Soak in the Glory of Ramappa Temple – The New Indian Express

Express press service

HYDERABAD: Supposedly called ‘the brightest star in the galaxy of temples’, the Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, popularly known as the Ramappa Temple, is one of the very few religious sites across the world that is known after its creator. It’s been around 800 years since the temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva was built, but scholars and historians continue to gawk and marvel at the engineering methods used in the structure. To raise awareness of the cultural value of the Ramappa Temple and the geo-engineering and construction technology of the great stapatis (architects or builders) and engineers of Kakatiya, the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteer (WHV)-2022 initiative has held from September 19 to 30.

A total of 50 volunteers, including eight internationals, took part in the 12-day event organized by the Kakatiya Heritage Trust (KHT) in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India, Warangal Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. (INTACH) and Telangana Tourism.

Experts say that due to the unique architectural style of the temple and the type of material used, it was able to withstand a major earthquake in the 17th century. However, this is not all that the participants learned.

“What puzzled me was that the foundation of the temple was made of several natural materials like sand and jaggery. The buildings we build now can barely survive 100 years, but this temple, which was built about 800 years ago, is still stable,” Ahmad Alothman, a Syrian civil engineer, told TNIE.

Protection and preservation
The integration of various cultural and heritage activities in the region around the 3T concept (reservoir, temple and township) of Kakatiyas fosters a spirit of adventure and togetherness, said KHT official Pandu Ranga Rao Mandela.

“The aim of this camp was to make young volunteers understand the importance of heritage and to involve them in the protection and preservation of historic structures,” he adds. However, the fight to grab one of the volunteer spots was fierce. A meager 18% of the candidates were selected out of the 280 candidates. “Young volunteers from different disciplines like civil engineering, architecture and history, among others, participated in the training,” says Pandu Ranga.

Local tours
According to the UNESCO publication, the volunteers learned about the materials and techniques used to build the temple and its integration with the natural environment. They also studied the current role and local impact of the Kakatiyas water conservation system.

WHV-2022 Coordinator Kusuma Suryakiran says, “We have held lectures, demonstrations and exercises that raise awareness about temple conservation. To understand our culture and history, we took them to visit Warangal where they saw Thousand Pillar Temple, Fort Warangal, Ghanpur (Kota Gudulu) and Laknavaram temples.

“The volunteers also saw performances of traditional dances such as Pherini, Kommu, Bathukamma and Lambadi, which allows them to better understand our ethnicity and our culture,” adds the coordinator.

One of the 42 national volunteers, Sonali Gurunj, says: “The history of the Kakatiyas is not known to many. It’s a very different culture. Sonali, who graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from Ranchi in Jharkhand, explains: “The exposure to the techniques used and the architecture of the Ramappa temple shows how different it is from other temples in southern India. ‘India. The mandapam area was huge where cultural activities were organized for a large audience. “As part of the program, we also visited many tribal temples, where the focus was not on beauty but on its history,” she adds.

HYDERABAD: Supposedly called ‘the brightest star in the galaxy of temples’, the Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, popularly known as the Ramappa Temple, is one of the very few religious sites across the world that is known after its creator. It’s been around 800 years since the temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva was built, but scholars and historians continue to gawk and marvel at the engineering methods used in the structure. To raise awareness of the cultural value of the Ramappa Temple and the geo-engineering and construction technology of the great stapatis (architects or builders) and engineers of Kakatiya, the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteer (WHV)-2022 initiative has held from September 19 to 30. A total of 50 volunteers, including eight internationals, took part in the 12-day event organized by the Kakatiya Heritage Trust (KHT) in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India, Warangal Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. (INTACH) and Telangana Tourism. Experts say that due to the unique architectural style of the temple and the type of material used, it was able to withstand a major earthquake in the 17th century. However, this is not all that the participants learned. “What puzzled me was that the foundation of the temple was made of several natural materials like sand and jaggery. The buildings we build now can barely survive 100 years, but this temple, which was built about 800 years ago, is still stable,” Ahmad Alothman, a Syrian civil engineer, told TNIE. Protection and preservation The integration of various cultural and heritage activities in the region around the 3T concept (reservoir, temple and township ) of Kakatiyas promotes a spirit of adventure and solidarity, says Pandu Ranga Rao Mandela, head of KHT Mulugu Neighborhood and Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda “The purpose of this camp was to make young volunteers understand the importance of heritage and involve them in the protection and preservation of historic structures,” he adds. However, the fight to grab one of the volunteer spots was fierce. A meager 18% of applicants were selected out of 280 candidates. “Young volunteers from different disciplines like civil engineering, architecture and history, among others, participated in the training,” says Pandu Ranga. Local sightseeing tours According to the UNESCO publication, the volunteers learned about the materials and techniques used to build the temple and its integration with the natural environment. They also studied the current role and local impact of the Kakatiyas water conservation system. WHV-2022 Coordinator Kusuma Suryakiran says, “We have held lectures, demonstrations and exercises that raise awareness about temple conservation. To understand our culture and history, we took them to visit Warangal where they saw Thousand Pillar Temple, Fort Warangal, Ghanpur (Kota Gudulu) and Laknavaram temples. “The volunteers also saw performances of traditional dances such as Pherini, Kommu, Bathukamma and Lambadi, which allows them to better understand our ethnicity and our culture,” adds the coordinator. One of the 42 national volunteers, Sonali Gurunj, says: “The history of the Kakatiyas is not known to many. It’s a very different culture. Sonali, who graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from Ranchi in Jharkhand, explains: “The exposure to the techniques used and the architecture of the Ramappa temple shows how different it is from other temples in southern India. ‘India. The mandapam area was huge where cultural activities were organized for a large audience. “As part of the program, we also visited many tribal temples, where the focus was not on beauty but on its history,” she adds.