KAKATIYA TEMPLE: A DUAL PERSPECTIVE FROM A TOURIST AND AN ARCHAEOLOGIST

The Kakatiya Temple, situated in Palampet, Mulugu District, is nearest to Warangal in Telangana state, India. It is a treasure trove of historical, cultural, and architectural significance. Fortunately, I got the golden opportunity to visit the Kakatiya temple last year as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Camp, organized by the Kakatiya Heritage Trust. Despite its rich heritage, it remains largely unknown to mainstream tourism. This article discusses the architecture, technique, and art of the temple perspectives.

UNESCO Recognition

Recognizing its cultural and historical importance, the temple was inscribed as a World Heritage site at the 44th UNESCO conference on July 25, 2021, under the name “Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana.” This marvelous structure is considered the 39th World Heritage site in India. The way it looks, with a star-shaped platform and carved pillars, is very unique and impressive. This stellate shape is also predominantly seen in the Hoysala temples. The temple has some unique features like a hall with carved pillars that make interesting light patterns.

Architectural & Historical Significance

The Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreswara Temple, stands as a splendid example of Kakatiya-style architecture. The presiding deity is known as Sri Rama Lingeshwara. Constructed in 1213 CE by Recherla Rudra, a general in the Kakatiya empire under Ganapati Deva. This temple holds historical and cultural significance, and is reputedly hailed as the “brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan temples“. Resting on a high star-shaped platform, the temple’s sanctum is preceded by a hall adorned with intricately carved pillars, strategically positioned to create a captivating play of light and space. According to folk stories, it was believed to be constructed by the sculptor named Ramappa, however, there isn’t any literary or historical evidence to back this point.

The Vesara style of architecture is employed in the construction. Vesara is a hybrid of Nagara and Dravida styles of temple architecture. The roof of the temple is constructed with floating bricks, which are so light in weight that they can float on water. According to Dr Habib Haman, Chief Chemist of Government Industrial Laboratory, Hyderabad: ‘The samples of floating bricks from Bidar are similar to those from Warangal as far as the method of manufacture is concerned. The material used to make the brick spongy was saw-dust. The Bidar specimens show better quality as regards homogeneous mixing and uniform burning than their proto-types from Ramappa, as a result of which the porosity is well-maintained in the body of bricks from Bidar and they float well in water.

Red Sandstone is majorly used in the construction. Dolerite rocks are utilized for the embellishments on the Pillars of Ranga Mandapa, inside Antarala, and Garbha Griha.

There are two small Shiva shrines on either side of the main temple, they are Kateshwara and Kameshwara temples. The enormous Nandi within, facing the shrine of Shiva, remains in good condition. Nataraja Ramakrishna revived Perini Sivatandavam (Perini Dance), by seeing the sculptures in this temple. The dance poses, written in Nritta Ratnavali by Jayapa Senani, also appear in these sculptures. The temple remained intact even after repeated wars, plunder and destruction during wars and natural disasters. The temple’s many carved pillars are positioned in such a way that when the sunlight hits these pillars. One of the pillars has a Lord Krishna carved into it. When gently hit, the pillar produces musical notes. The temple’s inscription does mention about the Ramappa Cheruvu or Ramappa Lake, which is present near the temple. It is reported to be a 2 km long and 5 km wide area, has a capacity of 3 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) water, which is distributed across various mandals for irrigation purposes.

The sandbox technique

It is said that there was a major earthquake during the 17th century which caused some damage to the temple but the temple survived the earthquake due to its ‘sandbox technique’ of laying the foundation. Dr Pandu Ranga Rao and the team researched about the ‘Sand-box technology’, that was employed during the temple construction. In technique, the foundation pit is filled with a mixture of sand-lime, jaggery and Black Myrobalan fruit (Terminalia Chebula). This mix acts as a cushion in case of earthquakes. The floating bricks are made of clay mixed with acacia wood, chaff and Myrobalan fruit. The bricks used in building the gopuram of the temple are light enough to float on water. The Aseismic design made the temple lightweight, and its longevity is prolonged. Earthquake in the past disturbed the foundations of many smaller structures, and most of them are in ruins and neglected. The main entrance gate in the outer wall of the temple was also destroyed.

Art

The Ramappa Temple boasts exquisite sculptural embellishments, particularly noteworthy for their fresh charm, elegance, and almost metallic finish. The main temple structure is crafted from reddish sandstone, while the outer columns feature large brackets of black basalt, rich in iron, magnesium, and silica. These columns showcase Kakatiya art’s masterpieces, depicting mythical animals, female dancers, or musicians with delicate carvings, sensuous postures, and elongated bodies. The basalt stone carvings of animals and dancers are considered great pieces of Kakatiya art.

The intricate depiction of human activities, ornate perforated screen patterns on door jambs, and lively portrayals of female figures engaged in various dance poses, dwarapala, showcase the exceptional craftsmanship of the sculptor from that era. Above the doorways, ornamental vimanas and Navagraha panels adorn the dvarasakhas, while a musical pillar stands at the entrance to the Antarala. In the Mahamandapa, the pillars divide the ceiling into intricately carved compartments featuring floral, and geometrical patterns, lotuses, and honeycomb scrolls. The central pillars and architrave exhibit rich, subtle ornamentation reminiscent of fine filigree work in gold or silver. The eye-catching sculptures for me myself were the bracket figures emerging from the shoulders of the outer pillars, supporting weighty slabs. Twelve of these brackets depict life-sized female figures, known as Mandanikas, carved out of Dolerite rocks, displaying precision and accuracy.

Conclusion

The Kakatiya Temple, with its unique historical and architectural significance, remains largely undiscovered. Promotion and conservation efforts are vital to ensure its preservation and enhance its historical and aesthetic value. While tourist recommendations highlight the need for marketing and infrastructure improvements, the archaeological perspective emphasizes the importance of preventing vandalism and restoring damaged sculptures. Collaboration between tourists, authorities, and archaeologists is essential to ensure the temple’s continued relevance and protection in the cultural heritage landscape.

From an archaeological perspective, reinforcing the Department of Archaeology by encouraging young practitioners in proper restoration techniques is essential. The incorporation of tourism and archaeology can boost the economy and support local livelihoods. To enhance footfall in Kakatiya Temple measures like establishing a new museum, organizing light and sound shows, exhibitions, yoga sessions, and cultural awareness programs can be implemented. Integrating heritage conservation into civil engineering courses is also valuable.

However, challenges such as inadequate government funding impacting project quality and the increasing need for experts hinder restoration efforts. Preserving monuments like the Ramappa Temple demands collaborative efforts from the ASI, conservation experts, government bodies, and the local community. Reforms in government institutions and a focus on heritage education are crucial. In an era where social media can boost visibility, the temple trust should establish an active social media presence to attract a broader audience too. The temple is subjected to both natural and human vandalism in due time which also has to be taken into consideration.

The Write, Alan C Dominic, is an archaeology post graduate from University of Kerala, currently pursuing a post graduate diploma in Museology and Conservation at University of Jammu. He was also a part of UNESCO World Heritage Volunteer Camp 2023, organised at Ramappa Temple in Warangal.