A rare Barkur hero stone depicting the medieval Sidithale form of self-sacrifice has been discovered at the Sri Panchalingeshwara Temple in Udupi district, archaeologist Prof. T Murugeshi said on September 9, 2026. The rectangular stone is believed to date from the late 13th or early 14th century and is being preserved within the temple premises.
The stone was found several months ago during a survey of inscriptions linked to the ongoing renovation of the ancient temple. The survey was jointly undertaken by the Rani Chikkayitayi Trust, Gullaadi, and Adima Kala Trust, Udupi. Prof. Murugeshi said it could be the first Sidithale Veeragallu identified so far in coastal Karnataka.
The sculpture has three panels. The two lower panels are larger, while the upper panel is narrower. The lower panel depicts a warrior seated in a meditative posture as an executioner cuts off his head. A second figure is shown holding the lower end of a bamboo pole, while the severed head, tied by the hair to the tip of the pole, is depicted hanging above.
The second panel shows apsaras carrying the dead warrior towards heaven. The upper panel contains a Shivalinga, with a warrior on one side and Shiva being worshipped on the other. Sculptures of the Sun and Moon are also shown at the top of the stone.
Prof. Murugeshi said the stone’s sculptural style indicated a late 13th- or early 14th-century date. Inscriptions are also present, but they are not currently clear. The term Sidithale Veeragallu refers to the manner in which the self-sacrifice is represented. According to the archaeologist, the person would sit in meditation after preparing for the ritual, with his hair or tuft tied to a bamboo pole fixed firmly in the ground. An executioner would then sever the person’s head with a single stroke.
Similar carvings and inscriptions referring to Sidithale Veeragallu have been found elsewhere in Karnataka, but the Barkur discovery is the first reported example from coastal Karnataka, Prof. Murugeshi said. The nearby Kalabhairava Temple also raises the possibility that the ritual represented on the stone may have been performed there, although the report does not establish that connection.
Barkur was the capital of the Alupa dynasty, which originated in coastal Karnataka, and later served as the northern coastal headquarters of the Vijayanagara Kingdom. The Panchalingeshwara Temple is among the region’s ancient temples and already has around 16 protected inscriptions, including the newly discovered hero stone.
