Sati Stones in Podagad, Nabarangpur District of Odisha

Abstract

Podagad alias Puskari was the ancient capital Nala dynasty who ruled over the present Bastar- undivided Koraput- Kalahandi region during 3rd-6th century CE. The literary meaning Podagad is burnt fort. The explorations of G. Ram Das (1948) and Dr. C.B. Patel (1985) provide us the preliminary information and its archaeological importance. The vicinity of Podagad is full of scattered ruins, sculptural remains, giving the impression of one time busy and prosperous city life in this past. The Podagad inscription of Saknadavarman mentioned about the frequent struggle between the Nala and Vakataka for territorial dominance and the findings of Memorial stones further clarified these struggle. As we know that Memorial stones also represents the military art tradition. Sati Stones is an integral part of Memorial Stones tradition. As many as 34 memorial stones founded in Podagad region and it represents a glorious military as well as socio-cultural tradition of this region. The present paper attempts to study the nature and form of the Sati stones, sculptural art traditions and their evolution. The present paper contains both primary and the secondary sources to reveal the political and socio-religious significance of the Sati stones tradition of Podagad.