Bengaluru farmer’s plough unearths 1,100-year-old hero stone of tiger-slaying warrior

Farmer Rangaswamaiah discovered a 1,100-year-old inscribed hero stone (Veeragallu) while ploughing his field in Byrasandra village, Nelamangala.

The stone commemorates Sivamarenadi, son of Attammareya, who died fighting a tiger to protect his village; he served Maramman, the Nadagouda of Manne-nadu.

The inscription in Halegannada (old Kannada) dates to around 850 AD, during the Western Ganga dynasty.

The central panel depicts the warrior grappling the tiger while wielding a sword; the upper panel shows celestial nymphs escorting his soul to heaven.

Historians note that inscribed tiger-duel hero stones from the Ganga period are exceptionally rare, offering insights into the region's military tradition.