Bengaluru: On the 106th birth anniversary of Kannada writer and historian Ba Na Sundara Rao, on Tuesday, a group of history and literary buffs gathered at the Indian Institute of World Culture, Basavanagudi, to celebrate the forgotten heroes of the city.
Rao's most popular work 'Bengalurina Itihasa' remains one of the few authentic sources on the history of the city.
Madhusudan MN, field researcher at the Inscriptions 3D Conservation Project by The Mythic Society, made an elaborate presentation to explain the history of various hero stones or 'veeragallu'. He began with a video clip — of a leopard on the loose injuring wildlife expert Sanjay Gubbi at the Vibgyor School in 2016 — to show examples of whom the city's residents would have considered a hero.
"The place where the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) stands today was called Medaraninganahalli and you can find a hero stone depicting someone fighting off a tiger," he told his audience. A similar hero stone is on the Bangalore University campus. A 10th century hero stone at the BTM Layout bus stand is worshipped by the locals even today.
However, not all hero stones are accorded such care.
The Kaikondrahalli hero stone from the 8th century lies in a pathetic state. Another such hero stone is in a plot piled with plastic waste and garbage. "This is how we are preserving our heroes, unfortunately," Madhusudan rued.
Other types of hero stones he discussed included those who died fighting off cattle thieves — of which 10th century Begur Turugol Veeragallu is a good example — had skirmishes with robbers, self-impalement as sacrifice and prevented property destruction. These stories, he noted, were not only means to commemorate our heroes, but also to provide answers to questions about the city's history.
Published 26 March 2024, 21:24 IST