26-feet menhir at Kumarikalpalayam in Uthukuli taluk to be declared a protected monument
The Department of Archaeology has initiated steps to declare a 26-feet menhir at Kumarikkalpalayam, a hamlet of Kavuthampalayam village in Uthukuli Taluk of Tiruppur district, as a protected monument, much to the relief of the villagers who have been fighting against the move by Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation to instal a sub-station.
The granite structure is believed to belong to Megalithic period. The will be preserved under The Tamil Nadu Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966 (Tamil Nadu Act 25 of 1966).
In a recent communication to the Tiruppur administration, T. Udhayachandran, Principal Secretary/ Commissioner, Department of Archaeology, has sought a proposal for declaration of the ancient structure as a monument.
A group of archaeologists inspected the site in recent months and confirmed the historical significance of the menhir, in a report submitted to the Department.
The menhir finds a mention in the 249th verse of Akananuru, a Sangam-era classical Tamil anthology. The archaeologists had also found urns and pottery pieces dating back to the ancient times.
The villagers had urged the government to issue an order prohibiting land acquisition within two km radius from the site, and further excavations for more discoveries.
In 2023, a team of historians of Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Thiruvarur, confirmed the significance of the historical structure and advocated a change in the alignment of the tower line passing through Kavuthampalayam village. The historians had identified traces of iron ore, indicating manufacture of iron tools for agricultural purposes.
The Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association has welcomed the steps taken by the State government to protect the historical structure.
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