The Veeeragallu (warrior) hunting a tiger with a spear.
Hyderabad: The sculpture of a ‘Veeragallu’ fighting a tiger was identified by history enthusiasts of Kotha Telangana Charithra Brundam near Pangal Fort in Wanaparthy district on Sunday, July 27.
B Chandrasekhar and Shyam Sunder, both teachers by profession, found the 4-foot-tall sculpture at the Mullagavini area of the Pangal Fort, where many sculptures, cannons and other remnants of the 13th and 14th Century could be found.
This particular sculpture is of a Veeragallu (warrior) killing a tiger with a spear in his hand. The Veeragallu could be seen wearing a turban on his head and ornaments around his neck.
According to Chandrasekhar, this particular Veeragallu sculpture is the second one to be found in the district, after a similar one was found in Busireddipally village in Pangal mandal.
“In the olden days there used to be warriors who saved the population from predators like the tigers by hunting them. In the event of the death of such a warrior, his sculpture used to be etched to a rock to glorify and remember his courage,” Chandrasekhar told Siasat.com.
Similar tiger-hunting Veeragallu sculptures have been found in Nizamabad, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Khammam and Nirmal districts in the past.
As per the architectural style of the sculpture, historians believe that it could have been carved and installed in the post-Kakatiya period.
The researchers are appealing to the archaeology and heritage officials to shift such rare sculptures to a museum and preserve them for posterity, as these sculptures explain the greatness of the warriors of those times, about whom there is more research which needs to be done.
This post was last modified on July 27, 2025 9:06 pm