Four deep rock grooves of possible prehistoric significance have been identified at Mrugavani National Park near Hyderabad, prompting a call for a systematic archaeological survey of the site and nearby rock-art locations.
The grooves were identified near the Banda Juvvi Watch Tower in Chilkur during a safari visit by historian Dr Satyanarayana Dyavanapalli. The discovery was brought to his attention by B. Anand Kumar, administrative officer with the Forest Department in Rangareddy district, according to a report by Telangana Today.
The features are located on a plateau-like rock surface overlooking surrounding valleys. Each groove is approximately one foot long and between two and four inches deep. Their dimensions and position on the rock have led Dr Dyavanapalli to suggest that they may have been repeatedly used for grinding or sharpening stone implements, including axes and other tools.
The grooves have not been scientifically established as prehistoric remains. Their significance will depend on detailed archaeological examination, documentation and comparison with other evidence at the site. The location’s physical setting, however, has increased interest in the possibility of earlier human activity in the forested landscape around Hyderabad.
The area also contains nearby water sources, valleys and an ochre rock-art site. Dr Dyavanapalli said these features together warranted detailed study and documentation. He has urged the Telangana Department of Archaeology and Museums to conduct a systematic survey of the Banda Juvvi Watch Tower area and the adjoining rock-art site.
The reported discovery places the Forest Department and archaeology authorities at the centre of the next steps. Any investigation will need to take place within the protected setting of Mrugavani National Park, where scientific study and conservation of the landscape would need to proceed together.
For Hyderabad, the site highlights the heritage value embedded in landscapes on the city’s outskirts, where forests, rock formations, water sources and visitor infrastructure overlap. The report does not establish the age of the grooves or identify the people who may have created them, but it brings a previously unexamined feature of the national park into public attention.
Dr Dyavanapalli said discoveries of this nature require careful scientific investigation. A formal survey by the archaeology authorities, in coordination with the Forest Department, would determine whether the grooves and nearby paintings form part of a wider archaeological landscape and how the locations should be documented and protected.
