Two megalithic menhirs discovered in Kundapur Taluk

Two megalithic menhirs discovered in Kundapur Taluk

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov. 23, 2025: Two megalithic menhirs have been discovered during an archaeological exploration by the Udupi-based Aadima Kala Trust, founder-director and archaeologist Prof. T. Murugeshi said on Friday.

One of the menhir was found at Hilkodu in the Daivada Hadi area along the Nerlekatt–Aajri state highway in Kundapur taluk. Locally, it is referred to as the Neecha Daiva or Bobbarya Stone. The second menhir was traced to Mavinakere Hadi in Kenchanur village, located by the roadside. Locals have recently built a wooden structure around half of this stone and begun worshipping it as Rakteshwari, Prof. Murugeshi noted.

The Mavinakere menhir 112 cm tall with a slight northwest tilt, while the Hilkodu menhir measures around 135 cm. Trial excavations at Hilkodu revealed fragments of red and ochre pottery beneath the monument.

Megalithic communities were known to erect such standing stones over or near burial sites as memorial markers. Across South India, these monuments are known by various names, including Rakkasagallu, Nintikallu, Garbhiniyar Kallu, Basuri Kallu and Ane Kallu.

According to Prof. Murugeshi, the newly discovered stones belong to the late Megalithic period, likely dating between 300 BCE and the 1st–2nd century CE. He said pottery remains found at Hilkodu support this timeline. Similar structures in Hosanagar taluk of Shivamogga district have been dated to around 800 BCE.

Emphasising the need to protect such remnants that have significantly influenced Tulu Nadu’s cultural heritage, Prof. Murugeshi thanked Vishwanath Gulwadi, Sudhakar Shetty, Agriculture Officer C. Nagaraj Shetty, Manju Poojari of Hilkodu, and Aadima Kala research team members Murulidhar Hegde, Shreyas Bantakal and Gautham Belman for their assistance in the study.