Ramappa - Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple
- Union Minister for Culture, Tourism unveiled the UNESCO World Heritage Listing plaque at Ramappa - KakatiyaRudreshwara Temple in Palampet.
- The Union Minister inaugurated several Tourism projects as a part of the Tribal Circuit in Telengana under Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
- The minister also inaugurated wayside amenities and other public convenience facilities, under Swadesh Darshan Scheme at Mulugu.
About Rudreswara 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.