I am very excited because it is more information on Bellary (Kishkinda) and it is also near enough for me to make a trip some day! Stop the quarrying and save the site if you can! Kudatini, despite being probably the largest ashmound in the southern Deccan, is also being slowly destroyed due to activities by the Public Works department.
Rock Art of Bellary (Velpumadugu)
In Telugu, Velpu means God. Velpu Madugu means place of God.
Archaeologists have rediscovered a huge rock art site in southern India where ancient people used boulders to make musical sounds in rituals. The Kupgal Hill site includes rocks with unusual depressions that were designed to be struck with the purpose of making loud, musical ringing tones.
Ramdas ringing the rock!
The Kupgal petroglyphs are works of rock art found at Kupgal in Bellary, Karnataka. Thousands of petroglyphs have been found at Kupgal and researchers date it to the neolithic or even the old stone age. It was discovered first in 1892, but subsequently became lost to researchers until it was rediscovered recently. In Kannada, the hill is called Hiregudda, which simply means ‘Big Hill’. The nearest village is Sirivaram).
Hiregudda Rock Art
Commercial quarrying in the area now poses a serious threat to the motifs. Some sections of the hill have already been destroyed by the quarrying for granite. A rock shelter to the north of the Kupgal hill with an even older rock art has been partially destroyed.
Partially Destroyed Kupgal Ashmound
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