Telangana invites tenders to excavate megalithic Menhirs of Mudumal where ancient stones align with Sun

What did people living 3,500 to 4,000 years ago know about the night sky? At Mudumal in Telangana’s Narayanpet district, upright stones, megalithic burial circles and rock carvings depicting constellations offer clues to how ancient communities observed the heavens. The Telangana Department of Heritage has now invited tenders for excavation at the site, with an estimated contract value of ₹39.97 lakh and a completion period of four months.

Rocks bearing markings

The Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs site, located about four km south-west of Mudumal village near the Krishna River, is spread across approximately 80 acres of gently undulating terrain. In its submission to UNESCO’s Tentative List, dated February 11, 2025, India described the site as a significant archaeological landscape containing standing stones, stone circles associated with megalithic burials and rocks bearing markings interpreted as representations of celestial bodies and constellations.

A prehistoric observatory?

What makes Mudumal particularly significant is the arrangement of its standing stones, known as menhirs, and the markings found on its rocks. UNESCO’s Tentative List description says some menhirs appear aligned with the rising and setting Sun during the summer and winter solstices, suggesting that the site may have served as an ancient observatory.

The site also contains a cuboid-shaped rock bearing cup marks interpreted as representing Ursa Major, commonly known as the Great Bear constellation and associated in Hindu tradition with the Saptarishi, or Seven Sages. Another flat rock, located south-west of the main concentration of menhirs, bears markings interpreted as depicting Ursa Major and Leo, along with a possible planetary representation.

UNESCO’s description further identifies these celestial markings as one of the site’s distinguishing features. It also notes that the stones and their alignments may offer insights into how ancient communities interpreted celestial phenomena and incorporated their observations into navigation and cultural practices.

The tender specifies an estimated contract value of ₹39.97 lakh and requires the selected contractor to complete the work within four months. The department will scrutinise technical bids before opening the commercial price bids of qualified applicants. The contract is to be awarded to a technically qualified bidder offering the lowest price, subject to the tender conditions.