Hoary myths of bygone cultures, unearthing buried memories in silent monuments...It is heady stuff, this business of trying to understand our prehistoric past
What makes this book poignant and relevant is the counterpoint to
archaeological narratives it posits. Though archaeologists tell us that
these megalithic dolmens, menhirs and the like were funerary or
commemorative structures, local villagers near the monuments insist
that they were the houses of a now-extinct race of dwarves called
Moriyas.
The stories in this collection are inspired by actual monuments and sites
in India. As architect-author Srikumar M Menon went along collecting
data about the monuments, he could not help collecting stories too.
Srikumar’s stories also draw attention to outdated theories on the
development of disciplines such as the ‘history of architecture’.
Legislation and barbed wire fencing are grossly inadequate to protect
these primitive monuments that our prehistoric ancestors built.
We hope that this book will help create awareness of our precious built-heritage and protect these from human greed, depredations and urban encroachments.