Heritage experts astonished at sculptures of Panagal temples
Archeology expert Dr Shiva Nagi Reddy explaining the history and significance of sculptures at the Pacchala Someshwralayam located at Panagal in Nalgonda, on Monday
Nalgonda: Deccan Heritage Foundation (DHF) co-founder Helen Philon on Monday said she and her team members wondered at the stunning beauty of the Pachala Someswara temple with its amazing art and architecture.
Helen and 9 others representing the American Friends of DHF visited the only one of its kind temple in Telangana located at Pangal on the outskirts of Nalgonda city built of greenish basalt stone hence called as Pachchalasomeswara and felt the need of restoring it to its past glory.
Noted archaeologist and CEO, Pleach India Foundation Dr E Sivanagireddy explained them the history of the Cholas of Kandur who started ruling from Pangal as independent rulers and as subordinate to the Chalukyas of Kalyana and the Kakatiyas of Warangal between 11th and 13th centuries. Pachchalasomeswara temple complex having four independent shrines, three in a row and one on opposite side connected to a common Maha Mandapa was built by Udayana Chola-II (1136-76 CE) in an altogether a new style with an admixture of the Rashtrakuta and Chalukyas of Kalyana architecture, he added
The uniqueness of the temple lies in its intricately carved sculptures of animals ,creepers, geometrical pattern and divine figures on basement, walls, niches, door frames, pillars and ceilings depicting the scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata besides contemporary lifestyle, he explained.
He informed that the heritage experts that the temple served as a veritable museum for the public in disseminating knowledge and also acted as a centre of culture and traditions of Telangana for the past 850 years.
The team has a close look at the fallen stones of the temples stacked in the backyard.
Later, they also visited the Chaya Someswara temple known for its unique for its shade falls on the Sivalinga all through the day through a technique of intersecting the shade of two pillars of the Arthamandapa of the temple in which the shade is found on the backside wall.
Sarathchandra, Member Executive Team, DHF India, Elena Werner, Trustee ,American Friends of DHF and Prof Molly Aitken, City College of New York participated in the visit.