Ancient Ramappa Temple | Masterpiece of Kakatiya Art |Story of Warangal ramappa temple

Ramalingeswara temple, is located 77 km from Warangal, and about 209 km from Hyderabad. The temple was constructed and completed nearly in 40 years. This temple is actually place which is a repository of numerous carvings and sculptures adorning the walls and ceilings and the courtyards outside the sanctum. This temple is 800 years old.

Ramappa temple is an amazing masterpiece of Kakatiya era. It is situated at Palampet village, which is a sleepy, unremarkable village in Telangana, this is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva whose existence dates back 1213 AD,  this temple was commissioned by Recharla Rudra, who was the army head under king Ganapati deva of the Kakatiya dynasty. The temples were built around a large artificial lake, which was constructed to serve as water resources for irrigation.

The Kakatiyas were well known for building many such tanks, which changed vast areas of their arid kingdom. The temple is named after the main architect Ramappa Stapathi, and is among the rare monuments that honour its designer. The temple complex consists of Rudreswara temple (dedicated to Shiva) which is the main temple and survives wholly, a damaged nandi mandapa, two subsidiary temples Kateswara (partly damaged) and Kameswara (in ruins), an inscription pillar, and a dharamsala. A prakara or wall runs round the entire temple complex.

Its rich heritage and cultural marvel will make you spellbound. The entire temple is resting on a six feet star shaped platform which is the rarest of styles followed in the medieval period. One can witness the architectural excellence while visiting the courtyard outside the sanctum where the beautifully carved pillars reflect the effects of light and space. There are three courtyards before you proceed to the sanctum.The dance postures in the form of carvings across the courtyards and pillars make you travel to the time of Kakatiyan Dynasty.

The sculptures seem to be frozen records of the dancers and their movements. The sculptures of the celestial dancers called Devanartakis along your way to the Sanctum is an eternal beauty which has inspired so many researchers contributing in the field of music and dance. The aesthetic sense of the Kakatiya Kings and sculptors is found to be at its peak in the sculptures of devanarthakis.

A special feature of the Ramappa temples is that while the temple bodies were built of prefabricated reddish sandstone, the shikharas were made of bricks. These bricks were built with special technology that made them feather light and spongy: thus when these bricks are dropped in water, they float! An architectural ingenuity of 13th century India! The temple remains open from 6AM to 6PM and Lord Ramalingeshwara swamy awaits his devotees to bestow his blessings.