A short sermon in stone

  • Dolmens or cromlechs, silaikallus for the Badagas or Virakallus for the Kurumbas, are sculptured stones found in many places in and near Kotagiri, say the books. Trying to find even a single silaikallu (silai sculpture, kallu- stone) or virakallu (vira- hero, kallu- stone) is elusive. East of Vazhaithottam, a place most inappropriately named because I could not see a single banana tree, there is a clear dolmen 75 cms. high and 87.5 cms, long. Hero stones (virakallus) which depict the mourning and celebration of a heroic death and great sati stones (for animal sacrifice) are common in Coorg and numerous in Masinagudi. Though this is how it is generally spelt it should be Masiniguda, the abode of Masini Amman

  • About 3000 graves have been located near some Mariamman temples in various villages where simple stone circles indicate the place where individuals have been buries. To the west of Kallampaliyam there are cairns with dolmen like structures. Badagas call cairns hokkallu or navel stones. The hokkallu is a circular wall of uncemented stone above the ground, always on top of some commanding hill in the burial places. Most of the pottery found there has been kept in the Government Museum, Chennai, and the silaikallus and virakallus at the Tribal Research Centre at M. Pallada (Muthorai Pallada). Some of the graves are surrounded by tall menhirs forming an arch above the graves. For the vast number of Asterix fans, here is a chance to see what Obelix produced. At Kotai Moolai there are large rectangles of dressed menhirs upto 19.5 mtrs. in diameter

  • At the grave ‘Toda and his two wives’ 5 km. west of Kotagiri to the north of the Ooty- Kotagiri road. there are multiple cists, which are large stone slabs closed on all sides with an opening in one of the walls. The Badagas cam them’ Moriary Mane’the house of the dead. It has three chambers nearby

  • Above Kil Kotagiri overlooking the Moyar Ditch, a depression bounded by the Nilgiri mountains and the Moyar plateau are seven draw- well graves in a line covered with fragments of figurines, mostly buffaloes, which are placed under stones in a circular form. These can be found in Kalhatti also