TS ‘ROCKS’ WITH ART
Expert has found 70 sites, some near city, with ancient paintings
About 70 rock art sites ranging from the upper Paleolithic age, beginning about 40,000 years ago, to the Megalithic (about 4,200 years ago), have been found in the state and near the city, making the region another trove of ancient rock art.
Several rock paintings were recently unearthed in the hills of Daasarlapalli in Mulug mandal of Siddipet district, about 40 km from Hyderabad on the Rajiv Rahadari by Dr D. Satyanarayana, curator, Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum here.
He found 10 caves with rock paintings at Daasarlapalli which were in satisfactory condition. Most paintings were red ochre in colour. He found 10 prehistoric rock art sites in a cluster in a 4-sq km area in Yadaram of Medchal district.
“Looks like the cave man first whitewashed the place, crushed ochre pigment stone into powder, mixed it with water resulting in acidification and red,” he said.
“I found paintings of things the people saw, around like ox, cow, calves, birds, bow and arrow, horned buck, wild sheep, cheetah, nilgai, buffalo, elephant, deer, antelope, porcupine, monitor lizard, fish, tiger, lion, funeral rites, sexual activity, geometric designs, swastika and the likes. Most rock paintings are from the Neolithic (3000 to 1000 BCE) and Megalithic (1000 BCE to 300 AD) ages and some after 300 AD,” he said.
Koya tribals of North Telangana practice the white painting tradition “Chluiku” even today in their homes. All rock paintings found in the surroundings of Daasarlapalli except one cave are painted on whitewashed surfaces.
Dr Satyanarayana has explored 23 sites till date in Rachakonda, Aksharaala Doddi, Ramagiri Khilla, Dongalagutta, Mannemkonda, Amaragiri Kota, Kothha Chitthaarayya, Paatha Chitthaarayya, Laalgadi Malakpet, Narsugutta, Daasarlapalli, Devatala Doddi, Pedda Aadiraala, Koulas, Bhuvanagiri, Devarkonda, Jaafargadh, Gonthemma Kollu, and Pandavula gutta in Medchal, Bhuvanagiri, Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts.
Dr Satyanarayana wants the government to conduct village-wise surveys, as was done earlier for inscriptions, to document rock art sites, declare them as heritage and protect them.
The curator is upset over the destruction of three rock painting sites due to granite quarries at the Suchir India venture near Turkapalli Cheruvu, Lotti Kattina (Chitthaaru) Gundu and Dhanam Gundu near Maisamma Gandi, Daasarlapalli.