Two menhirs believed to be of late megalithic period found near Kundapur

In a recent archaeological explorations conducted by the Adima Kala Trust (R.) of Udupi in Kundapur region, two menhirs were found at Hilkod situated on the Neralekatte-Ajri Road and Mavinakere in Kenchanur village in Udupi district.

An archaeologist and founder-trustee of the trust T. Murugeshi said in a release that the two menhirs, also called nilskals or free standing stones, were from the late Megalithic period.

The nilskal of Mavinakere is about 112 cm in height and is slightly leaning towards the north-west direction. The Hilkod nilskal is about 135 cm in height.

When explorers dug up a small testing trench below the standing stone at Hilkod there were some crushed red and creamy pottery pieces which were thin. Pottery pieces of the late Megalithic period were usually thin while pottery pieces of early Megalithic period, found by archaeologists during earlier explorations, were usually thick.

“Both the nilskals appears to be belonging to the last phase of the Megalithic culture of Kundapur region,” he said.

The two menhirs were found at a distance of about 3 to 4 km of each other, Mr. Murugeshi said.

The menhir found at Mavinakere, near Kundapur, in Udupi district.
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“Heragal group of menhirs of Nagara region of Hosanagara taluk in Shivamogga district are the oldest known from this region belonging to 800 B.C. Mavinakere and Hilkod menhirs belong to 300 B.C. to 1st or 2nd century A.D. which is the last quarter of the Megalithic period,” he said.

Free standing stones of various heights ranging from 3 to 16 feet or more were found elsewhere in South India. They were installed near or on above the burials of Megalithic period, as memorials. They are worshipped by the local people knowingly or unknowingly by various names of semi gods like Bhootappa, Bhootarayappa, Rakkasagal, Nilskal, Chowdi, Bobbarya and Pili Chamundi, and with many more names.

He thanked Murulidhar Hegade of Iduru-Kunjadi, Vishwanth Gulwadi, Nagesh Ganiga, Teja Ganiga, Sudhakar Shetty, C. Nagaraj Shetty and Manjunath Mogaveera, Manjunath Neralakatte, and Adima Kala research team members Shreyas Bantakal, Gowtham Belman and Ravindra Kushwa for helping him during the exploration.