Menhirs

• 19 Mar 2025

Source: IE 

The Mudumal megalithic menhirs in Telangana’s Narayanpet district have been added to UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage Sites in 2025. 

• A megalith is a large stone used in prehistoric structures, serving as either a burial site or a commemorative monument. 
• Menhirs in Europe date back to 7,000 Before Present (BP), with the Grand Menhir Brisé in France being the tallest, originally 20.6 meters high. 

Menhirs: 

• About: Menhirs are large, upright stones, often tapered at the top, erected by humans. Mudumal’s menhirs are India's oldest menhirs, dating back 3,500–4,000 BP, and are located near the banks of the Krishna River. 
  • BP is a time scale counting years before 1950 CE. 

 

• The Mudumal menhir site is well-preserved megalithic burial sites. 
• They are precisely aligned with solar events like equinoxes and solstices, with a stone featuring cup-marks of Ursa Major (Saptarshi Mandal), the earliest known star representation in South Asia. 
• Locals worship the menhirs as "Niluralla Thimmappa," with one revered as Goddess Yellamma, preserving ancient traditions. 

Different from Hero Stones: Hero stones (Veeragallu in Kannada, Natukal in Tamil) are memorials honoring warriors who died in battle. Found across India, especially in the South, they were erected between the 1st millennium BCE and the 18th century CE to commemorate heroic sacrifices.

Read More: Megalithic Burial Sites