The hero stones/
Nadukarkal in Tamil are erected in remembrance of a hero who lost his life
either in a battle/ war, in the process of recovering the cattle, or in killing wild animals that attack and kill the villagers/cattle. In some cases, the hero stones are also erected for domestic / pet
animals like dogs, Cock, etc., which save the life of their master or the general
public. In addition to the above memorial stones called Navakandam /
Arikanda stones, there are also memorial stones erected for the heroes who killed
themselves by cutting off their heads. This is mainly for the victory of their
country in a war between two countries, to save the king from any disease, etc.
This used to happen in front of Kotravai. The hero stones are
worshiped by their descendants. If a lady, along with the hero, is shown, it means that the hero's wife took sati after the hero's death.
These types of nadukarkal are called "Sati Stones".
Some of the hero stones
have inscriptions in Tamil vattezhuthu, which speak about
the hero's Name, the reason for his death, and the person who erected
the hero stone ( only the blood relatives used to erect - Pangalikal ), etc. Usually, the hero will be holding an arrow, a Bow, a spear, a Sword, or a Shield in his hands. The dress below the waist will be shown. In some of the
heroes, stones and arrows will be shown on the body of the hero,
which means the hero died due to being hit by a single or multiple
arrows. The hero stones are mainly found in the districts
of South Arcot, North Arcot, Thiruvannamalai, Erode, Salem, and Dharmapuri, ie north part of Tamil Nadu.
நினையாக் கூற்றம் இன் உயிர் உய்த்தன்று
(புறநானூறு 221, 8-13)
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