Context
Telangana’s Ramappa temple, a 13th century architectural icon and an engineering marvel that earned the coveted UNESCO heritage tag recently, was the highlight of the presentation given by Telangana government officials at an ongoing tourism and culture ministers' conference in Bengaluru.
About the Ramappa Temple
- Named after its architect, Ramappa, the temple is also known as Ramalingeswara Temple.
- Situated in Telangana’s Warangal, Ramappa temple stands on a six-feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors.
- The temple is known for the bracket figures which spring from outer pillars and are shown as supporting the roof projections.
- The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, where Lord Ramalingeswara is worshipped.
- The temple’s presiding deity is Ramalingeswara Swamy.
Important features of the temple
- The structure is of the pyramidal type, consisting of four storeys
- Decorated beams and pillars of carved granite and dolerite
- Distinctive and pyramidal Vimana (horizontally stepped tower) made of lightweight porous bricks called floating bricks that reduced the weight of the roof structures.
- The temple’s sculptures are of high artistic quality and illustrate regional dance customs and the culture of
Construction
- The temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire.
- It was constructed by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.
- At present, the temple falls under the protection of the Kakatiya Heritage Trust (KHT), which has been pushing it for the World Heritage tag since 2012.
About kakatiya dynasty
- The 12th and the 13th centuries saw the emergence of the Kakatiyas.
- They were at first the feudatories of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana, ruling over a small territory near Warangal.
- The dynasty saw powerful leaders like Ganapathi Deva and Rudramadevi.
- Prataparudra I, also known as Kakatiya Rudradeva, was the son of the Kakatiya leader Prola II.
- It was under his rule that the Kakatiyas declared sovereignty. He ruled the kingdom till 1195 A.D.
- It was under the rule of Prataparudra I that usage of Telugu language in inscriptions began.
- Before the establishment of Orugallu/Warangal as the capital, Hanamakonda was the first capital of the Kakatiyas.
- The great Italian traveller Marco Polo visited the Kakatiya Kingdom sometime during Rudramadevi’s tenure as the ruler of the Kakatiya Dynasty and made note of her administrative style; admiring her extensively.
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