India has a new World Heritage Site.
The Ramappa temple has been ‘recognized’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during the virtual meet of the World Heritage Committee.
It joins 38 sites in India, including Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, which are already World Heritage Sites.
The little-known Ramappa temple, located in Telangana’s Palampet, dates back to the 13th century. An inscription in the temple mentions the year 1213 and it was built by a General named Recherla Rudra Reddy, during the Kakatiya rule of Ganapati Deva.
“Ramappa is the main Shiva temple in a larger walled temple complex, which includes several smaller temples and structures. The temple stands as a testimony to the highest level of creative, artistic and engineering talents involving various experimentations in expressive art forms of the Kakatiya period (1123-1323),” Raghvendra Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Built of sandstone with beams and pillars of carved granite and dolerite, the temple has a distinctive Vimana (inner sanctum) which is made of porous bricks.
The Rudreshwara (Ramappa) temple has been on UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014. Indian government submitted nomination dossier for the Telangana temple in 2019.
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