A large megalithic laterite rock-cut chamber has been found in Kasaragod district of Kerala, which provides new information about the ancient burial practices and material culture of this region.

These are underground burial structures carved directly into laterite rock. They show a unique funerary design where the dead were buried with grave goods, reflecting complex beliefs about the afterlife in megalithic culture.
Locally, these structures are known by several memorial names in Kerala and surrounding regions: Muniyara (room of sages), Pandava cave (associated with the mythological Pandavas), Piranki cave (cannon cave), Nidhikuzhi (treasure pit), and Kalpathayam (stone box/granary).
These structures are generally associated with the Iron Age/Megalithic period in South India, which are about 2,000 to 2,500 years old.
Megalithic culture is an ancient cultural practice identified by the construction of large stone structures called megaliths. Megaliths were mainly used as burial sites away from habitation areas.
Based on archaeological data, the South Indian Megalithic culture extended from 1000 BCE to 100 CE, and was most popular between 600 BCE and 100 CE.
The Megalithic period in South India was entirely an Iron Age culture where iron technology had been fully adopted. Iron objects such as weapons and agricultural tools have been found throughout this region.

Special features related to the megalithic laterite rock-cut chamber in Kerala:

Architecture: Made from laterite rock, with a circular inner chamber.
Entrance: It usually has a narrow shaft leading to the chamber, and the opening is closed with a heavy stone slab.
Upper hole: Often there is a small circular hole at the top (in a recently found one the hole was about 5 cm), probably for rituals or as a path for the soul to exit.
Associated monuments: Often found near other megalithic structures such as umbrella stones (Kudakkallu) or cap stones (Topikkallu).

Expansion of Megalithic culture in India

The main center of Megalithic culture is in the Deccan, especially south of the Godavari River.
Important sites include Brahmagiri and Chandravalli (Karnataka), Junapani, Khapa and Muhurjhari (Maharashtra), and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu).
It has also been found in the plains of Punjab, the Indo-Ganga basin, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and at Burzahom in Jammu and Kashmir.
Subsistence and culture: Megalithic people survived by combining agriculture, hunting, fishing, and animal husbandry. Rock paintings at these sites depict scenes of hunting, attacks on animals, and group dances, providing insights into their social and cultural life.

About the Megalithic period

Megaliths are large, ancient stone monuments, often built as graves or memorials during the Neolithic to Iron Age (approximately 2500 BC–AD 200). Derived from the Greek word meaning “large stone,” these structures include dolmens (chambers), menhirs (upright stones), and stone circles. They are found worldwide, especially in Europe and India.
They were mainly used as burial places (cemeteries) or memorial monuments. In India, they are often associated with iron-using communities.

Global examples of Megalithic structures

Stonehenge and Avebury: Famous sites in England.
Hire Benakal: A major site in India with more than 400 structures.
Kalk Puma: An ancient, 4,750-year-old site in Peru.