MANGALURU: A Menhir of the Megalithic period has been found at Nintikallu in Murulya village of Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada district. According to Prof Murugeshi T, associate professor, Dept of Ancient History and Archeology, MSRS College, Shirva, Udupi, it is for the first time in the history of Dakshina Kannada, a Menhir was found in the district. He said Megalithic culture is predominantly represented by different types of burials in Coastal Karnataka.
On the left side of Dayananda Gowda’s house, the Menhir is located in the open courtyard, lower half of the menhir is buried in the recently built round concrete platform which is now called Vanadurga Katte. Presently, a female deity is worshipped there. Menhir is an upright standing stone from the Megalithic period.
They are erected above a burial site or near a burial site as a memorial. Menhirs were known by various names like, Nilskal, Nintikal, Anekallu, Rakkasakal, Garbinikal and so on in South India. At Basruru, Nitturu and Subhasnagara of Udupi district, they are peculiarly known as ‘Garbiniyarakallu’. It is a free-standing stone, slightly leaning in the northwest direction. The Menhir found in the present site is an undressed natural stone of about 10 feet in height.
It closely resembles the Menhir found at Siddalingapura in Kodagu and Nilskal in Shivamogga. Dayananda Gowda, a resident of Nintikallu, said that it was popularly called ‘Nintikallu’ by local people and while digging for the construction around the stone, they found red potteries of thick sections. “It is very clear that the place ‘Nintikallu’ got its name from this Menhir as we have seen in the case of Nilskal. Nilskal in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district also got its name from a number of huge upright standing stones,” said Prof Murugeshi.