DakshinaChitra’s exhibition on hero stones celebrates culture in ancient Tamil Nadu

Discover the ancient hero stones of Tamil Nadu at DakshinaChitra's extraordinary exhibition, showcasing stories of bravery and sacrifice.

It is the last weekend before school begins, and Chennai’s famed DakshinaChitra is crowded with families.  At the Varija Art Gallery a group of college students is putting together tactile clay objects they have helped create. Anitha Pottamkulam, director, Culture, DakshinaChitra, says, “The Immortal Valors: Hero Stones of Tamil Nadu is an extraordinary exhibition curated by DakshinaChitra in collaboration with Tamil Nadu’s Department of Archaeology, Roja Muthiah Research Library and Yaakkai Heritage Trust. On these pictorial representations come alive stories etched in stone — of bravery, sacrifice and ancestral homage spanning over two millennia. It invites you to discover the fascinating world of nadukal, the legendary hero stones that immortalise Tamil warriors who gave their lives in war, cattle conflicts, and protection of their villages. Museums say ‘don’t touch’ but to bring these fascinating stories from the fringe to the mainstream, we have created tactile versions.”

“There are three ways you can date an inscription,” says Prof Rajan on a phone call, having just stepped away from an archaeological site where he is working. “The first is based on content — name of the king, regnal year...  Assuming that this is not available, the content may denote the political geography of the region or the territorial division which may have emerged after a certain period (names of dynasty or names of chieftains also give clues). The third is paleography — initially vatta ezhuthu script and later Tamil script. The shift from the first to the second happened in the late Pallava period. In addition, sculptural representation on the stone helps date them. Early stones have shields and swords, bow and arrow, and are on cattle raids. Later ones have details on capturing land and villages, a sign of social transformation.”

Hero stones populated the Tamil land “from 4BC to the 5th Century as just stones with inscriptions. Post that, figures made their appearance, from 6th Century to 9th Century — this is when most of the memorial stones were created. A new range came up after the 10th Century, not just for heroes but also on sati and sanyasis. During the Vijayanagara period, inscriptions were done away with and only sculptural representations were found. By the Colonial period, they started fading”, says Rajan, adding that the oldest hero stone in India is found in Pulimankombai in Theni district on the banks of the Vaigai.

Whether the ‘hero’ has been buried at the scene of action or brought home and buried is a question that begs to be asked. “Only if we excavate under them and find the skeletal remains will we know. But these stones are worshipped, and out of deference to the dead, this has not been done,” he adds. 

In a land profuse with such cultural artefacts that define both time and territory, the onus of discovering, protecting and pushing for their study also falls on the citizen-historian. Which is where institutions such as the Coimbatore-based Yaakkai Heritage Trust, founded in 2017 by Sudhakar Nalliyappan to create awareness and conserve cultural heritage, step in. Sudhakar, president of Yaakkai, found his way to history through degrees in Computer Science and Tamil Studies. “I was fond of travel and discovered hidden facets of our culture when on the road. Information was available, but scattered, and bringing this microhistory under one umbrella was our focus. Memorial stones are written in common dialects of the region. We have GPS-pinned nearly 1,200 stones and involved locals in their discovery and preservation. This gives them a sense of ownership. Almost 150 students intern with us. We also work to conserve prehistoric rock paintings and megalithic sites. Heritage should also be made part of CSR activity — it opens up funding. Time and knowledge investment is our biggest contribution,” says Sudhakar, adding that volunteers are from different fields but follow their passion post-work and on weekends travelling and learning methods of preservation.

This knowledge now hangs on photographs with details of the memorial stones at the gallery. There are also 3D models created by the interning college students. The exhibition invites you to travel back and forth, but it follows the narrative that connects modern people with the way we were. 

The exhibition is on till July 20 (10am-6pm) at DakshinaChitra, Muttukadu. Closed on Tuesdays.