Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji
An unusual formation of standing stones at Virnoda in Pernem has drawn the attention of heritage activists, with its arrangement raising questions about a possible connection to ancient stone worship. Experts have called for further study to establish its origin and significance.
The formation comprises a large vertical stone surrounded by smaller, rounded stones, with a shrine at its base.
“The arrangement is unusual and could represent an ancient form of worship. The large, irregular standing stone resembles a menhir, while the
smaller, rounded stones around it make the formation particularly interesting,” said professor of History at Dhempe College and a heritage activist, Prajal Sakhardande.
The stones are located on a small hillock or mound. A small shrine, approached by a flight of steps, stands at the foot of the large stone. Sakhardande said the presence of the shrine was significant as it could indicate that the stone had been regarded as sacred and worshipped in the past.
“It was too early to arrive at any conclusion,” he said.
Sakhardande, however, suggested that the formation could be associated with the worship of a menhir or that people might have regarded the stone as a natural Shivling.
“The exact age of the formation is difficult to establish at this stage,”
he said.
Stating that it could be linked to an ancient form of worship, he said that tribal communities had traditionally worshipped stones as symbols of nature.
“I have come across several standing stones in different parts of Goa. In some places, these stones have horizontal slabs placed on top of them, indicating human construction and intervention.
The stones at Virnoda, however, appear to be natural formations that were held in reverence,”
said Sakhardande.
He said the stone circles at Mhalbadde in Canacona and Kazur in Quepem were human-made structures believed to have been erected to commemorate ancestors or honour the dead. Shigao, too, has three vertical standing laterite stones that serve as commemorative memorials.
However, he said the arrangement and shape of the Virnoda stones set the formation apart from these structures. He said geologists and archaeologists needed to study its unusual geometry to establish how it was formed and
its significance.
Meanwhile, Director of the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology Dr Balaji Shenoi said instructions had been issued to a team to inspect the site.
