Barakuru: A Hero stone of a great importance known as Siditale Hiro-Stone found at Barakuru. Barakuru was a historic capital of mediaeval Alupas and the Vijayanagar Empire. The Panchalingeshwara temple of Barakuru is under the renovation processes. Therefore, the Veera Rani Chikkayi Tayi Trust (R.), Gulladi and Adima Kala Trust (R.), Udupi jointly conducted an epigraphical survey in the temple very recently. At the time of survey, this rare Hero-Stone was found in the outer prakara of the temple says Prof. T. Murugeshi an archaeologist of this region in his press release here today.
Self sacrificing hero-stones found commonly in South India from 9th to 10th century to 14th -15th century. I personally reported three such hero stones from coorg of 10th century Gangas period.
The hero stone under study from Barakuru is a rare example of Siditale type and found first time from Tulunadu. The hero stone under study has three panels and about four feet in height. The lower first panel depicts a self sacrificing person sitting on mud mound in a dhyana bangi or meditative posture. On his left side a butcharer is standing with a sword and on the right a man holding tightly a Bamboo. The head of the butchered was tied to the tip of the Bamboo. Immediately after butchered the head was swinging in the sky, it was known as Siditale. In the second panel, the deceased person was shown taken by Apsaras to the heaven. In top panel, the hero shown sitting before the lord Shiva in the left and Archaka on the right.
Stylistically, the hero stone under study is belongs to the 14th century and a great antiquity of Tulunadu. I am thankful to Dr. Raghuram Shetty Gulladi for his financial support for this discovery, Nagashayana administrator, former Moktesvar of the temple Manjunath Rao and Sinchith and Shodan the students of archaeology of MSRS college, Shirva.
