Tiruppur Corporation workers who dug the roads in Old Market Street near the Old Bus Terminus recently were in for a surprise as they discovered a ‘sati’ stone that is estimated to be around 300 years old.
According to S. Ravikumar, director of the Tiruppur-based Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre, the artefact was unearthed on April 3. He said that he visited the spot shortly and confirmed that it was a ‘sati’ stone.
“The woman is seen to be holding a mirror in her right hand and she is holding the hero with her left hand,” he said, which are the characteristics of a sati stone. These are sculpted to mark the ancient practice of sati, in which a widow jumps into fire to mourn the death of her deceased husband.
With a height of about 75 cm and width of 45 cm, what made this sati stone different is that the man in the stone is seen to be holding a firearm in his left hand. Mr. Ravikumar said that the local chieftains, who were responsible for guarding merchants or cattle, were issued firearms during the Nayak period. Based on consultations with former assistant director of the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department R. Poongundran, the sati stone was estimated to be around 300 years old, he noted.
“The practice of Sati was initially restricted with queens. However, it was eventually followed by the widows of local chieftains and even commoners before it was eventually abolished during the British rule,” Mr. Ravikumar said. The sati stone was handed over to the Revenue Department following the discovery.
