Reddy Ratnakar Reddy, a teacher at a private college, has travelled extensively in Warangal and collected artefacts of historical value

For many of us, a piece of rock doesn’t mean anything. But for Reddy Ratnakar Reddy, a teacher at a private B.Ed college here, it’s a source of education and research.

The 40-year-old Ratnakar Reddy, who developed interest in studying history, travelled the entire district excavating the buried past. In the process, he collected innumerable items, mostly rocks, fossils and tools, believed to have been used by pre-historic men in the course of evolution.

Mr. Ratnakar Reddy found pre-historic places and animal and tree fossils at Buttaigudem in Eturunagaram mandal, cave paintings at Vargal near Medak district, coloured rock beads, menhirs, cist, kern circles at Konne village in Bachannapet mandal in Warangal and grinding stones and grooves at Ramachandrapur village in the same mandal. A huge rock avenue was spotted by him at Kodavatur village as well.

“The habit of digging into the past, literally, is inherited from my father, Buchi Reddy, who is a curious person. Since the announcement of separate Telangana in 2009, I took interest in digging out unknown facts about Telangana, particularly the Warangal district,” he told The Hindu .

He turned his house into a minim archaeology museum with the items he collected during his tours all over the district.

Among the most enchanting findings of Mr. Ratnakar Reddy are musical stones at Chunchunkota hillocks in Cheriyal mandal. “There is a long stone with 60 capsules which was perhaps used as a musical instrument. If you hit the stone, it emits a musical note. There are petroglyphs as well,” he explained.

How does he establish the veracity and authenticity of his findings? Mr. Ratnakar Reddy has been in touch with archaeology and history experts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and surfs internet to learn more about his findings.

“There is an amazing history attached to She Stones found at Wanaparthy village in Lingala Ghanpur mandal and so also the rock cut burials there,” he said.

He wishes to write a book about his findings thus securing a page for himself in the history of Warangal.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao / Jangaon(Warangal District) / April 01st, 2016