Understand
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Ramappa Temple is oficially known as the Rudreshwar Temple. It is built in 1213 by General Recherla Rudra during the reign of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva the temple is named after the chief architect Ramappa. Statues of dancing girls (know as Mandkinis) made out of black basalt, polished to perfection. In 2021, the Ramappa Temple was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Get in
[edit]Warangal (66 km) is the nearest major city. There is no direct public transport. It is best to hire a car from Warangal. The trip to Ramappa can be combined with trips to nearby tourist spots like Pandavula Gutta, Ghanpur group of temples and Laknavaram. A whole day trip is required to visit all the places.
Get around
[edit]The temple complex is the only place to see. So, there is hardly any getting around. The walled temple complex is approachable from the west. Since it is an active temple, the temporary stalls at the entrance sells materials needed for the puja. The entrance leads to a large open space with manicured lawns and tree-lined pathways. The pathway leads to the temple complex.
See
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- 1 Ramappa Temple (Officially Rudreshwara temple). A small gate on the western side of the walled complex provides access to the temple complex. It houses the central shrine of Rudreshvara temple, along with a few other structures. This includes the Gaurishia Temple on the north, Asthana Mandap on the south, the Nandi Mandap on the east and the Śasana Mandap. The central shrine of Rudreshvara temple has a star-shaped plan and stands on a six-foot-high plinth. The temple faces east. It is approached by a long flight of stairs from east, north and south. The stairs lead to gateways leading to the interior of the temple. The cornice above the three gateways is supported by black basalt brackets in the shape of dancing girls. Each gate has a set of four dancing girls. Thus, a set of 12 dancing girls welcomes visitors to the interior of the temple. The remaining part of the cornice are supported also by black basalt brackets representing the mythical animal yalli (a cross between lion and elephant). The interior houses a shiva linga in the inner sanctum, entered through an ornamental gateway made of shining black basalt stone. Basalt pillars with intricate ornamentation support the roof of the open space in front of the inner sanctum. The temple is built with red sand stone. The spire is built of lighter bricks, which is said to float in water. The exterior walls also have beautiful relief ornamentations. East of the main shrine and facing it stands the Nandi Mandap. Sadly the roof of the beautifully decorated mandap has collapsed. But, the statue of Nandi still stands in its full glory. It is complete with a ornaments and a bell hanging from the neck. It stands under the open sky facing the temple. North of the main temple lies the Gouri Temple. It follows the same plan as the main shrine but is smaller in size. The spire has collapsed eposing the inner sanctum to the skies. The interior houses a small nandi bull statue. South of the main shrine houses Asthana Mandap, this is totally in ruins. The final structure in the complex is the Śasana mandap, housing the pillar with the Sanskrit inscription of Rudra-senapati from the Kakatiya era.The complex also houses several statues which are mostly displayed on the platform of the main shrine. Non tickted (Free).
Do
[edit]- 1 Boating in Ramappa Lake. Sunrise - sunset. The huge Ramappa Lake provides boating fecilities Free.
Eat
[edit]- Makeshift stalls at entrance. Packaged snacks are available at the entrance. These are sold from makeshift shops. Food is available only for residential guests at Haritha Lake View Resort
Drink
[edit]- Makeshift stalls at entrance. Makeshift shops at the entrance sell bottled and packaged non-alcoholic drinks, including water. Also on sale is nib-pani (lime water), a refreshing drink especially for the summer months,
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Haritha Lake View Resort (Near the Ramappa Lake).