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131:, Department of Archeology found several hundred hero stones that had been erected in the memory of warriors who sacrificed their lives defending their community or region. Those that are carved with inscriptions narrate the act of the hero, the battle, and the name of king who fought the battle. The stones are found alone or in groups, often near an
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79:. About two thousand six hundred and fifty hero stones, the earliest in Karnataka is dated to the 5th century CE. The custom of erecting memorial stones dates back to the Iron Age (400 BCE) though a vast majority were erected between the 4th century BCE to 13th centuries CE.
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panels, frieze, and figures in carved stone. Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle. The earliest and oldest of such memorial hero stones is found in the Indian state of
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commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle. Erected between the second half of the first millennium BCE and the 18th century CE, hero stones are found all over India. They often carry inscriptions and a variety of ornaments, including
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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 worshiping a deity such as a Shiva
159:. and another that was installed by a woman in memory of her husband who killed a leopard preying on cattle that strayed into the hamlet. In 2017, two rare hero stones raised in honour of
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and probably dates from the 18th century. This stone shows a warrior posed heroically, accompanied by his wife who holds a flower. Creating hero stones had been prevalent since the
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170:(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
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The
Rashtrakutas And Their Times; being a political, administrative, religious, social, economic and literary history of the Deccan during C. 750 A.D. to C. 1000 A.D
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dating back 2600 years, and continuing until the Nayaka and post-Nayaka period to about 19th century. In March 2014, a hero stone dating to the 8th century
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Hero stone with 1180 CE Old
Kannada inscription from the rule of Kalachuri King Ahavamalla in Kedareshvara temple at Balligavi in Shimoga district,
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335:
Hero stone with 1160 CE Old
Kannada inscription from the rule of Kalachuri King Bijjala in Kedareshvara temple at Balligavi in Shimoga district,
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King
Dantivarman, depicts the hero riding a galloping horse beautifully dressed and carrying a spear. Another was recovered at Pappapatti in
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866:
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Hero stone with old
Kannada inscription dated 1235 CE from the rule of Yadava King Singhana II in Kaitabeshvara temple at Kubatur in
119:(heavenly nymphs), and the lower panels would display battle scenes. One of the largest Viragallu, about 12 feet high is found in
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244:
Hero stone from 12th century with Old
Kannada inscription from the Tarakeshvara Temple at Hangal,
229:
Hero stone from 12th century with Old
Kannada inscription from the Tarakeshvara Temple at Hangal,
214:
Hero stone from 12th century with Old
Kannada inscription from the Tarakeshvara Temple at Hangal,
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Hero stone with 11th- or 12th-century Old
Kannada inscription in Kalleshvara temple in Bagali in
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Hero stone from 10th century with Old
Kannada inscription at Trimurthi Narayana Gudi,
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Hero stone from 10th century with Old Kannada inscription at Trimurthi Narayana Gudi,
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A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India:From the Stone Age to the 12th Century
75:, the largest concentration of such memorial stones is found in the Indian state of
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is more than 2400 years old that is 4th century BCE. According to the historian
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Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka
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Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka
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Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka
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Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka
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Hero stone with 1152 CE Old Kannada inscription, Shimoga district, Karnataka
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Hero stone from Later Chalukya period at Siddhesvara temple at Haveri in
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inscription of 1286 CE during rule of Yadava King Ramachandra in the
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or lake outside a village. One hero stone dating to the 9th century
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Five panel Viragal from 12th century with Old Kannada inscription
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820:"Memorial Inscriptions with Special Reference to Hero Stones"
658:
3D scanned image of The Tamatakal 500CE Gunamadhura Herostone
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Hero stones were not always made in honour of a person. The
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Chapter "Memorializing death in stone", Singh (2009), p48
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riding to a battle were found, dating back 13th century.
199:
inscription during Tamil Sangam age in Theni district,
1126:"Hero stones of women warriors found in Krishnagiri"
1036:"2,300-year-old hero stones found in Theni district"
1000:"Pallava period 'herostone' unearthed in Vellore dt"
1240:
Pallava period 'herostone' unearthed in Vellore dt.
781:
Religion, Philosophy, Yoga: A Selection of Articles
512:Hero stone with old Kannada inscription, 1220 CE,
1261:
1100:"A hero stone tells a tale from eighth century"
1002:. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013
979:"Dolmens, Hero Stones and the Dravidian People"
613:Hero stone found on the bank of river Godavari
1076:. Chennai, India. 22 July 2006. Archived from
1044:. Chennai, India. 5 April 2006. Archived from
278:Seven panel Hero Stone from 12th century with
259:Seven panel Hero Stone from 12th century with
690:10th-century Butuga "Irivabedenga" Hero-stone
546:Narasinga Puram hero stone, 12th century CE,
316:Seven panel Hero Stone from 1152 CE Old with
297:Seven panel Hero Stone from 1152 CE Old with
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576:Olakkaravaadi hero stone 12th century CE,
155:script was found in Vellalankottai in the
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151:country, with a Tamil inscription in the
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17:
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195:Hero stone, probably belonging to BCE.
178:(the hound died fighting a wild boar).
