The Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs or standing stones in Telangana’s Narayanpet district, dating back approximately 3,500 to 4,000 years, have been added to a tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites from India. Telangana has only one Unesco World Heritage Site at Ramappa temple, inscribed in 2021, and now the Mudumal menhirs is one step closer to achieving a second inscription for the state.
“The Mudumal menhirs represent one of India’s most expansive and impeccably preserved megalithic astronomical observatory sites, showcasing an intricate and precise arrangement of boulder alignments, formations, and stone circles. Within a central area, a concentration of two distinct types of menhirs further enhances the site’s uniqueness,” read the dossier.
Mudumal Menhirs is among six properties added to India’s Tentative List by Unesco’s World Heritage Centre in 2025. The other five are Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh, Ashokan Edict Sites in multiple states, Chausath Yogini Temples in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, Gupta Temples in multiple states, and the Palace-Fortresses of the Bundelas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
A press statement from the Permanent Delegation of India to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), Paris, said that “addition to the WHC Tentative List is mandatory, in case, in future a property is to be nominated for inscription to the World Heritage List.” The central government submitted the dossier on the menhirs to the Unesco World Heritage Convention (WHC) on February 11. With these additions, India now has 62 sites on the tentative list.
‘A rare archaeo-astronomical site’
According to Professor K P Rao of the University of Hyderabad, the Mudumal menhirs, as old as 3,500 years, probably constitute the largest megalithic-era burial site in South India. Rao, a former director of the State Archaeology Department, has been researching menhirs since 2003 and has presented several research papers at international forums. He says apart from the archaeological relevance, these stones have astronomical significance as well.
Besides the standing stones, there are smaller stones placed in circular formations and also thousands of boulders appearing to be placed in certain alignments across an 80-acre spread of land – all of which hint at something unique about the location. There are close to 80 tall menhirs of 10 to 14 feet height, accompanied by nearly 3,000 alignment stones related to the funerary rights of the ancient community. These stones are arranged in lines or rows in a 20-25 feet gap.
The villagers of Mudumal believe that these strange-looking stones randomly placed across the neighbourhood are people who lived here and were turned into stones by an angered local goddess after they disrespected her. “Over time, local communities have associated these stones with their cultural heritage, incorporating them into their beliefs and practices. The menhirs are considered sacred by the local population, who refer to them as ‘Niluralla Thimmappa’ (Thimmappa of the Standing Stones), with one particular menhir being worshipped as Goddess Yellamma. This connection between the stones and the local beliefs demonstrates the site’s enduring cultural significance,” the dossier read.
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“These menhirs and alignment stones are arranged in different directions. But when we carefully observe them on different days, especially days of solar significance like Equinox and Solstices, some of these rows align exactly with the sun. It appears they have been designed in a manner such that they align with the sun on particular days,” K P Rao had told indianexpress.com in 2021, adding that the sun’s propagation can be used to calculate the dates and calendrical events, and change of season, etc by carefully observing the movement of the sun in relation with these monuments.
Further, he had said that one of the stones with a flat face present here is the earliest depiction of the night sky and a star constellation from anywhere in South Asia. “We have an alignment stone here with cup-marks of 3-4 mm depressions. It has seven prominent stars. This is a depiction of Ursa Major or Saptarshi Mandal. When an imaginary line is drawn between the top stars of the rectangle Merak and Dubhe, it points to the Pole Star or North Star. So, we can know the north direction at night. This is the earliest depiction of a constellation from South Asia,” he had stated.
According to the dossier, Mudumal stands out not only for its similarities to other renowned sites but also its distinctive features. “The precise alignment of its menhirs reflects an advanced grasp of mathematics and astronomy, establishing it as a rare archaeo-astronomical site. Furthermore, the ongoing cultural practices surrounding the menhirs highlight the living traditions maintained by local communities, enriching the site’s narrative,” the dossier read.
“This fusion of archaeological and astronomical elements reinforces Mudumal’s potential to significantly contribute to our understanding of prehistoric societies and their complex relationship with celestial phenomena. As scholarly research and archaeological endeavours progress, Mudumal’s significance within the broader framework of megalithic cultures is poised to grow, enhancing its candidacy for inclusion in the World Heritage List,” it concluded.
