The famous Ramappa Temple, approximately 65 kilometers away from Warangal in Telangana, was constructed in honor of Lord Shiva. General Recherla Rudra constructed it during the reign of Ganapati Deva, an emperor of the Kakatiya dynasty. It is believed that the beautiful temple was built over a period of 40 years. The temple is said to have been named after Ramappa, the master sculptor who carved the Shiva statue and worshipped the deity here.
The Ramappa temple’s carvings and sculptures have made it a popular tourist destination. Everything about this temple is exquisite, from the entrance’s transverse flute which, when touched, emits the rhythmic Sa-Re-Ga-Ma, to the intricate carvings on the pillars, through which a hair strand can be passed. Red sandstone and black granite were used to create the temple and the stunning figures that adorn it.
Years of neglect resulted in the main entrance and eastern temple wall collapsing in 2012. “Despite several petitions, no one in the combined Andhra Pradesh administration was interested in protecting or preserving the temple,” says Y Sathish Reddy, social media convener, Telangana Rashtra Samithi party.
MLC Pochampally, Srinivas Reddy’s, continuous efforts to restore the temple’s splendor to some degree was rewarded after the creation of the Telangana state. He built tourism attractions around the temple that attracted both local and international visitors. He analyzed the temple’s state exhaustively for numerous governments, and requested required changes to be made. Prahlad Patel, Union Minister, was specifically asked to restore Hanamkonda’s 1000-pillar temple and enhance the Ramappa temple.
For this, UNESCO representatives went to investigate the ancient Ramappa Temple, to determine whether or not it could be designated a World Heritage Site. Almost all of the issues and concerns have been resolved at this point.
“The ancient ‘Ramappa’ temple is on its way to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The news would overjoy Telangana residents. The Ramappa Temple would be the first location in two Telugu states to be designated a World Heritage Site,” said Y Sathish Reddy.
World Heritage Site (WHS) classification will provide several advantages to the state. Increased tourism in the state of Telangana will have a long-term impact on the local economy and help attract investment. Some of the non-economic advantages include the preservation of history and culture.
In other words, it will positively impact the local economy and attract tourists from across the world, resulting in an increase in local employment and revenue. It’s a dream come true for locals and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, MLC Pochampally Srinivas Reddy, and other officials of the Telangana Government are to be thanked for saving this historical monument from neglect.
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