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Hero stone

Indian commemoration stones from 2nd century to 18th century in memory of a heroic warrior

A hero stone (vīragallu in Kannada, naṭukal in Tamil) is a memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle. Most of which were erected between the second half of the first millennium BCE{{cite web |access-date=2007-03-15 |access-date=2014-03-30

Description

A five-paneled hero stone from the 12th century with Old Kannada inscription

A hero stone was usually divided into three panels, but occasionally, into four or five panels depending on the event. The upper panel depicts the subject worshipping a deity such as a Shiva lingam, Vishnu, Gajalakshmi, or a tirthankara, the middle panel depicts the hero sometimes seated in a palanquin or a shrine being lifted toward the heavens by apsaras (heavenly nymphs), and the lower panels would display battle scenes.{{cite web |access-date=27 October 2014 |archive-date=11 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611133843/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/h/019pho0000965s1u00089000.html |url-status=dead |access-date=27 October 2014 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305020012/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/c/019pho000001003u01902000.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2009-06-30 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126202655/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/11/24/stories/04242238.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=2013-01-26 |access-date=2007-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409053927/http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/05/stories/2006040518340600.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-04-09 |access-date=2008-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001023228/http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/22/stories/2006072202680200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-10-01 |access-date=2007-03-17 |access-date=2014-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026053901/http://www.dtnext.in/News/TamilNadu/2017/04/03005110/1030460/Hero-stones-of-women-warriors-found-in-Krishnagiri.vpf?TId=112131 |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 October 2017 |access-date=2017-04-03

Hero stones were not always made in honour of a person. The Atakur inscription (also spelt Athakur) is one such hero stone. It is dated to 939 CE and includes classical Kannada poetic inscription commemorating the death of the favourite hound of Ganga King Butuga II (the hound died fighting a wild boar).

Gallery

File:Pulimo-Kombai.jpg|Hero stone, probably belonging to BCE. Tamil-Brahmi inscription during Tamil Sangam age in Theni district, Tamil Nadu File:Hero stone with old Kannada inscription at the Tarakeshvara temple at Hangal 1.jpg|Hero stone from 12th century with Old Kannada inscription from the Tarakeshvara Temple at Hangal, Karnataka File:Hero stone (virgal) with old Kannada inscription at the Tarakeshvara temple at Hangal.jpg|Hero stone from 12th century with Old Kannada inscription from the Tarakeshvara Temple at Hangal, Karnataka File:Hero stone with old Kannada inscription in the Tarakeshvara temple at Hangal 2.jpg|Hero stone from 12th century with Old Kannada inscription from the Tarakeshvara Temple at Hangal, Karnataka File:ಬೇಡ್ಕಣಿ ವಿರಗಲ್ ೧.JPG|Seven panel Hero Stone from 12th century with Old Kannada inscription from Siddapur taluk, Karnataka File:ಬೇಡ್ಕಣಿ ವಿರಗಲ್ ೨.JPG|Seven panel Hero Stone from 12th century with Old Kannada inscription from Siddapur taluk, Karnataka File:Herostone - 3.jpg|Seven panel Hero Stone from 1152 CE Old with Old Kannada inscription from Shimoga taluk, Karnataka File:Herostone - 5.jpg|Seven panel Hero Stone from 1152 CE Old with Old Kannada inscription from Shimoga taluk, Karnataka File:Virgal (hero stone) in Kedareshvara temple at Balligavi 1.JPG|Hero stone with 1160 CE Old Kannada inscription from the rule of Kalachuri King Bijjala in Kedareshvara temple at Balligavi in Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Hero stone (virgal) with Kannada inscription in Kalleshvara temple at Bagali.JPG|Hero stone with 11th- or 12th-century Old Kannada inscription in Kalleshvara temple in Bagali in Davangere district, Karnataka File:Virgal (hero stone) in Kedareshvara temple at Balligavi 2.JPG|Hero stone with 1180 CE Old Kannada inscription from the rule of Kalachuri King Ahavamalla in Kedareshvara temple at Balligavi in Shimoga district, Karnataka File:A virgal (herostone) in Kaitabhesvara temple at Kubatur.JPG|Hero stone with old Kannada inscription dated 1235 CE from the rule of Yadava King Singhana II in Kaitabeshvara temple at Kubatur in Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Herostones at Bandalike Trimurti Narayanagudi 1.JPG|Hero stone from 10th century with Old Kannada inscription at Trimurthi Narayana Gudi, Karnataka File:Herostones at Bandalike Trimurti Narayanagudi 3.jpg|Hero stone from 10th century with Old Kannada inscription at Trimurthi Narayana Gudi, Karnataka File:Herostone - 1.jpg|Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Herostone - 2.jpg|Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Herostone - 4.jpg|Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Herostone - 6.jpg|Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Herostone - 7.jpg|Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka File:Herostone in Siddhesvara Temple at Haveri.jpg|Hero stone from Later Chalukya period at Siddhesvara temple at Haveri in Haveri district, Karnataka File:Hero Stone with old-Kannada inscription at Arasikere.jpg|Hero stone with old Kannada inscription, 1220 CE, Arasikere, Karnataka File:முருகமங்கலம் நடுகல்.jpg|Murugamangalam hero stone, Tamil Nadu File:நரசிங்கபுரம் நடுகல்.JPG|Narasinga Puram hero stone, 12th century CE, Tamil Nadu File:தச்சாம்பாடி நடுகல்2.jpg|Tatchampadi hero stone, Tamil Nadu File:கொளக்கரவாடி நடுகல்.JPG|Olakkaravaadi hero stone 12th century CE, Tamil Nadu File:Mahadeva Sannidi Veeragallu.jpg|Two Hero stones from Kothapally Nizamabad district Telangana File:Tadpakal Veeragal.jpg|Hero stone found on the bank of river Godavari Tadpakal Nizamabad district Telangana File:Mallapur Veeragal.jpg|Hero stone found in Mallapur village Jagitial district Telangana File:Digital image of The Tamatakal 500CE Gunamadhura Herostone 02.png|3D scanned image of The Tamatakal 500CE Gunamadhura Herostone File:Digital Image Obtained by 3D Scanning of The Marasuru Madivala 9th-century Puniseyamma Hero-stone 02.png|3D Scanned image of The Marasuru Madivala 9th-century Puniseyamma Hero-stone File:Digital Image Obtained by 3D Scanning of The Marasuru Madivala 10th-century Butuga "Irivabedenga" Hero-stone 01.png|The Marasuru Madivala 10th-century Butuga "Irivabedenga" Hero-stone File:Digital Image Obtained by 3D Scanning of The Gulakamale Herostone 03.png|3D Scanned image of The Gulakamale Herostone File:Digital Image Obtained by 3D Scanning of The Gulakamale 14th-century Kempanna Hero-stone (Kannada) 04.png|3D Scanned image of The Gulakamale 14th-century Kempanna Hero-stone File:Digitally Produced Image Of Hebbala Kittayya 750CE Stone Inscription At Hebbala, Bengaluru 03.jpg|3D scanned image of the Hebbal-Kittayya hero-stone inscription

Notes

References

"Memorial Inscriptions with Special Reference to Hero Stones".
Chapter "Memorializing death in stone", Singh (2009), p48
Altekar (1934), p351
Filliozat, Jean. (1991). "Religion, Philosophy, Yoga: A Selection of Articles". Motilal Banarsidass.
Subramanian, T. S.. (30 March 2014). "Hero-stone discovered in Tamil Nadu". The Hindu.

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