Tirupati’s Megalithic Burial Sites

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• Most of the megalithic burial sites in Tirupati are found to be in a state of neglect.

More about the news

• Tirupati district is dotted with anthropomorphic burial sites, said to be the largest as a collection in Andhra Pradesh.
• Anthropomorphic sites are those marked by a representation of human form above the megalithic burials. 
• However, most of them are in a state of neglect, with neither the government nor the local residents caring to protect what could become a cherished heritage.

More about the Megalithic structures in the region

• Significance of the region:
  • Compared to other districts, the erstwhile combined Chittoor district (Tirupati district was carved out of it in April 2022) has an array of megalithic structures, found almost in every mandal. 
  • This could be an indication to the presence of humans living in groups during the megalithic period (300–500 BC) in this region.
• Mallayyagaripalle’s ‘pillared dolmen’:
  • Location:
    • The most prominent one is the ‘pillared dolmen’ of the megalithic era, found at Mallayyagaripalle, nestling on a hillock between Chandragiri and Dornakambala, 20 km from Tirupati. 
  • Timeline:
    • The structure locally referred to as ‘Pandava Gullu’ or ‘Pandavula Banda’ in memory of the Pandavas, is estimated to be 2,500 years old.
  • Burial chamber:
    • The Mallayyagaripalle structure is a cist burial chamber.
    • Such chambers are built by arranging slabs neatly broken from huge stones at a time when there were no proper tools.
• Monument at Kullur:
  • There is another endangered megalith monument in Palem village near Kallur, which resembles a bull’s horn. 
  • It is locally called as ‘Devara Yeddhu’.
• Other:
  • A menhir: a tall or grand structure erected in memory of a dead person – found at Boyapalle.
  • ‘Slab circles’: An arrangement of three or seven slabs in a circular fashion, found in Eguva Gunthalacheruvu of Annamayya district.

Challenges faced by these megalithic monuments

• The pillared dolmen with rock art beneath the capstone at Mallayyagaripalle came under threat owing to granite mining in the vicinity. 
• The sites have suffered repeated damage due to clandestine excavation by treasure hunters. 
• Also, the neglect around few sites are indicative of official apathy like,
  • Fixing of Electric posts very close to the site,
  • The installation of a mobile tower, etc

Source: TH