Kerala archaeology team to restore seven collapsed megalithic umbrella stones after Onam

The Kerala State Department of Archaeology will launch restoration work on seven megalithic umbrella stones at Kozhummal-Peralam in Karivellur immediately after Onam, focusing on carefully repositioning monuments that have collapsed over centuries.

Only one of the seven documented umbrella stones remains standing in its original position, according to K. Krishnaraj, archaeologist and officer-in-charge at the Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum. A kudakkal or umbrella stone consists of four upright side slabs, known as orthostats, supporting a domical capstone.

Scientific investigation alongside restoration

The department will conduct a scientific investigation to examine whether burial artefacts, particularly pottery, lie beneath the monuments, though no extensive excavation is planned at the site, Krishnaraj told The Hindu. The team will also document the wider megalithic remains in the Kozhummal-Perelam area during the visit.

These distinctive burial monuments belong to the Megalithic period and Megalithic culture, and are scattered across Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.

Protected by temple priest's family

The surviving umbrella stones stand on the ancestral property of Perikamana Narayanna Namboothiri at Chembottikkunnu in Karivellur. Namboothiri, a temple priest, and his family have protected the monuments, with Namboothiri refusing multiple high-price offers to sell the property to ensure the burial monuments of his ancestors remain preserved.

"Preserving the monument, which offers a window into the ancient history of Karivellur, a region with a significant tradition of peasant struggles, would enable history enthusiasts and students to gain a closer understanding of the past," Krishnaraj said.

Historian and former teacher Mualeedharan Karivellur compared the remains to the pyramids of Egypt in historical importance, noting they are among the remnants depicted by William Logan in the Malabar Manual. "It is painful to see these monuments lying neglected because there is nobody to protect them," he said, calling the Archaeological department's intervention "a huge step in the protection of these megalithic sites in the regions".

Payyanur MLA Kunhikrishnan said the monuments are believed to be more than 3,000 years old, with megalithic remains found at several locations from Edavaramba to Ezhumala providing evidence of more than three millennia of human habitation in the region. He said the monuments would be protected with landowners' permission and local residents' cooperation.

Source: The Hindu