Possible astronomical significance of megalithic alignments of Katia Murwey

Subhashis Das

                                (Left click on each snap to blow up)

Long: 84 deg 58' 33.6"

Lat: 24 deg 0' 59.76".

The megalithic complex of Katia Murwey is located about 20 kms to the South of Pathalgadda block of Chatra district of Jharkhand state in East India. Known to the villagers as 'haragarhi"  in the austric Mundari languages of the Munda/Oraon tribes meaning "place for burying bones" this pot burial megalithic site of Katia Murwey though badly ruined reveal stunning astronomical alignments. 

Although this megalithic complex could date back to much antiquity it was used till even a few years ago by the local Munda and Oraon tribes and also by a few Dalit communities like the Ganjus who conducted the "satbharwan" ceremony of inserting the bones of the dead near the menhirs.

The menhirs here face the Recumbent Mother Figure of the Dasi Hill to the East. Three stones can be seen here inclined to the East and while one tilts towards the  West.

The complex which once must have comprised of large number of stones is presently home to 14 nearly and almost ruined stones, the rest having been carried away by the villagers. 
The megalith is placed on an elevated piece of land and closer survey revealed to us that this raised land could be man-made. It has been observed by us that astronomical megaliths as that of Punkri Burwadih has been deliberately placed on elevated land perhaps for easy viewing of the sun and other celestial bodies. Therefore Katia Murwey also on raised land could also be for the same purpose.

Among the taller ones only two fairly intact menhirs are what that remain (of which one's crown is used as an axe polisher). Three stones are of medium height and four are small sized which seem to have been broken and reduced from their original sizes. There are a few more stone stumps which are remnants of larger menhirs which  have been broken and towed away. The site has few cavities which have been created by the digging out of large stones by the villagers. 

Three parallel diagonal rows of three and two stones are visible here are aligned towards  peaks of the extended range of the Dasi Hill  at 120 deg SE of East(not visible in the pic).

Two ruined parallel  diagonals comprising of three broken stones and two stones are placed in straight lines between the Tumbpatra Hill  at 60 deg NE of East(behind the tree, not visible in the pic) and the Kohbar hill  at 240 deg SW of West(not in the pic).

In course of our study of the site we observed that the placement of the stones have interesting alignments. The North-South axis of the site has been procured by the thinner side of the stones orienting towards the Chandaram and Dhangarah Hills at the due North and South respectively while they face the Dasi hill in the horizon to the Due East.  Four stones were seen inclined to the west and the rest tilted to the East. 

Several stones were seen planted in a haphazard manner and the rest facing the East were found positioned diagonally in parallel rows comprising two or three stones. Now only a few of these fascinating diagonals remain in this vandalised site.

Jitendra measures the gaps between the broken stones

We found that the diagonal alignments are of two kinds; one that faced the right peaks of the Dasi Hill range at about 120 degrees SE of E and the other to the Tumbpatra Hill at about 60 degrees NE of E. The diagonal opposite the Tumbpatra Hill at 60 degree is aligned to the Kohbar Hill at 240 degrees SW of W.

It could be that the linear and the diagonal alignments of the site are orientations towards the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes and Winter and Summer Solstice sunrises and sets respectively.
The randomly placed stones which are now broken may not be a part of the original complex but subsequent addition by the later day village folks as their sepulchral monuments. 
Whether the complex was originally designed to serve as a sepulchral monument can only be recognised after an excavation. What were the intentions of the archaic megalithic astronomers for such astronomical alignments in this megaliths is difficult to adduce at this moment.

However deeper study of the site is required prior to the reaching any conclusive decisions.

Two menhirs and a broken one are placed in a row aligned to the Dasi Hill at the Due East  which could be the orientation towards Equinox sunrises. The right white diagonal  connecting the three broken stones could the alignment towards the Winter and Summer Solstice sunrises and sets respectively.

Aloke and I measure the inclines and the azimuths of the menhirs