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| Hero Stone, Balligavi, Karnataka. en.wikipedia.org/ |
Centuries ago numerous dynasties across India were ruling their kingdoms effectively with good rulers and army with proper security measures, etc. Invasion by neighboring rulers or raid from other countries, particularly in NW parts of India was an inevitable thing. It was a threat to the stability of the kingdom and the welfare of the people.Wars would always leave behind a trail of destruction, death and chaos and the defeated country 's economy would be shattered. So, in those days, as part of education, young boys, particularly from the royal families had to undergo training in various aspects of military warfare, horse riding, archery, handling of hand-to-hand weapons such as spears, swords, daggers, etc. The boys also had to learn the art of self defense as well.
In ancient time heroic people were given due respect and be treated like Demi-god. In Tamil Nadu as there are many legends, a mother, in by-gone days, would like her son to go the battlefield and come out victorious and would never approve of his death when he got killed while running away from the battle. A son had a heroic death only when he died from injuries he received on his chest while courageously facing the opponent.
Heroes never fail to make a sacrifice; they are good at taking risk and do things that other people may avoid. In general perceptive, anybody can be a hero, if he has the courage and determination to achieve his goal, unmindful of the trouble he has to face. A man or woman with a spirit of heroism needs to be appreciated and remembered. In case of war, such heroism becomes visible, ever-lasting and the hero becomes an immortal figure.
In the olden days it was a common practice to commemorate the honorable death of a hero in battle and a simple memorial would be built called a Hero Stone (Viragallu in Kannada, Naṭukal in Tamil). Dating back to 3rd century, such hero stones are discovered across India, covering from 3rd to 18th century. Invariably, most of them often carry inscriptions displaying a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, frieze, and figures on carved stone. Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have a narrative of the battle in the inscription at the bottom.
Among the Indian states, Karnataka has the largest number of hero stones - roughly two thousand six hundred and fifty, the earliest dated to the 5th century. The earliest one dates back to Iron Age (1000 BCE–600BCE), however, majority of them came from between 5th and 13th centuries AD.
The hero stones are erected mostly to glorify the exploits of the warrior in the battlefields. However,
not all stores carry the story of heroism of men or women. The Atakur inscription (also Athakur) gives a different story. The Hero Stone dated 939 A.D. has an inscription of a classical Kannada poem, commemorating the death of the pet hound of Ganga King Butuga II (the hound died fighting a wild boar)
Tradition had been that a hero stone may have 3, or in rare cases, four panels. The upper panel depicts a deity such as a Shiva linga, the middle panel displays the hero, sitting in a palanquin/ shrine being taken to the heaven by the nymphs / apsaras and the bottom panels would display battle scenes.
In Tamil Nadu, there are several hundred Hero Stones erected in memory of great warriors who lost their precious lives, either defending the country or the community they represented. This practice of having Hero Stones erected has been in vogue since the Sangam Age - 2300 years. the custom existed during the Nayaks and post Nayaks period - 1800s. The stone panel carries details such as name of the king, narration of hero's exploits, etc.
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| 5 pananel Viragal,Karnataka. en.wikipedia.org/ |
Maisûr, p.18.............
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| Hero stones,10th century,Trimurthi Narayana Gudi,Ancient Origins |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_stone
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