Mute testimonies to great heroes of the taluk remain neglected
Veeragallus in Shidlaghatta
There are four hero stones, known as veeragallu, lying forlorn behind a school amidst bushes and shrubs in Hithlahalli in Shidlaghatta.
Hero stone or veeragallu in Kannada is a memorial commemorating the honourable death of a hero in battle.
A hero stone can display a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, statues, and figures of 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. In medieval times memorial stones were erected in memory of a hero who martyred his life for a noble cause called veeragallu or hero stones.
The sculptures on these hero stones usually depict the brave man and the event in which he lost his life. A few even graphically portray the event such as a fierce fight which led to the death of the hero. The men are seen wielding various kinds of weapons like spears and swords and also as carrying shields, sometimes seated on horseback. Some of these stones bear inscriptions explaining the event and also the name of the hero. These stones are important records for understanding the social and cultural milieu of the ancient period in South India.
Although they were discovered some years ago they have remained neglected. People throw garbage here and it resembles a dump yard.
Two of the veeragallus belong to the Vijayanagar period while the other two are of an earlier time. These stones have graphic description of the events of their times.
Anjinappa, villager from Hithlahalli said that a research scholar had come from Haryana recently to study these hero stones and confirmed that these stones were old and monuments of antiquity.
