13th century Ramappa temple, Rudresvara, Palampet Telangana India - 69

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The Ramappa temples complex is located about 65 kilometers northeast of Warangal (NH 163) and about 2 kilometers south of Palampet village near the 12th-century man made Ramappa lake for irrigation and drinking water. What is a small village of Palampet in early 21st century, was Atukuru in 11th to 13th century, one of two major cities of the Reddys of Recerla – a Shudra caste family that had risen to be one of the most powerful governors (feudatories) within the Kakatiya empire. Devout Hindus, they built major and some of the most spectacular Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakti temples in medieval Telingana. One group of many temples are found within 10 kilometers of Palampet, close to the Ramappa lake (another group is found in Pillalamarri). Their legacy is also recited in major Sanskrit inscriptions they left.

The Ramappa temple complex consists of two temples next to each other, another trikuta temple, a Sanskrit inscription pillar, a Nandi monument and several mandapas.

Above image is from the main, large temple that is locally called the Ramappa temple, but also referred to as the Ramalingeswara temple or Rudresvara temple in scholarly sources. Features:

• This is a square plan temple that follows the principles of temple design in early Hindu texts on architecture (vastu and silpa sastras)
• It is one of two largest surviving buildings from the Kakatiya era.
• The temple stands on a jagati platform that is 6.33 inches high from the ground and is molded. It is 125 feet wide, and including the stone stairs at the eastern entrance it is 139 feet long.
• The temple was built from a specially selected hard and tenacious pink stone with very fine grain size. This allowed it to survive any natural or human attempts to damage or desecrate it. The material also permitted very fine and elaborate reliefs and structural features. Some sections were made from very dense, high quality granite and artwork from these too have survived. The shilpins (artisans) must have used special tools to carve these dense materials. Dhaky and Meister, in Encyclopedia of Indian Temple Architecture (Vol 1 Part 3) call the temple and its artwork as "spectacular as much for its dimensions as for the excellence of its masonry and decorative carving".
• The temple provides an open pradakshinapatha (circumambulation path).
• The temple has three entrances (east, north and south), all with stone stairs.
• The temple has pillars with square cross sections and extensive reliefs showing Hindu legends from the Vedas (e.g. Samudra Manthan), Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shaiva Puranas, Vaishnava Puranas (e.g. Bhagavata) and Shakti Puranas.
• The pilasters in the temple are slender and integrated with the artwork near them.
• The outer walls of the temple depict mythology, dancers and musicians, along with scenes of Kama (mithuna), Artha and Dharma in horizontal sakhas, that is parallel bands.
• The gajapatti (dvarapalas) are presented above the kapotapali and below mancika. The placement of makaras and divine figures near the gajapatti is notable.
• The temple has a square ranga-mandapa (gathering hall) with three layers of decorative reliefs. The mukhya mandapa is a square, about 41 feet across. The eastern entrance has another seated Nandi.
• Some Jain figures (nude Jinas) are reverentially included inside the temple along with the galaxy of Hindu deities and symbolism, suggestive of close relationship between the two ancient religions of India during the Kakatiya era.
• The mandapas are provided with stone benches for pilgrims.
• Eight framed shrines exist in the northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest part of the mukhya mandapa. They once had statues, but these are all missing now.
• Nataraja is a common decoration found in ceiling sections. The Samudra manthan and other Vedic mythology is oft depicted at the highest layer of reliefs.
• The temple includes numerous salabhanjikas, particularly below the roof line and along the pillars. These are female Nayikas in delicate S-shaped poses, but curiously lengthened. They demonstrate classical Indian dance postures or carry classical instruments or both.
• The Vimana is a tritala, vesara style of Hindu architecture.
• The artwork outside near the Vimana integrates and innovates over the Maru-Gurjara style found in early temples of Gujarat and western India.
• The lower levels of outer wall reliefs show miniature shrines with deities, but these show signs of deliberate mutilation.
• The antarala has a dvisakha (two layer) doorway which is carved in all three dimensions. The architrave has Nataraja (Natesa). Goddess Ganga and Yamuna are at their traditional welcoming positions near the sanctum, all polished and serene.
• The sanctum is square and has a Shiva-linga.

For additional information about this temple, other monuments in this complex including the temple kitchen and trikuta temple, the historical context, and Reddys who patronized it, please see:

1. M.A. Dhaky and Michael Meister (1996), Encyclopedia of Indian Temple Architecture, Volume 1, Part 3: Text, American Institute of Indian Studies, pp. 515–536 (particularly pp. 528–536).

2. Ghulam Yazdani (1929), Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness the Nizam's Dominions for 1336 F (1926-1927 AD), Archaeological Department of Hyderabad, pp. 1–3.

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