Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD/MS)

Udupi, Mar 10: Two huge ancient war memorial stones were found under a banyan tree near the playground of Astapadve at Kellaru Palimaru on the way from Nandikooru.

While one of the stone is seven feet in height, the other is eight feet in height. Both are two feet wide. The inscriptions of a man and woman are sculpted on the stones.

On the top of the stone sun, moon, sword, shield and head part is seen. The cloth covering the image is the one worn by soldiers. Right leg is kept forward with a sword and shield as if inviting someone to fight. People of this area say that this is Koticheneeru.

Within a stone’s throw of the spot where the stones are found, is a shrine of Daivaraja Koddabbu. Locals say that these stones are on a government land. As the area below the banyan tree is a deserted one, none of the locals venture near it and it is not clean too.

Ganeshraj Saralebettu and Jaya Shetty Bannanje visited the spot and inspected the stones, based on the information provided by Rajesh, resident of Nittur in Udupi. Locals Keshava Shetty, Bhaskara, Prakasha, Ramesha, Raghavendra, Satish Mukari and Vittal Mestri cooperated.