Ramappa Temple

Ramappa Gudi
రామప్ప గుడి
Ramappa Gudi; రామప్ప గుడి
	Ramappa Temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
Location
Location	Warangal
State	Andhra Pradesh
Country	India
Architecture
Type	South Indian

18°15′33″N 79°56′36″E / 18.25917°N 79.94333°E / 18.25917; 79.94333

Ramappa gudi (Template:Lang-te) also known as the Ramalingeswara temple, is located 77 km from Warangal, the ancient capital of the Kakatiya dynasty, 157 km from Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. It lies in a valley at Palampet village of Venkatapur Mandal, in erstwhile Mulug Taluq of Warangal district, a tiny village long past its days of glory in the 13th and 14th centuries.^[1] An inscription in the temple dates it to the year 1213 and said to have been built by a General Recherla Rudra, during the period of the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva.

The Temple

This medieval temple is a Shivalaya (where Shiva is worshipped) and named after the sculptor Ramappa. It is the only temple in the world named after its sculptor/architect. Its presiding deity, Ramalingeswara, is the form of Shiva and a personal god of the Avatar of Vishnu, Rama. The history says that it took 40 years to build this temple.

This beautiful temple, an example of brilliant Kakatiya dynasty art, Planned and sculpted by Ramappa, the temple was built on the classical pattern of being lifted above the world on a high star-shaped platform. Intricate carvings line the walls and cover the pillars and ceilings. Starting at its base to its wall panels, pillars and ceiling are sculpted figures drawn from Hindu mythology.^[2] The roof (garbhalayam) of the temple is built with bricks, which are so light that they are able to float on water.^[3]

The hall in front of the sanctum is filled with exquisitely carved pillars that are placed as to combine light and space wonderfully with the finely chiselled walls and ceiling. There are two small Shiva shrines on either side of the main temple. The enormous Nandi within, facing the shrine of Shiva, remains in good condition. In most of the shiva temples, the Nandi was strait to deity but in the temples built by KAKATIYAS the nandi is in an alert position and waiting for the order of lord shiva. Acharya Nataraja Ramakrishna revived Perini Shivatandavam (Perini Dance), by seeing the sculptures in this temple. The dance poses written in NRITTA RATHNAVALI by JAYAPA SENAANI also appears in these sculptures. The temple built area is 5 acres and a twenty acres of land was developed by the greenery around the temple. A total of 25 km radious found historic temples in the district.

Also similar architectural features can be identified in Ghanpur group of temples.

How to Reach

Ramappa temple is located in Palampet, Venkatapur mandal which is 19 km far from Mulugu Mandal (50 km off Warangal Town). It is 6 km away from kotagulla where another shiva temple located.

Today

The temple had remained intact even after repeated wars, plunder and destruction by Muslim invaders and natural disasters. There was a major earthquake during the 17th century which caused some damage.

In the Ramappa temple, many of the smaller structures were neglected and are in ruins. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken charge of it. The main entrance gate in the outer wall of the temple is ruined.^[4]

Ramappa Temple - View from Royal Garden
Ramappa Temple- Entrance structure from inside the temple
Ramappa Temple- Rear entrance to the temple complex
Ramappa Temple - Nandi Mandapa
A smaller model of the temple before it was actually built
The damaged entrance
The temple from another beautiful angle
Ramappa Temple

References

^ "The Shiva temples at Palampet". Retrieved 2006-09-11.
^ "Ramappa Temple - Symphony In Stone". Retrieved 2006-09-11.
^ "Warangal Temples, Andhra Pradesh". Retrieved 2006-09-11.
^ "Warangal Temples, Andhra Pradesh". Retrieved 2006-09-11.

External links

[1] "The Shiva temples at Palampet". Retrieved 2006-09-11.

[2] "Ramappa Temple - Symphony In Stone". Retrieved 2006-09-11.

[3] "Warangal Temples, Andhra Pradesh". Retrieved 2006-09-11.

[4] "Warangal Temples, Andhra Pradesh". Retrieved 2006-09-11.

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v t e Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh
Anantapur	Bugga Ramalingeswara Temple Chintala Venkataramana Temple Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi
Chittoor	Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple Ardhagiri Temple Boiyakonda Gangamma Temple Konetirayala Temple, Keelapatla Pallikondeswara Temple, Surutapalli Venugopalaswamy Temple, Karvetinagaram
East Godavari	Annavaram Bhavanarayana Temple, Sarpavaram Biccavolu Draksharama Kodandarama Temple, Gollala Mamidada Kotipalli Kumararama Kukkuteswara Temple Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Antarvedi Mukteswaram Pithapuram Sripada Srivallabha Temple Suryanarayana Temple, Gollala Mamidada Talupulamma Lova
Guntur	Amaralingeswara Temple Bhavanarayana Swami Temple Chebrolu Kotappakonda Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Mangalagiri Venkateswara Temple, Tenali
Kadapa	Gandi Anjaneya Temple Kodandarama Temple, Vontimitta Narapura Venkateswara Temple, Jammalamadugu Pushpagiri Temple Complex
Krishna	Andhra Maha Vishnu Jaladheeswara Temple Kanaka Durga Temple Paritala Anjaneya Temple Peddintlamma Temple, Kolletikota
Kurnool	Ahobilam Kambagiri Koulutla Chenna Kesava Temple Mantralayam Sangameswara Temple, Kurnool Srisailam Yaganti
Nellore	Kodandarama Temple, Buchireddipalem Penchalakona Ranganatha Temple, Nellore
Prakasam	Gangamma Temple, Dhenuvakonda Tripurantakam
Srikakulam	Arasavalli Sun Temple Kurmanathaswamy temple, Srikurmam Mukhalingam Ranganatha Temple, Vavilavalasa
Tirupati	Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala Padmavathi Temple Srikalahasteeswara temple Alipiri Padala Mandapam Govindaraja Temple, Tirupati Kapileswara Temple, Kapilatheertham Kodandarama Temple, Tirupati Kalyana Venkateswara Temple, Srinivasamangapuram Prasanna Venkateswara Temple, Appalayagunta Vedanarayana Temple, Nagalapuram Kalyana Venkateswara Temple, Narayanavanam Varahaswamy Temple, Tirumala
Visakhapatnam	Devipuram Temple ISKCON Temple Visakhapatnam Kali Temple Balighattam Nookambika Temple Padmanabham Simhachalam Temple Someswara Swamy Temple Sri Kanaka Maha Lakshmi Temple Sri Sampath Vinayagar Temple
Vizianagaram	Ramanarayanam Ramatheertham Punyagiri
West Godavari	Somaramam, Bhimavaram Kotasattemma Temple Ksheerarama Maddi Anjaneya Temple Sivadevuni Chikkala Veerabhadra Temple, Pattiseema Venkateswara Temple, Dwaraka Tirumala