Ratna Shah Reward Points : 16600 Member Since : Monday, April 07, 2008
I have heard of sati stones .. what are these ?
Posted On : 4/7/2008 4:04:13 AM
Indu Tripathi Reward Points : 22900 Member Since : Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sati stones are the stones that are placed in honour of the sati.. there are a number of sati stones found in South India
Posted On : 4/10/2008 5:13:20 AM
Indu Tripathi Reward Points : 22900 Member Since : Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sati stones are the stones that are placed in honour of the sati.. there are a number of sati stones found in South India
Posted On : 4/10/2008 5:13:54 AM
Indu Tripathi Reward Points : 22900 Member Since : Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sati stones are the stones that are placed in honour of the sati.. there are a number of sati stones found in South India
Posted On : 4/10/2008 5:15:32 AM
Indu Tripathi Reward Points : 22900 Member Since : Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sati stones are the stones that are placed in honour of the sati.. there are a number of sati stones found in South India
Posted On : 4/10/2008 5:16:12 AM
Rufi malik Reward Points : 14500 Member Since : Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Sati stones placed in honour of the Lady who performed the Sati.By the performing Sati they were attributed to divine power.Like that for men who died in war or as dead as warrior stones were erected in their memory which is called HERO STONES.
Posted On : 3/24/2009 9:57:27 PM
Riya Sen [Guru] Reward Points : 93800 Member Since : Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sati is the traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband s funeral pyre and Sati stones or hero-stones were erected in memory of those brave women who committed sati and are periodically worshipped. These stones, called devli, became shrines to the dead woman, who was treated as an object of reverence and worship. Hero-stones of Bengal are found in the southwestern districts of Purulia, Bankura, Medinipur and Bardhaman. Again, in Bardhaman district, it is only in the extremely western Asansol sub-division that hero-stones are encountered. Similarly, in Medinipur district, the area of occurrence is in the upland areas, rather than the coastal or alluvial plains. Compared to the hero-stones of peninsular India, those of Bengal are much less elaborate in composition. Instead of the detailed depiction of heroes prowess and destiny after death, artists of Bengal opted for a simple and synoptic treatment dominated by the solitary figure of hero or Sati. They conform to certain basic visual formula. Sati-stones are carved in locally available rocks. Whereas in Purulia, the artist opted for sandstone and chlorite schist, they had used sandstone in Bardhaman and laterite-blocks in Medinipur. Consequently the visual quality of figures in the hero-stones differ from one area to the other. Hero-stones of Medinipur, carved in laterite-blocks, are mostly eroded with their physical details lost under the uneven surface texture of the rock. There are, however, indications that the carved figures were provided with a coat of paint to overcome this material-bound limitation.
During the Gupta empire, instances of sati began to be marked by inscribed memorial stones. The earliest of these are found in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, though the largest collections date from several centuries later, and are found in Rajasthan. These stones, called devli, or sati-stones, became shrines to the dead woman, who was treated as an object of reverence and worship. They are most common in western India.
From South, this is the perception: In olden days of Tamil Nadu, the Village deities are either represented in the form of a huge, fierce statue or as a simple stone. Most of these temples are not closed premises but are simple and small worship areas. Mainly these village gods come under one of the three categories: Stones with possession of Natural Forces/ Natural Energies passed on it by creative collective transcendental formKaruppanaar swamy Karuppu means black in Tamil and is associated with dark, night, etc Kaateri amman Kaateri means vampire Sudalai Maadan swamy Sudalai means burial ground/ pyre and Sudalai maadan means guardian of burial ground Kali or Kali Amman was considered as the causative force for cholera Maari or Maari Amman was considered as a causative force for smallpox, chicken pox, mumps and measles Maari in Tamil means rain. Since the rainfall cooled the otherwise hot area and protected people from summer sicknesses like viral infections, people started worshiping the rain goddess as Maari Amman Ellai amman or Ellai Maari Amman worshipped in many villages is actually a mile stone which demarcated the boundaries of two villages. In olden days, people when they travel from one village to another village started relaxing near these stones and in due course started praying to them for safe journey. Thus, slowly these milestones attained the position of village gods and goddesses. There are other various Natural energy worship in the form of Muthaaramman, Muthalamman, Pachai Thanni Amman, Pachaiyamman, Pal Pazhakkari amman etc. Hero Stones and Sati Stones Hero stones Nadukkal or Veerakkal are the stones provided for the males who sacrifice their life for good causes. Sati stones are the stones provided for females who sacrificied their life for certain specific purpose, especially for chastity and purity. This category includes people who lived and lost their lives for their community and hence their community members still remembered them and worship them. This group also includes persons who were killed by injustice and hence were worshipped in order to save the village from their wrath. The worship for the fallen brave warriors is one of the popular forms of worship. The early Tamil poetry Tolkappiyam gives an elaborate description in six stages in the planting of such a stone: beginning with looking for a suitable stone, until the institution of formal worship. The portrait of the hero is often decorated with peacock feathers. Some poems refer