Megalithic Burial Sites (Pudukottai - Tamil Nadu)

First things first, I am sorry for not posting anything last week. I was off to Pudukottai with some 30 people, to enjoy not just temples and heritage but also nature, and best of all - Megalithic Burial Sites!!! Yes, something that goes as back as 2000 yrs old, inspires me more than anything else!!! Remember my old post on 2nd C CE Jain Beds of Arunattan Malai? It is one of the places that I always mention when I talk about my travels!!! So, this one is much earlier than that and I got all the more awe-filled!!! Pudukottai is definitely one of the fascinating but unusual places to visit in Tamil Nadu, India.

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

MEGALITHIC BURIAL SITES OF PUDUKOTTAI, TAMIL NADU
So, what is Megalithic Burial? How were people buried in the Megalithic period, in India? What are the megalithic burial types? Since the megalithic period (in fact even till 1st C AD - Sangam Period), burials were done, either in urns (in terracotta pots) or graves (direct burial). 

WHERE ARE THE MEGALITHIC BURIAL SITES IN SOUTH INDIA & IN PUDUKOTTAI, TAMIL NADU?
So, here in Pudukottai, such burial sites are so many, several thousands!!! I was awestruck!!! Absolutely speechless!!! Megalithic burials have been excavated everywhere in this entire region - Amburapatti, Ammachathiram, Annavasal, Kizhaiyur, Melur, Mootamapatti, Narangianpatti, Perungalur, Peyal, Poyyamani, Puttambur, Sathyamangalam, Sengalur, Sittannavasal, Tayinippatti, Tekkattur, Tiruppur, Vadaguppatti, Vattanakuruchi and Vilappatti. 
This place we saw was in Annavasal - near Sittannavasal & Ezhadipattam just beside the highway. Locally these are called Mudhu Makkal Thazhi.
Also Read: 
Megalithic Burial sites in India - Thirupporur, Siruthavur
Megalithic Burial sites in Europe & UK - Hal Safleni Hypogeum, Malta; Stonehenge, England; Weris Belgium

HOW DO MEGALITHIC BURIAL SITES LOOK LIKE? 
It is pretty easy to identify these!!! This is how it actually looks like - A huge circle of laterite blocks, with granite slabs in the centre. Thanks to nature's fury over the years, the granite here is corroded and smoothened like pebbles! These granite slabs, a kept in a form of a square of about 3 feet per side, with a partition at the centre, forming 2 rectangles. 

HOW WERE MEGALITHIC BURIALS DONE?
The body of the dead is kept in an urn in one of these sides and on the other are some of their possessions and food grains. Someone asked a valid question in the group, 'any valuables also kept along with it?'. No, nothing. Mostly it was foodgrains & implements & tools!!! That's Prof. Muthazhagan showing a crude megalithic tool. 

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

Megalithic Burial sites pudukottai Tamil Nadu

MEGALITHIC POTTERY
There were pieces of terracotta scattered everywhere... At some places, I also saw just the brim of the buried urn over the soil. 

JAINISM IN PUDUKOTTAI, TAMILNADU
Next was the era when Jainism had a stronghold in this region. There are Jain Beds and inscriptions of that era here, like Arnattan Malai, but extremely high in number here! Yeah, that's where we ventured next - from megalithic era to the next few centuries targeting the ancient Jain sites....

PUDUKOTTAI TRAVELOGUE TAMILNADU

WHERE IS PUDUKOTTAI?
Chennai to Pudukottai distance and route: 400 km via Villupuram, Trichy
How to reach Pudukottai from Chennai: Trains to Rameshwaram go via Pudukottai. Trains / Buses can be taken to Trichy and regular buses are available from Trichy.
Trichy to Pudukottai distance and route: 50 km. Regular buses are available.
Madurai to Pudukottai distance and route: 115 km via Tirupatthur
Coimbatore to Pudukottai distance and route: 300 km via Dharapuram, Dindigul

In Pudukottai the burial sites are located in several places. The one we visited is in Ammachathiram between Narthamalai and Sittannavasal.
Where are Megalithic Burial Sites in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu (on Google Maps): Megalithic Burials Ammachathiram

Dedicated to Prof. Swaminathan, Prof. Muthazhagan, Prof. Jambunathan, and the whole group...

Megalithic Burial Sites South India Pudukottai Pinterest

Bhushavali

An ardent traveler by passion. Being an ex - Art History Teacher, my area of interest especially lies in Nature and Heritage. Visited 85 UNESCO World Heritage sites as of June 2022. I've been listed among the Top 7 Women Travel Bloggers of India, Top 50 in UK. I have been interviewed in a couple of TV Shows, Radio Channels and Events as well. Read more about me and read the testimonials of different brands

12 comments:

  1. Wow , nice to know about this site . We too visited one such site near Bangalore .http://teamgsquare.blogspot.in/2011/10/mysterious-stone-cricles-varlakonda.html

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    Replies
    1. Whoa... That's new for me to know Bangalore also has a similar stone-age site. Would definitely visit next time I'm there...

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  2. Trust you all had a great time. my take on the stone circles http://poetryinstone.in/lang/en/2010/03/05/where-it-all-began-in-south-india-stone-circles.html

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    Replies
    1. Definitely we had a great time. You should have joined... :)

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  3. Waiting for the rest from your copious notes. Btw, it is Prof. Jambunathan, if I am not mistaken. C. Suresh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its coming.. Its coming... :)
      And thanks for the corrections. Its corrected now.... :)

      Delete
  4. Wow, thats a good find. Interesting post.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

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  5. AMAZING. I find it humbling that I may have descended from one of the people buried there.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you and so true...It's indeed so touching to know that someone buried there must have been my great great grand father!!!

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  6. Just love coming here, everyday is a new adventure here. Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the lovely appreciation Akum... You made my day... :) :) :)

      Delete

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