Other than the epigraphs, the veeragallus or hero stones are some of the best known examples of Karnataka's historical heritage.
In her book A history of ancient and early medieval India: From Stone Age to the 12th century, historian Upinder Singh says that at least 2,650 veeragallus dating between 5th and 13th century have been found in Karnataka.
Most of these stones are concentrated in Kolar, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Bengaluru and Haveri. One reason for this could be the ready availability of suitable boulders and stones, which were mined out of the rocky hills in many places across the state.
A veeragallu mainly commemorates the valiant and honourable death of a hero in a battle, while there are also many hero stones that honour the sacrifice of a person for the community’s welfare.
Bounty of stones
The Karnataka Itihasa Academy has listed a wide variety of these veeragallus in the state — some of them are also found outside of the state, in regions which were once part of Karnataka’s kingdoms.
Devarakonda Reddy, historian and president of the Itihasa Academy, has made an extensive study of these stones. Most of the stones have been decoded and deciphered and each stone tells a story.
These stones are often dedicated to persons who have sacrificed their lives in various instances such as war, cattle raids or safeguarding the dignity of women from miscreants. There are also stones erected in memory of people who defended the village or have shown bravery in hunting wild boars, tigers, bears and other wild animals.
Hero stones have also been erected in honour of the brave people for defending the village, defending borders or bravery shown in hunting wild boars, tigers, bears and other wild animals.
Hero stones called ‘Mastikallu’ have also been erected in memory of women who have committed “Mahasati” (self-immolation after the death of their husbands).
"Hero stones usually commemorate men, but two inscriptions from Siddenahalli and Kembalu refer to the heroic deaths of a woman and a queen who launched a cattle raid," writes Upinder.
Remembering pets
There are also some interesting memorials for pets. The hero stone in Atakur in Mandya dated to 939 AD, with a classical Kannada poetic inscription, commemorates the death of the favourite hound of Ganga King Butuga II — the hound died fighting a wild boar.
Upinder mentions an inscription from Gollarahatti near Bengaluru is in memory of a hunting dog named Punisha, who also died after killing a wild boar.
One of the largest veeragallus, about 12 feet high, is found in Betageri, in Gadag. There are several other stones which are yet to be classified and studied for their significance.
An important veeragallu can be found in Begur village in Bengaluru, dating back to the 10th century. This stone, discovered by noted British historian and epigraphist B L Rice sometime between 1906 and 1911, is now preserved in the Government Museum in Bengaluru. It graphically narrates the strategies used in medieval battles such as sword fighting, spear hurling and the use of elephants.
The inscription in the Begur stone refers to a Buttana Setti, probably a warrior, who died in the battle of Bengaluru. This is the earliest reference to Bengaluru. Tipu’s lodge or guest house in Nandi Hills has a small courtyard in one corner where three hero stones are installed.
These stones, surviving through the ages, offer us a fascinating insight into lives of a bygone era.