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News: A Hero Stone has been discovered in Karnataka, offering insight into the last days of the Hoysala Ruler.

About Hero Stone

Neeragunda in Karnataka has two Hoysala-era temples, namely the Malleshwara Temple and the Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple.
During renovation work of the Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple, workers found two found a centuries-old veeragallu (hero stone).
Features:
- One of the hero stones contains an important Kannada inscription.
- The inscription says that the stone was installed in memory of a soldier who sacrificed his life soon after Vishnuvardhana’s death at Bankapura.
- The date mentioned in the inscription corresponds to December 11, 1141, according to the Gregorian calendar.
- Vishnuvardhana is believed to have died at Bankapura in present-day Haveri district, Karnataka. There has been confusion about his death year.
The newly discovered hero stone at Neeragunda may provide important evidence to resolve this confusion and establish the date of Vishnuvardhana’s death.

Hero stones are memorial stones erected in memory of heroes who died on the battlefield while defending kings, cattle, villages, borders, or women in distress.
It is known as veeragallu.
Locations where they are found:
- They are found throughout Karnataka and are a unique feature of Karnataka’s inscriptional tradition.
  - Major concentrations of hero stones can be found in districts such as Kolar, Shimoga, Tumkur, Bangalore, and Haveri.
- Apart from Karnataka, they are also found in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
About half of the hero stones discovered have no inscriptions on them.
Categories: Hero Stones can be further divided into the following categories:
- Yuddha – Battle
- Ooralivu – Defending a Village
- Gadi Kalaga – Defending a Border
- Go Grahana/Thurugol – Defending Cattle
- Pendirudeyurchu – Protecting Women
- Bete – Hunting