In news– A menhir believed to be of Megalithic period has been found at Nintikallu in Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka.
What is a menhir?
- A menhir is a free standing stone, slightly leaning towards the north west.
- They can be found individually as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Menhirs’ size can vary considerably, but they often taper toward the top.
- They are widely distributed across Europe, Africa and Asia.
- The word menhir was adopted from French by 19th-century archaeologists.
- It is a combination of two words of the Breton language: maen and hir.
- Menhirs are found all across India. They can be as tall as 20 to 14 feet (over 4.2 m), and several hundred smaller menhirs scattered all over the agricultural fields, mountains and various geographical areas.
Key findings-
- It is the first such menhir found so far in Dakshina Kannada.
- Megalithic culture is predominantly represented by different types of burials in coastal Karnataka.
- The lower half of the menhir was buried in the recently built round shape concrete platform which is now called as Vanadurga Katte.
- Presently a female deity is worshipped on the spot.
- Menhirs were known by various names like Nilskal, Nintikal, Anekallu, Rakkasakal, Garbinikal, and so on in South India.
- They are also known as Garbiniyara kallu Udupi district of Karnataka.
Source: The Hindu