1262:
1255:Ancient Hero stone goes missing in Goa
1215:"Hero-stone discovered in Tamil Nadu"
1163:
902:"Hero-stone discovered in Tamil Nadu"
867:"Hero-stone discovered in Tamil Nadu"
760:Google map of herostones of Bengaluru
1280:Monuments and memorials in Karnataka
900:Subramanian, T. S. (30 March 2014).
881:
784:. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 151.
1202:
927:"Hungul. Sculptured memorial stone"
13:
674:9th-century Puniseyamma Hero-stone
14:
1291:
1183:Altekar, Anant Sadashiv (1934) .
754:
282:inscription from Siddapur taluk,
263:inscription from Siddapur taluk,
1270:Monuments and memorials in India
1235:Rare Hero stone found near Erode
726:
721:14th-century Kempanna Hero-stone
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1189:. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.
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845:"Hero-stone Memorials of India"
1106:. Chennai, India. 22 July 2006
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28:Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi
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1250:Huntington Archive Hero Stone
1230:Hero-stone Memorials of India
1168:. India: Pearsons Education.
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531:Murugamangalam hero stone,
10:
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1245:Government Museum Chennai
1020:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
1068:"'Hero stone' unearthed"
778:Filliozat, Jean (1991).
764:
733:3D scanned image of the
717:3D Scanned image of The
702:3D Scanned image of The
670:3D Scanned image of The
561:Tatchampadi hero stone,
1164:Singh, Upinder (2009).
953:"12 feet high Viragal"
737:hero-stone inscription
92:
34:
591:Two Hero stones from
90:
30:in Shimoga district,
21:
1275:Inscriptions by type
1150:Altekar (1934), p351
704:Gulakamale Herostone
635:Hero stone found in
157:Thoothukudi district
1217:. T. S. Subramanian
869:. T. S. Subramanian
1132:on 26 October 2017
352:Davangere district
168:Atakur inscription
93:
35:
1175:978-81-317-1120-0
1080:on 1 October 2007
847:. Kamat Potpourri
688:Marasuru Madivala
672:Marasuru Madivala
141:Usilampatti taluk
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806:"Hero Stones"
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791:9788120807181
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73:Upinder Singh
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1219:. Retrieved
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1134:. Retrieved
1130:the original
1120:
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1103:
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1078:the original
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1062:
1050:. Retrieved
1046:the original
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1004:. Retrieved
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982:. Retrieved
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961:. Retrieved
957:the original
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935:. Retrieved
931:the original
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909:. Retrieved
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827:. Retrieved
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197:Tamil-Brahmi
165:
114:
96:
94:
50:
42:
38:
36:
15:
1209:Hero Stones
911:10 December
829:17 February
318:Old Kannada
299:Old Kannada
280:Old Kannada
261:Old Kannada
111:tirthankara
83:Description
24:Old Kannada
1264:Categories
1158:References
1110:13 October
963:27 October
937:27 October
719:Gulakamale
593:Kothapally
578:Tamil Nadu
563:Tamil Nadu
548:Tamil Nadu
533:Tamil Nadu
201:Tamil Nadu
153:Vatteluttu
129:Tamil Nadu
69:Tamil Nadu
64:bas relief
39:hero stone
1104:The Hindu
1073:The Hindu
1041:The Hindu
906:The Hindu
824:Sahapedia
645:Telangana
643:district
622:Telangana
620:district
618:Nizamabad
600:Telangana
598:district
596:Nizamabad
518:Karnataka
514:Arasikere
499:Karnataka
420:Karnataka
405:Karnataka
390:Karnataka
371:Karnataka
356:Karnataka
337:Karnataka
322:Karnataka
303:Karnataka
284:Karnataka
265:Karnataka
246:Karnataka
231:Karnataka
216:Karnataka
176:Butuga II
125:Karnataka
77:Karnataka
43:Vīragallu
32:Karnataka
1221:30 March
1084:17 March
1016:cite web
1006:15 March
873:30 March
851:15 March
743:See also
641:Jagitial
639:village
637:Mallapur
615:Tadpakal
121:Betageri
109:or jain
59:memorial
1195:3793499
1136:3 April
984:30 June
182:Gallery
137:Pallava
116:apsaras
107:lakshmi
105:, gaja
57:) is a
51:Naṭukal
47:Kannada
1193:
1172:
1052:14 May
788:
749:Paliya
149:Pandya
103:vishnu
765:Notes
174:King
172:Ganga
127:. In
98:linga
55:Tamil
1223:2014
1191:OCLC
1170:ISBN
1138:2017
1112:2014
1086:2007
1054:2008
1022:link
1008:2007
986:2009
965:2014
939:2014
913:2019
875:2014
853:2007
831:2022
786:ISBN
686:The
53:in
45:in
1266::
1102:.
1070:.
1038:.
1018:}}
1014:{{
904:.
892:^
822:.
516:,
497:,
388:,
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123:,
101:,
49:,
37:A
1225:.
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1178:.
1140:.
1114:.
1088:.
1056:.
1024:)
1010:.
988:.
967:.
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877:.
855:.
833:.
808:.
794:.
41:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.