Embedded into compound walls and built into shrines: How Bengaluru’s animal hero stones mark the city’s long history of human-wildlife conflict

Tiger Hero stone

Location: IISC

Tiger hero-stones, also known as hulibete, depict carvings of interactions between a human and tiger, indicating fierce battles that would have possibly resulted in injury or death for both.Interestingly, one of the tiger hero-stones within the city can be found inside the college campus of the IISC . This hero stone is dated back to the 10th century and lies in the original location it was placed in.

A 10th-century tiger hero-stone (hulibete) inside the IISc campus depicts a fierce human–tiger battle, marking one of the city’s rare animal hero-stones preserved in its original location.

Tiger Hero stone

Location: Bangalore University

In another university campus on the other side of town, a tiger hero stone rests within the bounds of Bangalore University. This stone can be traced back to somewhere between the 8th to 9th century.However, the Bangalore University campus isn’t the original resting place of the stone, which seems to have been sourced from a separate location.

Tiger hero stone turns into shrine

Location: Old Madiwala, BTM 1st stage

Surprisingly, an almost identical twin hero-stone sits in a shrine near Madiwala (opposite the BTM Bus stop) feeding on prayers and prasadam offered to it on a daily basis. From a distance, this piece of history lays unsuspecting and overlooked.This local hero turned local deity dates back to the 14th century. Shreya B, a resident of the locality said “I pass by it everyday, I assumed it was simply a local deity or shrine. It is interesting to find out it is actually a historical artifact.” Other passersby were astonished it could be anything other than a local shrine. Crowded with traffic and noise, this historical monument lies hidden in plain sight.

A 14th-century tiger hero-stone near Madiwala, now worshipped as a local shrine, remains hidden in plain sight amid traffic and daily rituals.

Tiger Hero Stone

Location: Sakalavara

Beyond the urban limits of the city in a rural municipality close to the Bannerghatta national park, another tiger hero-stone from the 8th century rests in Sakalavara,just off the edge of the natural biological corridor. Notably, this is the oldest animal hero-stone discovered within Bengaluru.

An 8th-century tiger hero-stone at Sakalavara, near Bannerghatta National Park, marks Bengaluru’s oldest known animal hero-stone, standing along a historic wildlife corridor.

Deer-hunt hero stone

Location: Banashankari

Ferocious animals in battle with humans weren’t the only subjects carved into stone. In an unsuspecting patch of wall that forms the compound of the Nagalakshmi Kalyana Mantapa in Banashankari, a deer-hunt is immortalised in a hero stone that now overlooks a busy street.

A hero stone depicting a deer hunt, embedded in the compound wall of Nagalakshmi Kalyana Mantapa in Banashankari, silently overlooks a bustling Bengaluru street.

Snake-hunt hero stone

Location:Jakkur

Tigers and deer aren’t the only creatures that made their marks onto stone. In a hero-stone found within the limits of Jakkur, a snake-hunt is depicted in the carvings, dating back to the 15th century. This is simply one of the many hero stones that Jakkur houses as a prominent historic locality.

These animal hero stones carry a profound message of inter-species interaction and how they have been viewed across centuries.However, these hero stones, like many others, are under threat of natural erosion or neglect.The Mythic Society in Bengaluru for the last 6 years has engaged in the digital preservation of these monuments to make them accessible for future generations and the public.

A 15th-century hero stone in Jakkur depicting a snake hunt — one of several animal hero stones in the area, many now facing erosion and neglect, even as efforts are underway to digitally preserve them.

Udaya Kumar PL , Honorary Project Director at The Mythic Society iterates that each one of these hero stones is as crucial to understanding history as the other. Speaking to the Indian Express, he said, “There is no singular hero stone that can be deemed as most important or interesting. The context we view things through is what determines significance. An incident which bears significance to me may not be as important to another person. Likewise, each one of the inscriptions are incredibly important in their own way.”

Sathvi G Bhat is an intern with The Indian Express