The Rudreshwara (Ramappa) temple at Palampet in Telangana’s Warangal has been conferred the tag of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 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.

This iconic temple is now India’s 39th World Heritage Site.

Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple

• The Rudreshwara (Ramappa) 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 there is Ramalingeswara Swamy.

• It is located in the village of Palampet, approximately 200km north-east of Hyderabad.

• It is also known as the Ramappa temple, after the sculptor who executed the works of 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 and often stands as a testimonial to the Kakatiyan creative genius.

• The temple stands on a six-feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors.

• Trikutaalyas and the sculptural art and decoration specific to the time and Kakatiya Empire are the main justifying components for the Outstanding Universal Value.

• European merchants and travellers were mesmerised by the beauty of the temple and one such traveller had remarked that the temple was the “brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan”.

• Keerthi Thoranas is another example of distinct style of Kakatiyas for the gateways to temple complexes, unique only to this region and testimony to highly evolved proportions of aesthetics in temple and town gateways in south India.

• The Thoranas demonstrate both a creative masterpiece, and a continuity and transformation through interchange of cultural values like that of Buddhist art traditions from 2nd Century BC to 11th Century AD. The initiative and a deviant path of experimentation of skill over dolerite by the Kakatiya sculptors continued to be used by subsequent Vijayanagara artists.

What is a World Heritage Site?

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. 

• This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

• A World Heritage Site is a place having a special cultural or physical significance and outstanding universal value to humanity. It may be a building, a city, a complex, a desert, a forest, an island, a lake, a monument or a mountain.

Who lists World Heritage Sites?

• The International World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee establishes the sites to be listed as World Heritage Sites.

• The World Heritage Committee defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. 

• It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. 

• The Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly.

• It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. 

• It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

• India now has 39 World Heritage Sites.

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