Idol worshipped in Kunnur is menhir, claims historian

MADURAI

: A historian has claimed that a 20-foot-high stone idol worshipped by locals in

Kunnur

near Srivillputtur in Virudhunagar district, is actually a menhir which is thousands of years old, erected in memory of a person.


Assistant professor of History at Rajapalayam Rajus College, B Kandasamy, said that the tall menhir, was wide at the bottom, and had a narrow top. He said that there was mention about such menhirs in

Sangam literature

. According to the literature the menhirs were installed in the memory of a person of high stature or a soldier who lost his life in a

battle

.

This was a practice which was prevalent in the megalithic age, where menhirs were usually installed amidst a

circle

of round stones. There was evidence that the

stone circle

around this particular menhir had been disturbed recently, he said. Usually, menhirs are formed in places where there were large stones, but there is no evidence to show that this was an area which had contained large rocks. So in all probability the menhir was specially sculptured and installed at the site, he said. “People from the neighbouring villages had started worshipping the stone about half a decade ago and when I found it the stone was wrapped in two dhoties and vibhoodi was smeared on it. They had named it Kunthukkal Muniyandi, Adukkal Muniyandi and Muneeswaran,’’ he said. People also believe it to be a powerful deity, and special poojas are performed for it on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. He said that this site also has pieces of burial urns.