Hyderabad: Two ‘hero stones’ depicting self-sacrifice found in Hanamkonda temple

Among these sculptures are two hero stones, or viragals, located in front of the Nandi statue at Hanamkonda’s Siddheswara temple.
Hyderabad: Two ‘hero stones’ depicting self-sacrifice found in Hanamkonda temple
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HYDERABAD: Reportedly for the first time in Telangana, two ‘hero stones’ depicting self-sacrifice have been discovered. They were found at the Siddheswara temple in Hanamkonda.

‘Hero stones’ are ancient memorial stones erected to honour warriors who sacrificed their lives in battle or while protecting their community. Sometimes, they are also a mark of self-sacrifice as an offering to a deity.

Kolipaka Srinivas, a member of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam (KTCB), along with Siddhulamatha Siddheshwara, who found the sculptures, explained that the Siddhulamatha Siddheshwara temple reflects the Kakatiya architectural style.

“Hanamkonda’s Siddheswara temple is historically significant. It is believed that Shaiva Siddhas and Tantrikas performed penance in the caves of Siddulagutta. While the temple is predominantly Kakatiyan in style, there are some old sculptures visible on the premises,” Srinivas noted.

Among these sculptures are two hero stones, or viragals, located in front of the Nandi statue.

Srinivas further elaborated on the uniqueness of these particular viragals: “In one sculpture, the hero is depicted cutting his own neck with a sword. The presence of royal umbrellas indicates they were members of a royal family, offering themselves for Shiva Sayujyam (union with Lord Shiva). The artwork shows an elephant with an ambari, a mavatidu (mahout) leading it and a royal figure with a knife at his throat. In the second virgal, the hero is gripping an elephant’s trunk with one hand and cutting his throat with a knife using the other hand. Such self-sacrificing heroes have never been seen before in Telangana.”

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