HYDERABAD: Ramappa Lake, which is 6 km from the iconic Ramappa Temple, now in the race for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site tag, will soon have a giant Shiva statue on one of the islets in its middle.
The Shiva statue, along with several other development proposals, is being planned by the State government in a bid to boost tourism around the age-old temple. “The plan is to erect the statue in the middle of a 7-acre islet on the lake. The State government is also planning other entertainment activities on the island,” said Mulugu District Collector C Narayan Reddy.
Details such as the height of the structure and material to be used have not yet been decided, he added. The State government has also identified 25 acres of land around the Ramappa Temple, leaving aside the temple’s 100 m buffer zone.
It is important to note that Ramappa Temple is an Archaeological Survey of India-protected site, and according to the law, no construction can be taken up within 100 m of it.
On these 25 acres, the State government has proposed a two-lane road to the Temple. It would have two Kakatiyan arches - one on the main road and another at the entrance to the temple. "As of now, we have sanctioned `1 crore for the land, and another Rs 1 crore for the arches," Reddy said. The proposed road is much needed as connectivity to Ramappa leaves much to be desired.
On the anvil is also a community hall that will bear a design influenced by Kakatiyan architecture. “There are also plans to establish a training school for sculpture on the land,” he added. Another proposal is to establish a three-star restaurant in addition to the already-up-and-running Haritha Lake View Resort in front of Ramappa Lake.