68. Pandavara kallu: Neolithic tombs

On the Bantwal –Belthangadi road, take a deviation at Madyanthar township off Uppinangadi cross road for about three kilometers, you shall reach Pandavara kallu, a site of archeological importance that forms a part of Badaga Kajekar village (Belthangadi taluk, Dakshina Kannada district.).
Archeological site
The name ‘Pandavara kallu’ (Stones of Pandava) has come from an odd group of stone structures consisting of erect slabs of granite, covered by flat slabs of granite. Eye witnesses inform that the structure was intact several years ago but now dilapidated with stone slabs scattered helter-skelter thanks to the intervention of land developers as well as irresponsible urchins. However, a local institution has put up a sign post declaring the area as historical monument.
Sasandiri
The structure was called 'Stones of Pandavas' because of their large size. Local people believed that Pandava brothers on exile came and lived in this village for some time, hiding inside these stone structure specially created by them.
But this assumption of local people may not be true. The structure is a megalithic burial structure called ‘dolmen’ or ‘Sasandiri’.(Sasan=burial ground or ‘Smashan’; diri=erected stone slabs) among Munda tribes.Similar Neolithic 'dolmen' burial structures have been reported from different parts of the world. Malini Srivastava (2007) in a research paper, available online, describes the ‘Sasandiri’ burial structures prevalent among Munda tribes of Chotanagapur.
Significance
The stone burial structure (Sasindiri) at Pandavara kallu is a vestige of Early Munda culture that predated the present Tulu culture and civilization. It was a general practice among the early tribes to bury the dead, before the arrival of Tulu immigrants, ca. 800-600BC, who introduced the custom of cremating the dead bodies. The notion of cremation of dead bodies was initiated during the cemetery H culture of Indus valley.
There could many more such vestiges, unreported and lying in various stages of preservation in other remote corners of the District. Those who can recognize such structures should make it a point to report them promptly to the archeologists/historians for further studies.