Megalithic findings in Mahabubnagar’s Kanduru facing serious threat
Kanduru, a small village in Addakula mandal of Mahabubnagar, once served as the capital of Kanduru Cholas who ruled between 1025-1248 AD as the subordinates of Chalukyas of Kalyana and the Kakatiyas
Mahabubnagar: The 3500 year old burials in Kanduru representing funerary practices of Megalithic period are facing serious threat from the active farming activities that was wiping out evidence of such existence in South Telangana.
Dr. E. Sivanagi Reddy, an archaeologist and Buddhist expert consultant, Buddhavanam project, TSTDC and CEO, Cultural Centre, rushed to Kanduru on Tuesday and surveyed the Iron Age burials that are near extinct due to ignorance of local residents and farming community.
Kanduru, a small village in Addakula mandal of Mahabubnagar, once served as the capital of Kanduru Cholas who ruled between 1025-1248 AD as the subordinates of Chalukyas of Kalyana and the Kakatiyas. Dr Reddy, during his extensive survey, found potsherds of the Satavahana period, Veeragalus (warrior epitaphs), Ganesh, Garuda and Mahishamardhini sculptures scattered in and around Kanduru village.
“The place is popularly known as Rakasigulla Chalka with more than 100 megalithic burials. It is unfortunate that only four structures are seen now and tomorrow may be too late to protect them,” Dr Reddy said. The uniqueness of the burials at Kanduru lies in its two circles, a rare phenomenon against the usual practice of erecting such burials in single circles of huge boulders currently seen located in the fields of Sankararaja, a farmer of the same village, he explained.
He says the burials in its circular form with a dia of five metres consists of 20 to 25 natural boulders measuring one metre in dia and height with a gap of one metre between the two circles.
Large number of polished blackware, redware and pottery surfaced during the removal of the structures by locals and farmers in the past. These burials along with funerary goods dating back to 1000 BC are in danger and preserving them for posterity is the need of the hour, Dr Reddy said.
He said he was worried by the villagers painting some of the historical sculptures that robbed them of their antique value. He also inspected a beautiful sculpture of Chennakesava idol of Kalyani Chalukyan period (12th century AD) unearthed recently and left uncared on the roadside. He appealed to sarpanch M Srikanth to preserve it for posterity. He also sensitised the sarpanch about the historical and archaeological significance of these Iron Age remains and urged him to take necessary care before turn extinct.
Following the sensitization by Dr Reddy, villagers started pooling up all the scattered sculptures and install them in one place. The idea is to develop a sculpture garden near the Ramalingeswara Temple, Kanduru, to safeguard them for future generations, he said.
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