to spears and shields erected around the planted stones. Offering of Naravam toddy = alcohol to the spirit of the fallen hero, represented in the planted stone, is mentioned in some verses. During latter period these nadukals became Ayyanar shrines. Other warrior gods include Madurai veeran who lived near Madurai , Kaathavarayan who lived near Tanjavore and Annammar swamigal who lived near Coimbatore . The Thee paanch ammman temples in northern part of TN were basically built to worship widows who were burnt alongwith their husbands funeral pyre as part of the Sathi or Saathi or Sati . The Maachani amman temple at Polaachi was built to worship a young girl who was killed by a Kongu king since she unknowingly ate a mango from his garden. The Palayanoor Neeli was a girl who was betrayed and cunningly killed by her husband and who took revenge by killing him in her next birth. Further, several love pairs who have lost their lives due to caste animosity are also being worshipped as village deities in several villages. Seelakari amman in various parts of South Tamilnadu and Kannagi worship are considered as a part of Sati stone worship system. These goddess are most revered Female deities for their purity and chastity as they are considered as the prime focus of the way of Tamil women. In general, Sati stones have not become part of the 21 sub-dieties of Ayynar but at some places Seelakari amman is considered as part of 21 sub deities. A more detailed research is required to identify clear clarity on various sub-dieties including Isakki Amman, Sonai and others. Stones to tame Evil and Devil Forces and converting to good powers There were Forces or elements which the people were scared of. Munishswaran or Muniappan in olden days was associated with killing people, drinking blood, doing mischievous things, bringing in ill-effect, etc. Peichi amman Pei means devil also covered under this form. Legends from Disastrous Social Events These legends include social suppression stories such as Kannagi, Nallathangal - out of which various worships were created to remind the people not to commit or repeat the same social mistakes of the past. Purity and Chastity of women were given more reverence and prominence. Chitra Pournami is celebrated grandly in memory of Sati women and Kannagi. Is it just different from what you might be thinking.
Posted On : 6/18/2009 9:20:32 AM
Maniam PS [Guru] Reward Points : 138800 Member Since : Wednesday, March 18, 2009
In Tamil Nadu, Hero stones Nadukkal or Veerakkal are the stones provided for the males who sacrifice their life for good causes. Sati stones are the stones provided for females who sacrificied their life for certain specific purpose, especially for chastity and purity. This category includes people who lived and lost their lives for their community and hence their community members still remembered them and worship them. This group also includes persons who were killed by injustice and hence were worshipped in order to save the village from their wrath. The worship for the fallen brave warriors is one of the popular forms of worship
Posted On : 6/23/2009 7:56:53 PM
o.k.johnny Reward Points : 100 Member Since : Tuesday, July 21, 2009
in karnataka you can see hundreds of sati stones,especially in the territories of the old vijayanagar and ganga kingdoms.wife immolation was popular even in the last phase of the mysore wodeyar kings. i have seen sati shrines in karnataka.sati worship is now illegal in india.but the ignorant poor villagers are constucting small shrines for sati .in my observation,the villagers are totally ignorant about the history and inhuman ideology behind this cruel tradition.and widow immolation is not a hindu tradition. i hope i can give a detailed report on this in future,. ok.johnny,kerala.
Posted On : 7/21/2009 9:05:52 AM
ajaygosh Reward Points : 100 Member Since : Thursday, October 08, 2009
read the comments on sati.i want to know about the sati practice in kerala.pls.help.
Posted On : 10/8/2009 8:25:47 AM
o.k.johnny Reward Points : 200 Member Since : Tuesday, October 13, 2009
sati practice was not existed in kerala.atleast there is no archaeological or literary evidence.kerala was a matrilineal society .so widow immolation was not possible.
Posted On : 10/13/2009 6:50:08 AM
o.k.johnny Reward Points : 200 Member Since : Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Posted By : Rajendra Prasad Udumula Posted On : 6/18/2009 9:20:32 AM Go
From South, this is the perception: In olden days of Tamil Nadu, the Village deities are either repr..
interesting note.thanks.
Posted On : 10/13/2009 6:52:22 AM
o.k.johnny Reward Points : 200 Member Since : Tuesday, October 13, 2009
pls.refer the book Village gods of southern India for more about this.
Posted On : 10/22/2009 8:01:33 AM
Dr.Subhadra.B.S. Reward Points : 500 Member Since : Monday, October 05, 2009
In karnataka, Sati stones are commonely found near the places of capital cities of the then ruling dynasties, near the villages of the medieval times.. They are called Masti Kallu Maha great Sati wife , kallu means stone in Kannada language... It reveals the practice of Sati, the wife being voluntarily sacrificing her life after the death of her husband. After the death of the husband in the battle field, it was common that the Sati practice would be performed by the widow.. In karnataka, from the period of the Hoysalas, till post-Vijayanagara period we see the SATI KALLUS in large numbers. Most of them are from locally available granite slabs, simple in carving, but some of them are richly decorated..Through the scupltures it seems that the widow will attain heaven & her name wili be there till the Sun and Moon inthe universe..Sometimes there will be few lines alongwith the sculpture about her name, husband, date,etc..Most of the cases do not have any details.. An Italian travellor, PIETRO DELLA VALLE, visited Keladi kindgom, feudatories ofVijayanagara Empire on 29-10-1623.Alongwith ambassador FERNANDIS, he saw a widow voluntarily ready to perform SATI. He requested her not to prtform sati, but she was firm... The Sati stones gradually disappear after the spread of the British empire in India.
Sati Stones
