Jain shrine near Ramappa temple awaits protection; heritage experts urge ASI action

A Jain shrine adjacent the Ramappa Temple, the UNESCO World Heritage tract famed for its Kakatiya-era architecture, is successful urgent request of extortion and conservation, practice activists person said.

Archaeologist E. Sivanagi Reddy, who is besides the CEO of Pleach India Foundation, and caput of the Warangal-based organisation Team of Research connected Culture and Heritage (TORCH) Arvind Arya said the shrine is overgrown with vegetation and requires contiguous conservation. Expressing gratitude to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Hyderabad Circle, for initiating extortion measures for 2 adjacent temples astatine Palampet, they urged the ASI to see the Jain shrine successful its database of protected monuments to guarantee due attraction and upkeep.

According to practice enthusiasts, the tiny but aesthetically important temple comprises a garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum) and ardhamandapa (half-open hall) and is crowned with a stepped pyramidal Kadamba Nagara-style sikhara (spire) with a projected sukanasa (projecting ornamental diagnostic implicit the temple entrance) connected the front. Built connected a elemental adhisthana (base), the shrine features plain walls and perforated jaali (lattice screen) astatine the entrance. The lintel is decorated with a bid of miniature sikhara reflecting the emblematic 13th period Kakatiya architectural style.

They noted that the pedestal wrong the sanctum bears lion sculptures, the lanchana (symbol) associated with Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, suggesting that the shrine was primitively dedicated to Mahavira, though the idol is nary longer contiguous successful the sanctum.

Meanwhile, the ASI has precocious issued preliminary notifications to state 2 historical temples astatine Palampet — the Shiva Temple and Gollala Gudi — arsenic monuments of nationalist value nether the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Both temples are located adjacent to the Ramappa Temple. Officials said the Gollala Gudi temple is structurally unchangeable but requires repairs, portion the Shiva temple is successful a dilapidated information and has been secured with scaffolding. Conservation enactment volition statesman aft the last notification declaring the structures arsenic protected monuments is issued.