IAS Gyan

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Ramappa Temple

29th December, 2022 Culture

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Context: The President Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwara Temple (Ramappa)’.

Details:

  • Rudreswara Temple, (also known as the Ramappa Temple) at Palampet, near Warangal in the state of Telangana has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.
  • This was India’s 39th World Heritage Site.

About:

  • The temple was built by a Kakatiya General Recharla Rudra Reddy, during the period of the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva in 13th
  • The temple is a Sivalayam, where Lord Ramalingeswara is worshipped.
  • Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya Empire, allegedly called the temple "the brightest star in the galaxy of temples".
  • The temple is named after the sculptor Ramappa, who built it, and is perhaps the only temple in South India to be named after a craftsman who built it.
  • The main structure is in a reddish sandstone, but the columns round the outside have large brackets of black basalt.
  • The temple is carved with mythical animals or female dancers or musicians, and are "the masterpieces of Kakatiya art, notable for their delicate carving, sensuous postures and elongated bodies and heads"
  • The roof of the temple is built with bricks, which are so light that they are able to float on water.

MUST READ: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/world-heritage-sites-47

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1887133