All You Need to Know About Ramappa Temple – India’s new UNESCO World Heritage Site
India. A land filled with culture and diversity, also known as a land of temples, is a country that houses ancient spiritual secrets guarded by extraordinary architectural excellence. One such beautiful temple architecture is the ancient Rampappa Temple.
Situated in the Indian state named Telangana, the Ramappa Temple is indeed an architectural marvel that was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the 25th of July, 2021 at the 44th World Heritage Committee of UNESCO. A crowning glory, the temple is located in the picturesque valley of Palampet Village, dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built by the rulers of the Kakatiya Dynasty.
Let us dig into the history of Ramappa Temple, a piece of architecture and art that stands as a testimony of the Indian culture and the royal Kakatiyas.
THE ART & ARCHITECTURE
Carvings & Construction
Constructed by the general of the Kakatiya King in 1213 AD, the Ramappa Temple displays a distinct style of architecture that was the structural style of the Kakatiyan Dynasty. Standing on a six feet high platform that is precisely cut in a star shape, the temple precisely has a garbagriha, a large ranga mandap and a mukha mandap. The pillars supporting the entire structure are made out of sandstone and are intricately carved with stories depicting scenes from the ancient Indian scriptures Mahabharata and Ramayana. With a total of three entrances, the corner of the ceilings to the same has twelve sculptures of various goddesses intricately carved on black granite in different poses.
THE SACRED & SPIRITUAL
Deity & Divine
Dedicated to Lord Ramalingeshwara, the great Ramappa temple has the Shivling placed at the great height of 9 feet built in the garbagriha. Sitting in front of the Shivling is the majestic Nandi Vigraha carved out of a single black basalt rock built in a separate mandapam and is truly a sight to behold. The entire temple has a border of intricately carved elephants at the base running around it as a symbol of stability according to Hindu spirituality. A noticeable aspect of this temple is that unlike any other Shiva temple in India, Nandi is shown in an attentive posture which means he is ready to execute any command from the Lord immediately. Statistically placed on the banks of Laknavarm Lake, the temple has a beautiful dusk that makes the entire area look even more scenic every time the sun goes down.
THE STRUCTURE & BEAUTY
Richness & Excellence
Currently under the administration of The Archaeological Survey of India, the Ramappa Temple is a direct glance at the glorious art and architecture of the Kakatiyan Dynasty. With intricate carvings on the pillars and a display of various dance and musical forms of art on the walls, this temple gives a pleasing sight to behold at all times of the day. Located by the lakeside are some cottages set up by the tourism department of Telangana that allow you to experience the beauty of this architectural marvel in peace. The grand Ramappa Temple is the only one in the entire country that derives its name from its chief sculptor and not the deity present within.
THE UNIQUENESS & MECHANISM
Set-up & Design
There are a lot of modern marvels of engineering that one can find in today’s world with advanced technology and sciences. But can you imagine constructing and creating such architectural sites using the most basic tools like knives, chisels, hammers, or probably an elephant as your crane? A very astonishing fact that this spiritual site establishes is that even during the 13th century ancient times, it was built in ways and with materials that allowed it to float over water. Constructed using the sandbox technology, which involves filling a pit with a mixture of sand lime and jaggery to create a stronger structure for a foundation helped the temple absorb the waves anytime an earthquake occurred. The bricks used have a density of 0.85 to 0.9 gm/cc which is lower than the density of water helping them to float on water. One of the pillars of the temple has the sculpture of Lord Krishna where he can be seen sitting on a tree playing his flute. If one taps the sculpture, they can hear the Saptaswaras (Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa) of Indian Classical music.
THE CALMNESS & SERENITY
Stay & Experiences
Situated at just a mere distance of 50 km from the majestic Ramappa Temple, is the gateway to wonderland. Feriado Resorts. With a natural backdrop of scenic sights and ever alluring aura around, Feriado Resorts, a hotel near Ramappa Temple can be your best getaway near Hyderabad. It is plush with exquisite countryside spots, waterfalls, serene rivers, tropical forests and a regular cast of flora and fauna. It is an exclusive resort built at a privileged location that, with its silence and beautiful dusk by the lake helps you relax in solitude.
After all, diving into spirituality is always comforting.
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