MANCHERIAL: The happiness of finding prehistoric paintings evaporates in no time in the smokes and vapour coming up from the illicit Gudumba breweries in the caves–set in Hajipur mandal of Mancherial district.
The prehistoric rock paintings were found in the forests near ‘Pathachittariah’ and ‘Kothachittariah’ sites. The prehistoric rock paintings were found to have been disfigured at Pathachittaraiah Gundu whereas the paintings were in good form at new Kothachittariah Gundu.
It is learnt that the Naikpod tribes from nearby villages visit the place once in a while and offer the prayers to Chinnaiah and Peddaiah Devullu. Unfortunately, most of the paintings depicted on the wall spaces have lost much of their shades because of the recent distillery activities by locals for illicit liquor.
Only a half-foot-long ox figure in red ochre colour at one place and a foot-long ox in white colour at another place are visible on the 30 feet-long wall space of the cave. Hundreds of microliths were found in front of the caves as the Mesolithic Age people inserted small chips of chert-stone (one-inch long) in the full cleavage of fist-fit logs to make knives, sickles and other sharp implements, between 8,500 B.C. and 3,000 B.C.
It also appears that the caves were inhabited by people during the subsequent ages – Neolithic and Megalithic – as is revealed by the human paintings with metal weapons and physical grinding stones.
Historian Dr Dyavanapalli Satyanrayana who explored the prehistoric rock sites in Hajipur mandal recently said, “Unfortunately, most of the prehistoric paintings depicted on the wall spaces have dimmed due to the recent distillery activity here for illicit liquor. But, it appears there is every possibility of retrieving several paintings by way of scientific /expert chemical cleaning of the cave wall.”
He said the technology of restoring or improving the visibility of rock paintings is available only in Australia and France. There is a danger of the dimmed rock paintings further losing its visibility if there is any error in the chemical cleaning of the rock sites. Mr Satyanarayana said they found one iron drum and signs of brewing of gudumba in the caves.
The prehistoric paintings were drawn at five places on the sand-rock walls of the 50-yard-long cave. The first space has only one petroglyph of an ox engraved in a one-foot length. The second and third spaces are the main chittaruvulu on which several tens of red ocher paintings were drawn.
The most important paintings of the spaces include the animals – horned bulls in rows, deers, antelopes, porcupine and big lizard (udumu). Some men were depicted as controlling the oxen with weapons. The paintings also include a priest with a thick red ochre halo around his head. A similar painting is also found nearby but in fainted red colour.
The Naikpod tribals of the region, who invoke the deity Chittaraiah for three days in every three years, call the priests as tappeta goollu (big dappulu in Telugu). The fourth and fifth spaces are expressing only fainted red ochre oxen.
