MADURAI: Five hero stones including a Sati stone were discovered by an expert and team of history enthusiasts at Ammapatti village near Thirumogur in the district. The hero stones could be of Nayak era and more than 400 years old. Hero stones are planted when a soldier or chieftain lays down his life for the community, while sati stones are planted when the wife of the slain soldier or chieftain decides to die in the pyre following her husband. The five stones, four hero stones and one sati stone, could be attributed to armed conflict over livestock.
Prof P Devi and her team consisting of history enthusiasts D Rajasekaran and M Arivuselvam found the stones two months ago but they had to do a lot of background research to determine its age and circumstances. Devi has studied temple sculptures and teaches refresher courses on sculpture (shilpa sastra) for temple priests.
