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UNESCO asks ASI to set up Ramappa Special Development Authority

Special Development Authority to be created to regulate the development around the Ramappa Temple and Ramappa Tank to maintain the natural beauty and serenity of the area

By Telangana Today

Published Date - 26 July 2021, 08:28 PM

UNESCO asks ASI to set up Ramappa Special Development Authority — Prof Panduranga Rao (left) and former IAS officer BV Papa Rao (centre)

Warangal: While inscribing the World Heritage Status to Ramappa temple, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO recommended that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) make changes in the boundary to the temple and include two small temples outside its boundary wall, said Founder-Trustees of Kakatiya Heritage Trust (KHT) BV Papa Rao and M Panduranga Rao.

The KHT was also tasked by UNESCO to complete the research on the comparative study of Ramappa Temple to other Kakatiya temples and extend to other regional and international context.

Speaking to media persons here on Monday, they said that the committee also recommended that the conservation plan be finalised and a Special Development Authority be created to regulate the development around the Ramappa Temple and Ramappa Tank to maintain the natural beauty and serenity of the area.

Expressing joy over the declaration of the 800-year- Ramappa temple, located at Palamapet about 70 km away from here as the World Heritage Trust, former IAS officer BV Papa Rao and retd. professor M Panduranga Rao recalled that it was a decade long journey, which commenced in 2009 when they formed the KHT with the clear aim of getting international recognition for Kakatiya Heritage.

“Inscription of the Ramappa temple as the World Heritage Site is only a milestone, but not the end of the journey. In fact, there is much more to do in the journey ahead to work on a number of other Kakatiya monuments in the next decade,” the duo asserted.

“The journey began in 2010 when Telangana agitation was at its peak. The then Culture Minister, J Geetha Reddy, gave the initial impetus to the work of the Trust by officially forming a committee of all stakeholders with KHT as coordinators. During this time, the Trust was able to put the Kakatiya proposals in the tentative list of World Heritage. We thank her for providing the initial momentum,” the duo said adding that the formation of Telangana had got new momentum to promote Kakatiya Heritage.

“With the help of Telangana Government, the Trust has started the Nomination Campaign in 2016. But only with the personal the intervention of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao taking up with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ramappa could become India’s nomination to UNESCO in 2019.

The Nomination Dossier was prepared by the Trust with minimal cost of hiring one architect Surya Narayan Murthy, who did a tremendous job. The policy aspects of the dossier were covered by BV Papa Rao with his experience in dealing with UNESCO and technical aspects were undertaken by Prof M Panduranga Rao with his vast knowledge of geo-technical engineering of Kakatiyas.

Choodamani Nandagopal’s work was very helpful for defining artistic aspects of the Temple. This challenge of preparing an effective dossier could not have been completed without the active help of the Directorate of Heritage, Telangana and Directorate of World Heritage Division of the ASI.

When it came to the evaluations stage of the nomination, the Trust was actively involved in helping Heritage Telangana and ASI who made everything possible for smooth evaluation by an ICOMOS expert. The local the administration headed by the District Collector, Mulugu, S Krishan Aditya was extremely helpful in the whole process.

The most crucial time was to defend the nomination in front of about 30 international experts of ICOMOS in Paris in November 2019. A three-member committee comprising BV PapaRao, Prof M Panduranga Rao and G Surya Narayana Murthy did a commendable job to impress ICOMOS.

“Though ICOMOS recognised Ramappa Temple’s Universal values, it had identified certain things to be done by the State of Telangana and ASI before the temple was recognised as the World Heritage site. Some of these recommendations were quickly implemented by the Mulugu District Collector and Department of Culture and Tourism, Government of Telangana in the last few days. In spite of ICOMOS recommending the nomination to be deferred till certain works are to be completed by the ASI and the Government of Telangana, Indian Ambassador to UNESCO Vishal Sharma turned the tables in about a month,” they said.

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