Sati Stones in Podagad, Nabarangpur District of Odisha

Authors

Keywords:

Podagad, Sati stones, Memorial stones, Culture, Self- immolation, Commemorate

Abstract

Podagad alias Puskari was the ancient capital Nala dynasty who ruled over the present Bastar- undivided Koraput- Kalahandi region during 3rd-6th century CE. The literary meaning Podagad is burnt fort. The explorations of G. Ram Das (1948) and Dr. C.B. Patel (1985) provide us the preliminary information and its archaeological importance. The vicinity of Podagad is full of scattered ruins, sculptural remains, giving the impression of one time busy and prosperous city life in this past. The Podagad inscription of Saknadavarman mentioned about the frequent struggle between the Nala and Vakataka for territorial dominance and the findings of Memorial stones further clarified these struggle. As we know that Memorial stones also represents the military art tradition. Sati Stones is an integral part of Memorial Stones tradition. As many as 34 memorial stones founded in Podagad region and it represents a glorious military as well as socio-cultural tradition of this region. The present paper attempts to study the nature and form of the Sati stones, sculptural art traditions and their evolution. The present paper contains both primary and the secondary sources to reveal the political and socio-religious significance of the Sati stones tradition of Podagad.

References

Rajan, K. (2000). South Indian Memorial Stones, Thanjavur: ManooPathippakam, pp. 24-25.

Patil, D.R. (1982) The Origin of Memorial Stones, in Memorial Stones, a study of their Origin, Significance and Variety (S. Settar and Guntheir D. Sontheimer, Eds.), New Delhi, pp.49-50.

Rajan, K. Op.cit, pp.24-25.

Sontheimer, G.D. (1982). Hero and Sati Stones of Maharastra, in Memorial Stones, a study of their Origin, Significance and Variety (S. Settar and Gunther D. Sontheimer, Eds.), New Delhi, pp.273-281.

Chidananmurti, M. (1982). Two Masti Temples in Karnataka, in Memorial Stones, a Study of their Origin, Significance and Variety (S. Settar and Gunther D. Sontheimer, Eds.), New Delhi, pp.117-118.

Altekar, A.S. (1938) The Position of Woman in Hindu Civilization (From Prehistoric Times to The Present Day), Banaras, pp.137-138.

Rajan, K. (2000). South Indian Memorial Stones, pp.117-119.

Chadhar, M. (2005-06). Sati Pillars of Eran, Shodha-Samaveta, Vol. XIV/3-4, Ujjain, pp.11-16.

Sontheimer, G.D. (1982). Hero and Sati Stones of Maharastra, in Memorial Stones, a study of their Origin, Significance and Variety (S. Settar and Gunther D. Sontheimer, Eds.), New Delhi, pp.277-281.

Mishra, B. (2006). Situating River Telavaha and Its Janapada in Ancient India, The Journal of Orissan History, Vol. XIX, BBSR, pp.13-16.

Patel, C.B. (1990). Dynastic History of Nalas, Calcutta, pp.80-81.

Mishra, B. and R. Singh. (2008). Early Historic Podagad: Revisited, JOH, Vol.

XXI, OHC, pp.38-39.

Patel, C.B. (1990). Op.cit, pp.1-5.

Srivastava, A.L. (2004). Uma-Mahesvara: An Iconographical Study of the Divine Couple, U.P., pp.114-115.

Sontheimer, G.D. (1982). On the Memorials to the Dead in the Tribal area of Central India, in Memorial Stones, a study of their Origin, Significance and Variety (S. Settar and Gunther D. Sontheimer, Eds.), New Delhi, pp.90-91.

Bruckner, H., Feldhaus., & Malik, A. (2004). Gunther-Dietz Sontheimer Eassay on Religion, Literature and Law, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Manohar, New Delhi, p. 130.

Thakur, P. (2019-20). Vira-Masti Type Hero stones of Tumkur, Karnataka, Kala: JIAHC, Vol. XXV, pp.51-52.

Kale, D. (2019). Speaking Stones: Oral Tradition as Provenance for the Memorial Stelae in Gujrat, Heritage-2, pp.1086-1087.

Singhdeo, K.B. (1939). Nandapur- a forsaken Kingdom (Part-1), Cuttack, pp.9899.

Das, K. (2010). Culture Heritage and Historiography in Dandakaranya (KoraputBastar, B.C.-1250A.D), Vol-I, Orissa, P-123.

Das, K. (2017). History of Tribal People in United Koraput (B.C.-1250 A.D.), Orissa, pp.70-71.

Thapar, R. (1981). ‘Death and the Hero’ in S.C. Humphreys and Helen King (Ed.) Mortality and Immortality: the anthropology and archaeology of death, London, pp.302-303.

Verghese, A. (2016-17). Memorial stones Commemorating Ritual Suicide at Hampi- Vijayanagara, Jnana-Pravaha, no.XX-2016-17, pp.87-88.

Rekha, H.G., (2019). Sati Memorial Stones of Vijayanagar Period- A Study, HRJ, Vol.5-Issue-6, pp.2111-2112.

Rajput, M.S., (2016). The Source, Meaning and use of Mudras across Religions, IJIRAH, Vol.1, Issue-1, pp.38-39.

Thapar, R. (2000). Cultural Pasts- Essays in Early Indian History. Oxford University Press, pp.696.

Rajput, M.S. (2016). Op.cit, pp.38-39.

Courtright, P.B. (1994). The Iconographies of Sati in J.S. Hawley’s (Ed.) Sati, the Blessing and the Curse, Oxford, pp.30-31.

Published

2024-12-11

How to Cite

Rate, R. K. (2024). Sati Stones in Podagad, Nabarangpur District of Odisha. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(12), 2525–2537. Retrieved from https://ijeponline.org/index.php/journal/article/view/790

Issue

Section

Peer Review Articles