Two rare hero stones, one at Perumanallur and another at Avinashi, stand testimony to the people who sacrificed their lives to appease the gods when their prayers for the welfare of the community were answered.
The stones, both aged around 800 years old, are now being worshipped as deities since they were found near prominent temples.
“Modern day people are wrongly interpreting the stones as gods mainly because the stories of its installation are yet to become popular and such hero stones are rare”, said S. Ravikumar, an archaeologist attached to Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre.
According to him, these two stones are rare in nature as usually hero stones are memorials for people who showed valour during fights against enemies/intruders from other kingdoms/territories while protecting cattle and natural resources of the respective localities.
A close look at the stones shows that the heroes depicted in the sculptures are beheading themselves with a sword.
“They have sacrificed their lives as an offering to the god after some disease outbreak in their areas subsided following their prayers”, said C. Ramesh Kumar, a historian who had studied about the hero stones in the region.
According to Mr. Ravikumar, the ‘Thalaipali’ (chopping the head off and offering it to god) has been mentioned in many historical literary works.
They reiterated the need to preserve such rare sculptures in good condition and pass the history attached to them to future generations.
