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Thursday, February 01, 2007

Exploring the Virgall of Lolye
Virgall or Virkall in Kannada connotes a hero stone (vir=hero, kall=stone). They commemorated the warriors, the battles and the kings. Countless Virgalls are found in Goa, many of them dating to the Kadamba period. Lolye in Canacona is full of unexplored artifacts for historians and researchers. The Virgall near the house of Isidore Fernandes, the ex-MLA of Painguinim, is a beautiful relic. It has 5 exquisitely carved panels, a magnificent Gaj-Lakshimi panel crowns the Virgall thus making it rare. The hero in a dancing pose, cheered by female dancers constitutes the second panel. prof George Moraes also describes Virgalls of the Kadamba dynasty in which the hero is depicted in a dancing pose. [Rohit Phalgaonkar, NT]

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