A hero stone is a memorial commemorating the honourable death of a hero in battle. Erected between the 6rd century BCE and the 18th century CE, hero stones are found all over India ,particularly in the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (called Virakkal).
They often carry inscriptions displaying a variety of adornments, including panels in bas relief, frieze, and figures on carved stone. Usually in the form of a stone monument ,they may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle. The earliest and oldest of such memorial hero stones is found in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is more than 2400 years old , ie 4th Century BCE
Those that are carved with inscriptions narrate the act of the hero, the battle, and the name of king who fought the battle. A hero stone was usually divided into three panels, but occasionally, into four or five panels depending on the event. The upper panel depicts the subject worshiping a deity such as a Shiva Linga the middle panel depicts the hero sometimes seated in a palanquin or a shrine being lifted toward the heavens by apsaras (heavenly nymphs), and the lower panels would display battle scenes
Two rare hero stones raised in honour of warrior women fully armed and riding on horseback to a battle were found, dating back 13th century in Tamil Nadu.
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