Rare Chola-era hero stone found in Harur
DHARMAPURI: A rare 9th century hero stone belonging to the Chola period has been identified by a history enthusiasts’ group in Sindhapatti village near Harur recently. The group, Thonmam Varalatru Aaivu, has been identifying rare hero stones across the district and after discovering the 9th century hero stone from Chola period in Sindhapatti, they urged the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to protect the stone. Further, a study is being conducted by history researchers from Dharmapuri Arts College to unravel the history of the stone.
Professor C Chandrasekar from Dharmapuri Arts College said, “We have been studying rare hero stones in Dharmapuri from the past few years. The type of stone found in Sindhapatti is rare in parts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. We figured from the socio-cultural aspects of the stone that it belongs to the Chola period and it was carved around 9th and 10th century to honour a king from a small area who had likely served under the Cholas.”
“This hero stone has a kind of halo which was usually used to depict kings. Further, the stone depicts the hero holding a sword in one hand and ornaments worn in his arms, which establishes his status as a king. This type of Chola stone is rare and further study will help us to understand the Adhiyaman dynasty and its relation with the Chola dynasty,” he said.
“This stone is also a Sati stone, as an outline of a woman has been carved. So it is likely that the woman had committed Sati after the death of the king. The attire and ornaments depicted in the stone and the woman establish the fact that this stone belongs to the Chola period,” he added.
S Illanthirayan, a member of Thonmam Varalatru Aaivu said, “Through the study, we have found that this hero stone has not been registered with the ASI, we have appealed to protect these rare hero stones. Further, Illanthirayan added that such kinds of stones are usually found in parts of Tiruvannamalai.