Daijiworld Media Network - Byndoor (SP)

Byndoor, Jul 20: During the archaeological explorations, a headstone memorial, cupule, well carved out of laterite stone, and a rock with hole that looks like a mortar which reportedly belong to the megalithic age, were discovered at the bottom of Mookasura Betta near Goddess Mookambika temple at Kollur near here.

This discovery will establish the fact that Kollur and Goddess Mookambika temple here belong to the era of 1,000 BC. As per the Devi Purana, the Goddess acquired the title, 'Mookambika' after she decimated a demon known as Mookasura, after which she settled down at Kollur. Researcher Prof T Murugeshi, associate professor of Mulky Sundaram Shetty College, expressed the opinion that this headstone could have been installed near the grave of Mookasura in his memory.

About 40 memorial stones on the model of headstones have been found at Baise, Nilaakal and Heragal in Hosanagara taluk near Kolur. Four such headstones have been found near Baggadikal in Subhasnagar in the district, one at Adkadakatte, one in Buddhanajeddu, one in Arasinaguppeodagu, and three memorial stones at Arasikere in Hassan district have been discovered so far. The current headstone happens to be the seventh discovery from the district.

The headstones, known in Kannada as Nislakal, are memorial stones that are planted near the graves of people to serve as their memorials. These stones are about 1.5 to three metres in height and are planted with a little slant towards the east. The headstone found now has fallen flat on the ground on account of human activity. It is about 2.1 metres in height, 0.65 metre wide at the bottom and 0.55 metres wide at the top. Locally available granite stone has been used for this headstone.

The uniqueness of the south Indian culture is that everywhere people of megalithic age here have used granite stones for the graves.