck. The hair is shown like jada instead of a tuft. A Half dress is shown below the waist.

The Sati stone… In this sati stone, the Hero is shown at the center with his two wives on both sides. The hero is shown with a big tuft, earrings in the elongated earlobes, and ornaments over the neck. The dress is shown below his waist. What weapon the Hero holds is not known.

AMARAVATI ASI BUDDHIST MUSEUM
TITLE              : Hero Stone
LOCATION       : Amaravati ASI Buddhist Museum
PERIOD           : 10^th century
DETAILS          :
This hero stone is on display at the Amaravati ASI Buddhist Museum. The Hero stone was carved out of limestone. The Hero is holding a spear in the left hand and a shield in the right hand. He wears ornaments around his neck and ears. A big tuft is shown on the right side of his head. A half dress with a kattar is shown on his waist.

As per ASI, this hero stone belongs to the 10^th Century CE.

RAMAPPA TEMPLE
TITLE              : Hero Stone
LOCATION       : Ramappa Temple
PERIOD           : 12^th century
DETAILS          :
This Hero stone contains images of a Hero sitting on an elephant in the middle with a big sword in his right hand. On the front and back sides are the two attendants holding umbrellas and sitting on the elephant. The stone used is similar to the stone used for the construction of the Ramappa Temple. Hence, the hero may be a Kakatiya king, who might have been killed in a war.

WARANGAL FORT
TITLE              : Hero Stone
LOCATION       : Warangal Fort – West Entrance
PERIOD           : 19^th Century
DETAILS          :
This Hero stone is unique. The hero is shown with a tuft and a big mustache. He wears ornaments around his neck and a half-dress below his waist. The Hero is holding a rifle in the left hand and a kattar in the right hand. This shows that the hero was a warrior or soldier in an army.

The hero is worshipped as an avatar of Shiva since a Rishabam is kept in front of the Hero stone. This Hero may have died during the transition period from weapons like kattar and sword to rifle, since the rifle was introduced in India around 1856 CE.

West side Fort Entrance

WARANGAL FORT KUSH MAHAL
TITLE              : Hero Stone
LOCATION       : Kush Mahal
PERIOD           : 12^th Century
DETAILS          :
This Hero stone is found broken at the top and bottom. From the available hero stone, two soldiers are fighting with each other, sitting on horses. In the top tier, the hero is worshipping a Shiva Linga along with two ladies in a worshipping posture/ Anjali hastam. These two ladies shown on the left side of the Shiva linga may be his wives who took sati after the hero’s death.

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Sri Shambulingeshwara Temple /Sri Swayambhu Lingeshwara Devasthanam/శ్రీ స్వయంభు లింగేశ్వర దేవస్థానం, Mathwada, Warangal, Telangana.

This is one of the Shiva Temples built in and around the Warangal Fort.

Moolavar: Sri Shambulingeshwara

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces east with a dwajasthamabam. Rishabam is in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar in the sanctum is small on a square avudayar. In ardha mandapa loose sculptures of Veerabhadra, Vinayagar, Mahashamardini, Shiva Lingas, Ganga on Mahara, etc.

In praharam, Vinayagar, A Shiva Lingam with square avudayar, 5 Rishabas (damaged), Mukha Lingam, Nagars, and Two Anjaneyar sculptures on a flat stone.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple is about 8 feet below the ground level. The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum and ardha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on adhistanam. The Vimanam is of Nagara style with bricks.

KAKATHIYAN ARCHITECTURE:

The group of temples and temple complex-related structures in the Warangal region of the Kakatiyan Empire signify a distinct architectural pattern, style, and technology of the period and are representative of a distinct regional style exhibiting local innovation in temple building tradition. Along with Rudreswara Temple, locally known as VeyiSthambhala Gudi (Thousand Pillars Temple) at Hanamkonda the other characteristic temples and temple complexes include Archaeological remains of Swayambhu temple and Keerthi thoranas at Warangal Fort and Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, which is located about 65 km from Warangal. Most of the temples show the character and evolved from the later Chalukyan style of temple architecture. But all the temples and temple complexes of Kakatiyas have a distinct style, technology, and decoration exhibiting the influence of Kakatiyan sculptors. Keerthi Thoranas is another example of a distinct style of Kakatiyas for the gateways to temple complexes, unique only to this region and testimony to highly evolved proportions of aesthetics in temple and town gateways in South India. The Thoranas demonstrate both a creative masterpiece and a continuity and transformation through the interchange of cultural values like that of Buddhist art traditions from the 2nd Century BCE to the 11th Century CE.

