India
Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple
Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple by Roman Bruehwiler
The Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana, is a temple complex that reflects the temple architecture of the late medieval Kakatiyan kingdom.
The temples, including the main Shiva temple, stand out for their carving technique of sculptures in granite and dolerite stone. All sculptures express some kind of movement associated with the dance customs in Kakatiyan culture. The use of “floating bricks” made the temples earthquake-resistant.
Community Perspective: doable as a day trip from Hyderabad, but it is a long drive as detailed by Els. The original nomination consisted of 3 Kakatiya temples, which is still reflected in Zoë’s review below, but only the Ramappa Temple in Palampet has been inscribed.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (ID: 1570)
- Country
- India
- Status
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Inscribed 2021
Site history
History of Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple
- 2018: Incomplete - not examined
- 2019: Postponed
- .. both sites submitted by India are cultural, India has indicated its wish to prioritize “Jaipur City, Rajastan”
- 2021: Advisory Body overruled
- ICOMOS advised a Deferral to seek OUV in a nomination of an enlarged area. Overruled to inscription by amendment by Russia. Supported by consensus, though hesitantly so by Norway, Guatemala and Bahrain.
- 2021: Name change
- Upon inscription, from "The Glorious Kakatiya Temples and Gateways -Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Palampet, Jayashankar Bhupalpally District, Telangana State, India" to "The Glorious Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple at Palampet (Mulugu District), Telangana State, India"
- 2021: Inscribed
- Inscribed
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- i
- iii
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- telanganatourism.gov.in — Telangana Tourism website
Community Information
- Community Category
- Religious structure: Hindu
Travel Information
Most Remote Cultural WHS
Recent Connections
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Most Remote Cultural WHS
hub Hyderabad, 4h by car -
Made out of basaltic material
"unique artistic works carved out of th… -
Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake
"There was a major earthquake during th…
Connections of Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple
- Individual People
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Marco Polo
Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya empire, allegedly called the temple "the brightest star in the galaxy of temples" (wiki)
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- Architecture
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Made out of basaltic material
"unique artistic works carved out of the hard dolerite stone giving it a metal like finish with intact lustre" (OUV) -
Brick architecture
The tower is made of 'floating' bricks
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- Damaged
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Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake
"There was a major earthquake during the 17th century which caused some damage. It survived the earthquake due to its 'sandbox technique' of laying foundation." (wiki)
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- World Heritage Process
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Reduced from broader TWHS
The 'Glorious Kakatiya Temples and Gateways' until 2018 also included 2 other temples -
Postponed sites
2019
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- Religion and Belief
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Shiva cult
"the Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple is a living Brahminical Shiva Temple, following all the authentic Shaiva-Agama rituals" (OUV authenticity statement) -
Hindu pilgrimage sites
At present, the temple continues to be used as a site of pilgrimage (AB ev)
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- Human Activity
- Constructions
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Pyramids
a distinctive and pyramidal Vimana (horizontally stepped tower) (AB ev)
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- Timeline
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Built in the 13th century
started its construction in 1213 CE (AB ev)
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- Visiting conditions
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Most Remote Cultural WHS
hub Hyderabad, 4h by car
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- WHS Names
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Named after individual people
"The temple is known for its significant sculptural art, hence named after the main sculptor of the temple- Ramappa" (nom file)
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News
No news.
Community Reviews
Show full reviews
The Ramappa Temple didn’t show up wrongly in the recent Most Remote Cultural WHS inventory. Over 4.5 hours were needed by car from my hotel in Hyderabad. Staying northeast of the city center may shave off half an hour, but will leave you far from the airport for onward connections.
The drive is not only long, it’s boring as well and the road is only a good 4-lane highway for about half of the 260km distance. Only in the last hour, there are a few roadside ‘attractions’: the large boulders of the Deccan Plateau, some churches (both Catholic and Baptist groups have been successful in converting the local tribal population), cotton and tobacco farms, and finally a forest reserve.
The ASI manages the Temple, which also is again in active religious use by local Shaivas. A priest was present on the morning of my visit to give blessings in the inner sanctum.
I visited with a guide from Hyderabad on a private tour, which was especially worth it to discover the finer details of this temple. Photos don’t really do it justice, as the harsh sunshine obscures the details and many of the sculptures are overhead. The overall architectural plan is common and similar to that used by the Chalukyas who created Pattadakal 1000km away; only this temple stands out for its use of about an equal mix of red sandstone, black dolerite (basaltic) and porous bricks.
The bricks are in the tower: this is …
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First off I love how the ride apps in India have really made it convenient for tourists to arrange a trip out of town without hotel prices or having to haggle with a driver to get a decent price. I also find this less discriminating and if you feel "guilty" that the driver doesn't earn Western standard you could always tip him. I did get a driver pretending the app doesn't work and renegotiate but don't fall for it. So this is an easy day trip from Hyderabad to see all 3 sites. The fort is probably the least interesting one.
After a few weeks in India the temples feel very jading. Try to recommend someone to see more and they will probably reject the idea, but if you are interested in an upcoming world heritage site and I'm quite certain it is getting inscribed, you may want to spend the extra time. If you only go to Warangal to see the two sites there you could theoretically squeeze it into half a day and do the Hyderabad sites in the afternoon, but that would mean getting up early.
As for the specific recommendation to inscribe it, that gets a little very specific. The evolving art doesn't seem clear from the tourist point of view. The temples are "nice" and great site to explore, the "thousand" pillars are a worthy sight (not as unique as they might claim but still great) and my personal favorite are …
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