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Protection of unique Kakatiya temple yet to commence in Hanamkonda

Governor’s call to protect unique Kakatiya temple falls on deaf ears of officials

By P. Laxma Reddy

Updated On - 20 November 2021, 04:37 PM

Protection of unique Kakatiya temple yet to commence in Hanamkonda — Muppirinadha Swamy temple at Mupparam village in Hanamkonda district. Photos : P Laxma Reddy

Warangal: Even after one year since Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan’s call to protect the unique Kakatiyan era temple, Muppirinadha Swamy at Mupparam village in Hanamkonda district, the revenue department is yet to demarcate the boundaries of the temple land and issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The Governor urged the Union Ministry of Culture to carry out repair and restoration works to protect the Kakatiya-period Trikuta Temple on September 17, 2020. She expressed concern over the dilapidated condition of the temple that has got beautiful murals related to Ramayana etched on its ceiling and pillars. In a letter, she appealed to the then Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel to instruct the ASI to inspect the site and coordinate with the state government to restore its splendor.

Subsequently, the officials of the ASI visited the temple located on the bund of the Mupparam tank located in picturesque hillocks of the Inuparathi Guttallu of the Devurnoor forest block to assess the historical and archaeological values of the temple and were convinced by the splendor of the temple. Since the temple was not even in the protection of the State Archaeological Department, they met the district revenue officials and urged them to alienate the land and issue the NOC. Later, a survey was also done by the revenue officials. “But they are yet to fix the boundaries for the temple land which was said to be largely under illegal occupation,”according to the official sources.

According to local lore, the Muppirinatha Swamy Temple was built during 1116-1157 by Muppamamba, wife of Kakatiya ruler Prola II. The temple is replete with rich carvings reflecting the architectural acumen of the Kakatiya era sculptors. The carvings on the temple structure feature the tales of Panchatantra, scenes from epics like the Ramayana among others.

“Considering its marvelous architectural works of Kakatiyas, and its proximity to Warangal city, which is located about 25 km away, we need to protect the temple for the benefit of our future generations to help them know about our past glory and grandeur,”told Sulaksya Seva Samithi (SSS) founder president Santhosh Manduva to ‘Telangana Today’. Archeologist and writer Aravind Arya Pakide has also stressed the need for the protection of the temple. He wrote letters to the Governor urging her to impress upon the government to protect the temple.

According to District Tourism Officer M Shivaji, the ASI had nearly 130 historic monuments under its control in the united Andhra Pradesh. “After reorganisation of the State, only eight monuments in Telangana have come under the ASI control, with the remaining in AP. The eight include three monuments in the erstwhile Warangal district – Ramappa Temple, Thousand Pillar Temple, and the Warangal Fort. Now the ASI is ready for preservation and restoration of some more historic monuments,”he added.