About 625 hero stones spread in and around Bengaluru can now be tracked by an interactive digital map launched by a 3D Digital Conservation Plan team of Bengaluru's Mythic Society. The team has created a Geographic Information System (GIS) based digital archive of at least 625 hero stones. It is important to mention that the Hero stones are engraved in honour and memory of heroes who lost their lives in battle or self-sacrifice. Hero stones help people to understand and learn about the heroes who sacrificed their lives and are largely forgotten.
Upon clicking any of the photograph icons on the map people will find detailed information about that hero stone, such as its type, location, the period it most likely dates back to, and its conservation status. With around 100 Hero Stones bearing inscriptions. Similar to the 'Inscription Stones of Bengaluru' map created by the same team, map users can type in keywords such as ‘tiger’, and ‘sati’ to obtain a list of all hero stones that have these carvings. Even within hero stones, several subtypes refer to a specific manner of death, such as death while preventing harassment of a woman or an unknown skirmish.
This marks the first instance in the country where a free publicly accessible GIS-based depiction of hero stones is being created for such an extensive area. The map is not only valuable for history researchers but also useful for citizens to explore hero stones in their surroundings. Additionally, it aids government officials and conservationists in preserving this unique heritage. Hero stones provide invaluable insights into the clothing, hairstyles, ornaments, weapons, and musical instruments of ordinary people, officials, and royalty in the past. The team members informed that a comprehensive field survey may result in the identification of as many as 2000-3000 hero stones in this region.
It is pertinent to mention that the Mythic Society is a member institution of the Royal Asiatic Society, Calcutta and digitization of rare books is in progress by the Society. Dr. C.V . Raman Noble laureate Eminent Scientist was for a long period Honorary President of the Society. Sri Rabindra Nath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi were among the few eminent speakers who delivered lectures at the Mythic Society on social welfare issues in 1919 and 1927.