Ref

Archaeological Survey of India, Display Board at the Temple entrance.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

It is believed that the temple was built by Kakatiyas during the 12^th to 14^th Century. It is said that this temple was excavated completely during the 20^th Century and brought back to worship.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Maha Shivaratri days.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will kept open from 06.30 hrs to 12.00 hrs and from 16.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is south-west corner of the Warangal Fort, 4.3 km from Warangal Railway Station, and 9.7 km from 1000 Pillar Temple.

The nearest Railway Station is Warangal.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Jangamayya Temple, Mathwada, Warangal, Telangana.

This Jangamayya Temple is about a km from the Warangal Fort. This temple is dedicated to Shiva, but no Shiva Linga is in the sanctum sanctorum. A Hanuman bas-relief panel and Shiva Lingas are in front of the temple.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple mandapa is on a 3-foot-raised platform. The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum and an open maha mandapam. The temple was built with stone from adhistanam to prastaram. The open maha mandapam is supported by 18 similar-design pillars. The vimana above the sanctum sanctorum, in brick, was constructed in recent years.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

This is one of the Shiva Temples built in and around the Warangal Fort, built in the 12^th Century during the Kakatiya reign.

LEGENDS

"Jangamayya" is a term primarily used in the context of the Shaivaite tradition in India, specifically within the Lingayat/Vira-Shiva sect. It refers to a type of religious monk or ascetic who adheres to the principles of Shaivism and who is often considered a follower or devotee of Shiva. Jangamayya can also be a name or title used for Shiva himself.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Khush Mahal / కుష్ మహల్, Warangal Fort, Kila Warangal, Mathwada, Warangal, Telangana.

Khush Mahal, near Warangal Fort built in Islamic architectural style during Tughluq's reign. Khush Mahal is an audience hall that was built around the 14th century during Tughlaq's rule. It was later used by Shitab Khan, who was the Qutb Shahi Dynasty Governor of Warangal in the 16th century.

Khush Mahal consists of a huge chamber with an arch opening on four sides with slanting walls. This sturdy-looking structure has withstood the ravages of many decades, presenting impressive architecture.

The sculptures of Hindu and Jain religions and fort structural components with inscriptions unearthed near the Fort and elsewhere in Telangana State are on display in this Kush Mahal.

INSCRIPTIONS

Ganapatideva’s reign-year inscription (No. 338) is (Inscriptions of Warangal District (Reprint 2016), Page No. 219 to 220), on a conical stone inside the Kush Mahal. Registers certain gifts to the god Somanathadeva of Mathiyavada made by the nagara, trading in five metals (pancha-lohalu), the nagara of the perfumes, bachu-made nakhara (money exchange guild), pomkakude-nagarams (guild of areca nut dealers ?), and samta-nagara (guild of the fair merchants) during the reign of Ganapatideva Maharaja.

Another Ganapatideva’s reign year inscription is (No. 338), Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy 1957-58, Page No: 24, in Kush Mahal. This fragmentary inscription is on the four sides of the broken pillar kept in front of Khush Mahal in the fort. Registers the gift of levies on certain articles as vritti to god Somanathadeva of Matiyavada by certain mercantile communities. Published in Hyd. Arch. Series, No. 13, p. 53, No. 11.

Ganapatideva’s reign inscription (No. 339, Annual Reports on Indian Epigraphy 1957-58, Page No: 25) is in Kush Mahal.  This inscription is on a pillar in two fragments kept in front of Khush Mahal in the fort. Records the gift of levies on various articles in cash or in kind for worship and offerings to god Veerabhdreshwara.

Ref:

1. A Govt. website: https://hanumakonda.telangana.gov.in/places-of-interest/

2. The book Epigrapica Telanganica, Volume 2, Imperial Kakatiyas.

LOCATION OF KHUSH MAHAL: CLICK HERE

The details of the Hero Stone will be covered in a separate post

A Jain Tirthankara

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---