Kakatiya era temple in Nalgonda gets facelift with locas’ help

Hyderabad: A Kakatiya era temple at Chityala in got some facelift after local residents and experts cleared the wild vegetation and waste scattered around the ruins of the temple. The Garbhalaya and Arthamandapa of the temple are missing due to lack of proper care and only a portion of Mukhamandapa is available currently, says E […]

Hyderabad: A Kakatiya era temple at Chityala in got some facelift after local residents and experts cleared the wild vegetation and waste scattered around the ruins of the temple.

The Garbhalaya and Arthamandapa of the temple are missing due to lack of proper care and only a portion of Mukhamandapa is available currently, says E Sivanagi Reddy, CEO, Pleach India, who was instrumental in getting the local community involved in heritage conservation.

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The initiative was taken up under the special campaign ‘Preserve Heritage for Posterity’ of the historical monument, which is on the outskirts of Chityala town.

Accompanied by local activists, including Dasyam Venkata Surendar and Satti Reddy, the team of enthusiasts removed thickly grown vegetation and bushes around the monument. The Mandapa, which was camouflaged by the vegetation, is now relieved and made legible to its full view with architectural grandeur.

Sivanagi Reddy says that there are fragments of beautiful sculptures of Chennakesava and Karthikeya whose torsos are lying on the temple floor, besides a small sculpture of Nandi. They bespeak the artistic skills of the Kakatiya times.

He adds that there is an inscription dated 1253 AD issued by Gangayasahini, Military General of Kakatiya Ganapatideva based on which the temple ruins are dated to the 13th century AD. These ruins give clue to the fact that the present town Chityala originally called as ‘Chittela’ was located near the railway track, which in the course of time became a deserted habitat.

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