Pallava Era ‘Hero Stone’ discovered in Tamil Nadu

• 22 Jul 2021

A group of local archaeology enthusiasts from Tamil Nadu have unearthed a Pallava era hero stone near Harur. It is the third in the line of hero stones discovered in the same location and bearing the name of Eachuvara Varaman, a Pallava ruler.

• The hero stone is engraved with Tamil Brahmi script that speaks of the death of a lieutenant of one Vanaathiarasar, during a conflict and his death in the conflict.
• Two more hero stones were recovered from the same area. An earlier hero stone bears the name “Paramthaayar, which literally would mean big family taking after the word “Param”. The name was that of a clan chief, or chief of a pastoral land nurtured along river banks.
• While all the three hero stones were attributed to the rule of Eachuvara Varman, the names in the hero stones is supposed to have been that of the local chiefs, who directly led the people.
• The hero stones were erected valorising the martyrdom of those men, who had fought to claim pastoral lands in the conflicts that arose between clans that contested over pastoral lands in the area.

About Hero Stone

• Hero Stone is a memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle.
• Erected between the 6th century BC and the 18th century AD, hero stones are found all over India.
• They often carry inscriptions displaying a variety of adornments, including bas relief panels, frieze, and figures on carved stone.
• Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle.

About Pallava Dynasty

• The Pallava dynasty was an Indian dynasty that existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a portion of southern India. They gained prominence after the eclipse of the Satavahana dynasty, whom the Pallavas served as feudatories.
• Pallava Dynasty was founded by Simhavishnu in 560 A.D. Their capital was at Kanchipuram.
• Pallavas became a major power during the reign of Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman I. Throughout their reign they were in constant conflict with both Chalukyas of Badami in the north and the Tamil kingdoms of Chola and Pandyas in the south. Pallavas were finally defeated by the Chola ruler Aditya I in the 9th century CE.
• The territory of the Pallavas was known as Tundaka Visaya or Tundaka Rashtra.
• Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of architecture, the finest example being the Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mamallapuram.
• Chinese traveller Xuanzang visited Kanchipuram during Pallava rule and extolled their benign rule.