Telangana’s 13th century Ramappa temple conferred UNESCO heritage tag

New Delhi, July 25: The 13th-century Ramappa temple in Palampet, Telangana has been conferred the tag of UNESCO World Heritage site, the Culture Ministry said on Sunday.

"It gives me immense pleasure to share that @UNESCO has conferred the World Heritage tag to Ramappa Temple at Palampet, Warangal, Telangana.

"On behalf of the nation, particularly from people of Telangana, I express my gratitude to Hon PM @narendramodi for his guidance & support," Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said in a tweet.

13th century marvel

Ramappa temple, a 13th century engineering marvel named after its architect, Ramappa, was proposed by the government as its only nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage site tag for the year 2019.

The temple was named after its chief sculptor Ramappa. It is one of the very few temples in the world named after its sculptor.

Excellent, says PM Modi

"Excellent! Congratulations to everyone, specially the people of Telangana. The iconic Ramappa Temple showcases the outstanding craftsmanship of great Kakatiya dynasty. I would urge you all to visit this majestic Temple complex and get a first-hand experience of its grandness," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

Majestic temple

The temple is a Sivalayam, where Lord Ramalingeswara is worshipped. Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya Empire, allegedly called the temple "the brightest star in the galaxy of temples".

Ramappa Temple stands majestically on a 6 ft high star-shaped platform.

The hall in front of the sanctum has numerous carved pillars that have been positioned to create an effect that combines light and space wonderfully.

UNESCO world heritage tag

The Temple was included in the proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Glorious Kakatiya Temples and Gateways", in 2019 on the "tentative list". The proposal was submitted to UNESCO on 10 September 2010.On 25th of July 2021, this temple finally inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

A brief description on the Rudreswara(Ramappa) Temple

The Rudreswara temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by RecharlaRudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.The presiding deity here is RamalingeswaraSwamy. It is also knownas the Ramappa temple, after the sculptor who executed the work in the temple for 40 years.

The temple complexes of Kakatiyas have a distinct style, technology and decoration exhibiting the influence of the Kakatiyan sculptor. The Ramappa Temple is a manifestation of this andoften stands as a testimonial to the Kakatiyan creative genius. The temple stands on a 6 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 sculptural art and decoration specific to the time and Kakatiyan Empire have an outstanding universal value. The distinct style of Kakatiyas for the gateways to temple complexes, unique only to this region confirm the highly evolved proportions of aesthetics in temple and town gateways in South India.

European merchants and travelers were mesmerized by the beauty of the temple and one such traveler had remarked that the temple was the "brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan".