Memorial stones

Despite living in Bangalore for nearly 20 years, I learned about the unique South Indian tradition of memorial stones (colloquially called veera galu) just recently. Simply put, these are sculpted or carved granite stones, of varying sizes, setup to honour heroes or kings for some noteworthy achievement or sacrifice. The earliest memorial stone found to date is more than 2,400 years old. While they are thought to have originated in Karnataka, they have also been found outside the state, in territories which were part of dynasties originating in Karnataka.

Example of a hero stone

While our home would be contemporary, I would like to incorporate motifs and artistic elements that are aligned with the culture of this region. Given that we have a few boulders on the property, I have been researching stone carving designs and themes local to this region and thus came across memorial stones.

These stones usually have one or more panels used to narrate the story of the warrior been honoured - often the stone has inscription alongside as well.

Read more about this interesting aspect of Karnataka culture here.

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