HYDERABAD: A hazy Sunday marked an enchanting exploration into Kakatiyan history as a group of some 20-odd Hyderabadis ventured into the heart of Telangana to visit primarily two major heritage sites in the state. The first was the historic Ramappa Temple in the Mulugu district, located around 160 km from Hyderabad. Hillocks with blunt tops adorned with vegetation set the stage for an awe-inspiring encounter with this architectural gem. The second stop was in Warangal, (strategically chosen to be visited later as we head back to Hyderabad from Ramappa) —the Warangal fort and Thousand Pillars temple.
A four-and-half-hour journey to Ramappa, with a 40-minute stop for breakfast in between, was delayed by an hour due to roads under construction. No signboards to guide newcomers in the area yet somehow we manage to cover all our spots. Around mid-day, we explored the Rudreshwara temple, better known as Ramappa — named after its chief architect and probably the only temple in Telangana not named after its presiding deity.
“There are a number of monuments scattered across the campus and in the backdrop, you can see the hillocks, which actually hold a massive reservoir built at the same time. Almost a thousand years ago, the area was a bustling centre of trade. The Venetian traveller, Marco Polo mentioned the Ramappa temple in his writings, as ‘the brightest star in the galaxy of temples.’ The cosmopolitan culture of the area is explained by the carvings on the walls of the temple,” said Sibghat Khan from The Deccan Archive.
The elements that starkly stand out at the ornate entrance are the 12 bracket figures, depicting Madanikas (dancers) and Shalabhanjikas (story-tellers) and providing support to the canopies of the temple. The sculptors’ attempts to make the figures as realistic as possible are quite evident with the facial expressions, jewellery and poses of these dancers depicting movement and everyday life and culture of the area. The star-shaped temple deploys three different types of stones: red sandstone for the exteriors, granite for wide beams that provide the main support to the roof and black basalt stone — toughest to work on but used to carve the finest and most intricate of figures in the temple. The sanctum santorum is supported by four major columns made from basalt, each adorned with fine carvings.
The temple is primarily a Shiva temple, with the presiding deity being Ramalingeshwara Swamy; many elements are similar to those found in the Jaina tradition, as the Kakatiyas were first Jainas and later converted to Shaiva Hinduism. What is drastically evident within the temple is the impact of a major earthquake that occurred some five centuries ago, despite it being built with sandbox technique and floating bricks.
“The platforms of the temple are uneven and the entire structure is tilted to the sides, suggesting that it is sinking with the impact of earthquakes. The levels of the platforms change as they sink into the sand. Palampet, where the temple is located, was in ruins until it was rediscovered in the early 20th century by the archaeological department of the Nizam government of Hyderabad. Reconstruction of some of the parts of the temple has been on since the 1920s. In 2019, Ramappa temple was tagged as a World Heritage site by UNESCO,” Sibghat said.
We headed back to Warangal and after a late dinner, we finally reached the Warangal fort around sunset. Four rectangular portals in four directions enclose an open field where the ruins from various monuments have been collected and put together for display and conservation. The first look at the field gives the image of an open-air museum but without any descriptions and sources of these elements. The four intricately carved portals are also the emblems of Telangana. Known as Kala Thoranams, these later served as conceptual inspirations for the four arches around Charminar of Hyderabad.
Sibghat recollected the story of Kakatiyan king Prataprudra facing the first invasions by the Delhi Sultanate in the Deccan. “Oru Gallu, literally meaning one rock, was later corrupted to Warangal. The empire also had the present-day Hannamkonda and Kazipet as its major cities.
The year was 1295. Allauddin Khilji sent his massive army to the south that camped on the top of Hannamkonda hill and had a direct view of the fort. Fortifications around the fort were not too high — just about 12 meters tall — reason being, they never expected a massive army to move all the way to the south. After the attack, the Kakatiyan king agreed to be a vassal state of the Delhi Sultanate, promising the Sultan to help him expand his empire down south. Now this was also accompanied by a considerable amount of gold and a number of elephants being sent to Delhi every year.
As Allauddin Khilji died, the Kakatiyan king declared independence in 1308. This infuriated the sultanate and Mohammad Bin Tughluq sent army general Malik Kafur to attack. The overtaking of the fort was like a cakewalk for the Delhi army which had been in the area for 15 years now and knew every nook and corner of it. King Prataprudra was held captive and while being taken to Delhi, died on the way. The word was that the proud king jumped into the Narmada, as he did not want to die at the hands of the enemy,” he said.
The campus also holds the ruins of a huge Shiva temple within the fort, which was demolished during the attacks and the same pillars were put together by the army to build a mosque — the first ever in the area, but that too could not stand for more than 80 years or so. Behind the campus stands the mighty Khush Mahal, built by the Tughluq army in granite stone and used for important meetings. The roof is supported by a number of arches that hold wooden beams together. The height and architectural style are in line with the monuments built around the same time in North India.
After sunset, we head to our final destination, Thousand Pillars temple. We were explained that the name is misleading as there aren’t literally a thousand pillars in the temple, but the architectural illusion makes it appear that they all merge into one. The basic style is similar to that of Ramappa, with Nandi Bull and Kalyan Mandapam in front of the main entrance of the building. We only get a fleeting look at the interiors of the temple due to lack of time— one could see the similarities with Ramappa— usage of basalt stone for carvings, the ceiling in the form of a star and columns inspired by Jaina monuments.
Overall, it would not be wrong to say that the historical tapestry woven into the stone monuments of Telangana speaks volumes about the Kakatiya dynasty’s vision and ingenuity.