Preservation of Granite Rock Shelters in Karnataka

The Minister for Culture and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that the painted granite rock shelters dating back to the Neolithic and Megalithic periods have been discovered at Kadebagilu hillock a Neolithic settlement in the limits of Anegondi village of Gangavati Taluk, Raichur District in Karnataka in the year 2009-2010 at Chikrampur 5 km due west of Kadebagilu. The site is not protected by the ASI.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today she said, the painting at kadebagilu done in deep brown to red ochre on a boulder perched on top of the hillock exhibits two phases and depict animals like buffalo, stag horse rider, dog, peacock and a group of dancing human figures in two tiers.

She said, due to recent mining activity in the adjacent hill, carried out in and around the group of rock shelters at Chikrampur, 5 km west of Kadebagilu near Anegondi was endangered. A state protected site at Venkatapura in the World Heritage Site at Hampi was also in danger by such quarrying.

The District Authorities, of Bellary District have issued prohibitory orders for banning the mining activity. At present the mining activity has been stopped at the site, the Minister added.

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