Tracing History through Memorials

by K.L. Kamat and Jyotsna Kamat
Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024

In this section at Kamat's Potpourri, we provide examples of how Indian history can be assembled by studying the monuments. The monuments mentioned here are in extremely poor condition and the pictures are hand-enhanced by the authors.
-- Ed

Introduction

Erecting memorials for the dead is an age-old practice in India. Tribals like, Gonds, Korkus, Muria even today execute wooden, stone and other memorials in order to remember the dead. Although glorification in memorials is common, we often see that care has been taken to depict the person, the event and the surroundings are true to life. Hence these memorials could be effectively used for illustrating the written contents known to the historians. The inscription part of the memorials has been extensively used by scholars, but the illustrations have remained more or less unexplored. This is an attempt to draw the attention of the historians towards the possibilities of using this source for better understanding of a given period of history.

Table of Contents

• Brave Woman Hariyakka
• Detail from a Hero-stone Memorial
• Hero Fighting Wild Boar, Kolar
• The Hero of Nelavagilu
• Hero with Club and Shield
• A Jina in Meditation
• Jirale Mallamma
• Machikabbe the Royal Mother-in-law
• Memorial for Brave Dogs
• Memorial of Kali
• Memorial of Vama Shakti II
• A Pre-historic Memorial
• Proud Descendants
• Saviyabbe
• Woman Scholar Savinirmadi

Dr. R. Seshasastry's help in locating the memorials, reading the inscriptions and photographing them is gratefully acknowledged.

See Also:

• Indian History Potpourri at Kamat's Potpourri
• Memorials of Madhya Pradesh -- a comprehensive research paper on the memorials of Central India
• Kamat PictureSearch results for Memorials