India gets its 39th World Heritage Site
- India’s nomination of Rudreswara Temple, (also known as the Ramappa Temple) at Palampet, Mulugu district, Telangana, has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.
- The decision was taken at the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.
- Ramappa temple, a 13th century engineering marvel named after its architect, Ramappa, was proposed by the govt as its only nomination for the tag for the year 2019.
Kakatiyas
- Kakatiyas were a South Indian dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region comprising present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh between 12th and 14th centuries.
- Their capital was Orugallu, now known as Warangal.
- Early Kakatiya rulers served as feudatories to Rashtrakutas and Western Chalukyas for more than two centuries.
- They assumed sovereignty under Prataparudra I in 1163 CE by suppressing other Chalukya subordinates in the Telangana region
- Ganapati Deva (r. 1199–1262) significantly expanded Kakatiya lands during the 1230s
- Ganapati Deva was succeeded by Rudrama Devi (r. 1262–1289) and is one of the few queens in Indian history.
History of Temple
- Rudreswara temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.
- The presiding deity here is Ramalingeswara Swamy.
- It is also known as the Ramappa temple, after the sculptor who executed the work in the temple for 40 years.
- Inscription in the temple mentions three shrines dedicated to to Rudreswara, Kateswara and Kameswara, of which the latter two are in ruins.
- The temples were built around a large artificial lake, which was constructed to serve as water resources for irrigation.
- Kakatiyas were well known for building many such tanks, which changed vast areas of their arid kingdom (modern Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) into fertile tracts.
Features of Temple
- The temple complex consists of:
- Rudreswara temple (dedicated to Shiva) which is the main temple and survives wholly;
- A damaged nandi mandapa;
- Two subsidiary temples Kateswara (partly damaged) and Kameswara (in ruins),
- An inscription pillar, and
- A dharamsala.
- A prakara or wall runs round the entire temple complex.
- The Ramappa temple stands on a 6 feet high platform on a cruciform plan.
- The sanctum is crowned with a shikhara and is surrounded by a pradakshinapatha.
- There are many subshrines within the temple.
- A special feature of the Ramappa temples is that while the temple bodies were built of prefabricated reddish sandstone, the shikharas were made of bricks.
- These bricks were built with special technology that made them feather light and spongy: thus when these bricks are dropped in water, they float: an architectural ingenuity of 13th century India.
- Another innovation used in building these temples was the use of sand-box technology, where sand was used to top the foundation pits so that it would act like a cushion during earthquakes.
- Skilled workmanship of the medieval artists who carved stones to bring out life like figures are best seen in the 12 madanikas that stand as bracket figures in the Rameswara temple.
- Chiseled out from black basalt stones, these exquisite female figures epitomize grace and rhythm, and speak volumes of the levels of skill and artistry reached during this era.