Copyright infringement not intended

Picture Courtesy:THE HINDU

Context:

An Iron Age menhir, a memorial pillar locally known as ‘Niluvu Rayi’ found in Kamasanpalli village of Nagarkurnool district in Telangana faces neglect.

About Menhir:

Menhirs are the megalithic pillars planted vertically on the ground. The height of a menhir can be small or gigantic.

These are memorial pillars, planted near burial sites.

In South India, they are known by names like Nilskal, Nintikal, Anekallu, Rakkasakal, Garbinikal, and so on.

In the ancient Tamil literature, they are known as ‘Nadukul’.

About the Kasampalli Menhir:

The Kamasanpalli granite menhir is believed to have been erected around 1500 BCE to commemorate an important person's death.

Measures of the menhir: 8 feet in height, 2.5 feet in width, and 1.5 feet in girth.

It was spotted in an agricultural field near the Dindi River.

Due to present-day agricultural practices, the menhir is at risk of being destroyed which is visible from its eastward leaning.

According to some local agriculturists, several Iron Age burial sites, marked by circular boulder formations, had already been cleared during the land reclamation process.

About Dindi River:

Dindi river of Telangana is a tributary of the river Krishna and it drains into the Bay of Bengal.

It flows through the Nalgonda district of Telangana and includes the Dindi Reservoir.

Copyright infringement not intended

Picture Courtesy:Travellerkaka.com

Read about Megalithic sites:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/megalithic-site