Stone Age Megalithic Tomb of Bachangudda

I made up my mind to visit Bachangudda's Megalithic Port-hole Chamber when I read about it the World Heritage Series booklet on Pattadakal published by Archeological Survey of India.

Dec 16, 2011

...coming from Hulgyemmanakolla with Ganganagouda Dhanagouda Hadimani. We stop on Badami-Pattadkal near Malkajigouda Channagiuda's house. I thank him for his time, exchange phone numbers and say bye. I wanted to thank Malkajigoudar for introducing me to Ganganagoudar but he was not home, he had work in his fields. As told I drove on and stopped at another village. The two men I spoke to were carpenters, the older person told the younger man to take me to the spot. Barely a kilometer up the road my guide asked to stop- there it is.

This prehistoric monument is just 30 feet from the road, yet I failed to notice it during my previous visits to Pattadakal.

This structure is supposed to have been constructed during the Early Iron Age i.e. about 3000 years ago.

The booklet describes this structure as a north-south oriented double chambered large tomb, oblong in plan and built with pinkish granite stone slabs. The chamber is divided into two parts by the vertical slab with a squarish port-hole. Originally a heap of stones covered the exterior upto the capstone and thus looked like a hemispherical mound but acts of vandalism has reduced it to the present condition.

Notice how close it is to the road?

Here's a short video of the megalithic structure.

I thank my guide and offered to drop him back. He insisted to walk back. I drive off towards Pattadakal.

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