Dolmens of Kodaikanal Hills: Uncovering Megalithic Traditions in Tamil Nadu with a Focus on Kodaikanal

Abstract

The dolmens in the Kodaikanal hills provide a remarkable insight into the burial practices, technological abilities, and spiritual beliefs of the Iron Age people who inhabited the region. According to R.M. Wheeler (1956) megaliths are “those monuments which are built on rough, large, undressed blocks of stones, usually though not invariably of rudimental character. These monuments are connected with burials, which fulfil funerary or commemorative or religious functions.” Megalithic monuments occur on surface at the foot of the hills and hillocks, unlike other underground pre- historic and protohistoric remains their vary size in terms of hugeness is very striking. Experts opine that the megaliths in the earliest stages were used in the funeral proceedings, but later on those were erected as memorial stones. Megalithic graves yielded not only the skeletal remains of the dead, a number of other items as funerary appendages. The dolmens in the Kodaikanal hills are a remarkable testament to the megalithic culture of Tamil Nadu. These ancient structures provide insight into the burial practices, technological abilities, and spiritual beliefs of the Iron Age people who inhabited the region. As ancient monuments, they serve not only as a link to Tamil Nadu’s past but also as cultural landmarks that highlight the continuity of traditions and values across centuries.