Kurumalai, a treasure trove of dolmens and menhirs

VELLORE: The finding of numerous dolmens (flat stone laid on upright ones), and menhirs (standing stones) atop Kurumalai, 22 kilometres from Vellore town, has resulted in calls for documenting and promoting them.

The demand assume significance as volunteer-based Wikipedia has numerous such pre-historic structures recorded from countries like England and France, Vellore’s share is either ignored or used for religious-cultural purposes.

“Dolmens are (kal thittaigal or sumai thangi in Tamil) stone slabs placed atop two supporting stones and were in pre-historic times used to commemorate the dead and could have been associated with various ceremonies,” said history buff C Tamilvanan, who is also a philatelist and a numismatist.

The Kurumalai hills near Vellore also abound with menhirs–upright stones usually planted in praise of the dead called nadu kal in Tamil. But, most of them have vanished in the mists of time. In countries such as Britain and France such stones could have been used for fecundity rites or druidic sacrifices and these nations contribute to the most number of such recorded structures around the world.

Menhirs are found abundantly in Kurumalai but more for religious purposes and less for archaeological and historical reasons. They are considered open worship areas. One such structure near a newly built health sub-centre has the carving of a snake on it, covered with turmeric and kumkum as it is a popular worship site. “The stone is used to worship the snake god and hence is considered sacred for the Malayali tribal community in the area,” said P Settu, a local resident.

Atop the small hill, tribals have built a temple for Selli Amman. History buffs tell us that the area was dotted with many dolmens and menhirs in the past, which were lost in the ravages of time. “Dolmens are evidence of pre-historic settlements. But this is the first time that so many have been found in the Vellore district and that too so near the town,” Tamilvanan said.

For the tribal residents, dolmens and menhirs have always been there in their midst. So, they don’t attract fresh attention or excitement. For them, their lives revolve around getting both ends meet in their daily grind. In this context, efforts of people such as Tamilvanan to promote such pre-historic structures on a world scale assume significance.

Officials said making Kurumalai Hills a tourist destination would be the best way as the pre-historic structures would get better attention and the local economy would get an economic boost.

“Trekking can also be undertaken in the hills, while colleges can arrange excursions. As it is only an hour away from Vellore. There are no safety issues as wild animals aren’t found on the hills,” the official said.