An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s17.89

v1.c9.s17.89

(3) Non-sepulchral monuments are altars, rock-shelters irregular polygonal chambers and stone alignments [4.17]. The rock-shelter chambers are natural rock-shelters converted into chambers by the raising of rubble walls on the open side leaving an entrance. The polygonal chambers of low height consist of rubble and boulder wall covered at the top with a slab. They are found at the sites with port-holed chambers in the Raichur-Bellary area. They appear to have been used at some stage of the ceremonial burial of the dead. The stone alignments comprising huge boulders numbering from about 50 to 1000 arranged in rows of two patterns—squares and diagonals—are found in the Gulbarga-Raichur area only. These unique monuments are rare. The structural chamber at HUNUR and the imposing altars at MOTE-BENNUR and SOMESHVARPETH (Coorg) are obviously non-sepulchral.