scale model Moreyara Mane of Hire Benkal

Few weeks after our visit to the megalithic site of Hire Benakal, this clay model was made by Malatesh C N. On the hills of Hire Benakal are four tomb sites; three sites have small structures covering cist graves and one site has massive structures made of trapezoidal and circular slabs. Structures are as small as 3' going right up to 10'. Many of the tombs had port holes on one of the sides.

Locals call them Moreyara Mane ~ dwarfish people's houses. These structures are believed to be created more than 2000 years ago. However, I feel they could be much older, probably 3500 to 4000 years. Close to the tombs is a hemispherical stone a meter in diameter positioned atop a rock, easily visible from a distance. This rock is called kettle drum rock. Its called so not just because of its shape but also because it produces a booming sound when struck with a wooden staff. Locals say that the sound can be heard as far as a kilometer away. Amazing!

Here's one of the pictures from the main article - Moreyara Mane - the megalithic tombs of Hirebenakal. Malatesh the model maker is standing holding a water bottle.

Hire Benakal is one of the best preserved prehistoric sites of India and it happens to be in Karnataka, Among several prehistoric sites of Karnataka two other sites can be considered major sites, probably older than Hire Benakal are sites at Aihole and Rajan Kollur.

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