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- Most of the megalithic burial sites in Tirupati are found to be in a state of neglect.
More about the news
- Tirupati district is dotted with anthropomorphic burial sites, said to be the largest as a collection in Andhra Pradesh.
- Anthropomorphic sites are those marked by a representation of human form above the megalithic burials.
- However, most of them are in a state of neglect, with neither the government nor the local residents caring to protect what could become a cherished heritage.
More about the Megalithic structures in the region
- Significance of the region:
- Compared to other districts, the erstwhile combined Chittoor district (Tirupati district was carved out of it in April 2022) has an array of megalithic structures, found almost in every mandal.
- This could be an indication to the presence of humans living in groups during the megalithic period (300–500 BC) in this region.
- Mallayyagaripalle’s ‘pillared dolmen’:
- Location:
- The most prominent one is the ‘pillared dolmen’ of the megalithic era, found at Mallayyagaripalle, nestling on a hillock between Chandragiri and Dornakambala, 20 km from Tirupati.
- Timeline:
- The structure locally referred to as ‘Pandava Gullu’ or ‘Pandavula Banda’ in memory of the Pandavas, is estimated to be 2,500 years old.
- Burial chamber:
- The Mallayyagaripalle structure is a cist burial chamber.
- Such chambers are built by arranging slabs neatly broken from huge stones at a time when there were no proper tools.
- Location:
- Monument at Kullur:
- There is another endangered megalith monument in Palem village near Kallur, which resembles a bull’s horn.
- It is locally called as ‘Devara Yeddhu’.
- Other:
- A menhir: a tall or grand structure erected in memory of a dead person – found at Boyapalle.
- ‘Slab circles’: An arrangement of three or seven slabs in a circular fashion, found in Eguva Gunthalacheruvu of Annamayya district.
Challenges faced by these megalithic monuments
- The pillared dolmen with rock art beneath the capstone at Mallayyagaripalle came under threat owing to granite mining in the vicinity.
- The sites have suffered repeated damage due to clandestine excavation by treasure hunters.
- Also, the neglect around few sites are indicative of official apathy like,
- Fixing of Electric posts very close to the site,
- The installation of a mobile tower, etc
Megaliths
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Source: TH
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