Telangana's 800-Yr-Old Ramappa Temple Gets UNESCO World Heritage Site Tag

The iconic Rudrehswara or Ramappa temple, unique for its floating bricks and intricate carvings, located in Telangana's Palmapet has been inscribed as a 'World Heritage Site'.

The 800 year-old-site was selected during the 44th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO's) World Heritage Committee in Fuzhou, China on Sunday, July 25.

Hindustan Times reported that the half a month-long session began on July 16 and will conclude on July 31.

With its inscription, the 13th-century temple is the latest site in India to be included in the list. According to the data, It was built by a Kakatiya General Recharla Rudra Reddy over a time span of 40 years. The historic site is now the 39th location from India to be a part of the list.

PM Modi Congratulates Countrymen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate people, particularly from Telangana, on achieving the historic feat and asked everyone to visit and witness the 'majestic site.'

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, G Kishan Reddy, expressed his delight while thanking the Prime Minister for his support.

History Of The Temple

Built during the reign of Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva, the temple is a site for the worship of Ramalingeswara (Lord Shiva). Therefore, it has also earned the name of Rudeshwara or Ramalingeswara temple. It stands on a six-foot star-shaped platform with intricate carvings.

Interestingly, it has been named after its chief sculptor— Ramappa, and is possibly one of the few places named after the craftsman who constructed it.

Telangana Tourism describes the temple as an 'amazing piece of art that stands as a testimony of the royal Kakatiyas.' It has also been referred to as the brightest star in the network of medieval temples in the Deccan region. The sandstone temple has been constructed using lightweight bricks called floating bricks which are so light that they can easily float on water.

Joins The List Of 38 Other Heritage Sites

Ramappa Temple now joins 38 other sites from the country to be a part of the prestigious list. It makes India the country with the sixth-highest number of sites on the list. Out of the 31 sites, 30 are cultural sites, seven are natural, and one is a mixed (both natural and cultural) site as described by UNESCO.

In the country, Maharashtra (with six sites) has the highest number of locations inscribed as World Heritage Sites.

What Is A World Heritage Site

To be a part of the list, a site 'must be of outstanding universal value' and meet at least one of the ten criteria prescribed by the UN body. Such areas entail legal protection by an international convention administered by UNESCO.

These sites are conferred the tag for having cultural, historical, scientific, or any form of significance. They are judged to contain 'cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity'.

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