Rituals In Stone And Earth: Virli Khandar Dig Sheds Light On 2,500-Year-Old Funerary Practices

Archaeologists working at Virli Khandar in the Vidarbha region have begun to piece together a clearer picture of how people here once buried their dead. The current excavation has turned up an uncommon style of grave construction, along with a mix of artefacts and deliberately placed pottery that do not follow more familiar patterns. These finds point towards local funerary customs that may have been more distinctive than previously thought.

Inside The Virli Khandar Dig

The excavation at Virli Khandar in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district is examining a 2,500-year-old Iron Age megalithic burial site, led by RTM Nagpur University.

Researchers have identified 69 graves marked by stone circles and menhirs. Many contain carefully arranged pottery, often placed upside down, with some burials holding close to 50 vessels.

Finds from the site also include iron tools, gold earrings and carnelian beads, pointing to structured burial practices.

Site Highlights

The site lies in Pauni tehsil of Bhandara district in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. It stands out for its composite megalithic layout—stone circles paired with upright menhirs—and for a burial where around 50 pots were found, with larger vessels covered by smaller inverted ones.

Excavated material includes copper objects, iron chisels and arrowheads, etched carnelian beads, fragments of human bone, and a gold earring.

Dated to the Iron Age, the site is understood as a funerary space, offering insight into burial practices and daily life around 2,500 years ago. It forms part of the wider Vidarbha megalithic tradition, though its features differ from sites such as Mahurzhari and Naikund.

Emerging Patterns From Virli Khandar

• The burial ground at Pauni tehsil in Bhandara district combines stone circles with tall menhirs, forming a rare composite arrangement within the broader Vidarbha megalithic landscape. It is currently dated to the Iron Age, roughly 2,500 years ago.

• One of the most unusual features recorded is a large set of around 50 pottery vessels placed in inverted positions, including multiple paired arrangements where one pot covers another.

• Material recovered from the site includes iron tools such as axes, chisels and arrowheads, along with copper ornaments, etched carnelian beads and a gold earring. The investigation is being led by Prof. Prabash Sahu of RTM Nagpur University’s Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology.

FAQs

Where is the Virli Khandar site located?
It is situated in Pauni tehsil of Bhandara district in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.

How old is the site?
Preliminary estimates place it at around 2,500 years old, belonging to the Iron Age.

What makes the burial structures unusual?
The graves combine stone circles with tall standing stones (menhirs), a relatively uncommon arrangement in the region.

What is the most distinctive discovery so far?
A large number of pottery vessels—around 50 in one burial—were found placed upside down, including several paired arrangements.

What kinds of artefacts have been found?
Excavations have uncovered iron tools such as axes, chisels and arrowheads, along with copper ornaments, etched carnelian beads and a gold earring.

Why is the site considered significant?
It offers evidence of distinctive burial practices within the Vidarbha megalithic tradition, adding new detail to understanding Iron Age funerary customs in the region.