Shoddy bid to revive Ramappa grandeur

This is with reference to ‘What went wrong in the dossier’ (THI, August 15, 2017). It is surprising to know that The World Heritage Committee (WHC) has asked to re-do the chapter-3 of the dossier submitted by the Telangana government, regarding Ramappa Temple. The State government has appointed a team headed by Dr Chooramani Nandagopal. It is not understandable why the chapter-3 was not drafted to the requirements of WHC.

I had an opportunity to see that dossier. To my surprise, the photos incorporated in the dossier were not showing the correct use of the temple from the south and the north. In fact, the Mahamantapa roof eves of north and south sides were supported by three stone masonry pillars on both sides.

The parapet over Mahamantpa is constructed by brick masonry without plastering. These contemporary additions are eyesores and definitely will not meet the criteria of the UNESCO.

It is not understandable why the restoration of defective eves of the roof and the parapet wall has not been taken up by the successive State governments for decades. The Telangana government came to power three years back and ignored the restoration work but is trying to get world heritage tag from the UNESCO without doing the required ground work at Ramappa Temple site.

I like to bring one more aspect which I observed at the temple site which is undoing the greatness of Ramappa Temple in the hands of Archeological Department. I had visited Ramappa temple, the icon of Kakatiya architecture, three decades back and enjoyed its splendid view from half a kilometer distance. I had revisited it on 3rd July, 2016 and was shocked to see it as an insignificant structure with a sunken effect.

Now its approach is through a narrow passage sided by shanty shops engaged in selling various items to tourists. Then comes the first iron entrance gate preceded by open land of two, three acres (a few years back it was a park), through which the tourists enter the western entrance of the temple precinct. The ground at the first gate is three feet higher than the ground level of temple premises. Three years back, the state archeological department had laid one foot thick concrete slab over the existing ground in a slope from first gate to the gate of temple proper.

For a visitor passing through the first gate to another, an optical illusion is created as if the temple has sunken to some extend because of elevated pathway in slope. In fact the temple floor height is 5 feet above the ground level around it. The unscientifically laid concrete pathway over the existing ground in slope has damaged temple visually reducing its heritage value. The Telangana government is making sincere efforts to get the World Heritage tag to Ramappa.

But the factual ground realities are much damaging to such efforts. The Government of Telangana must take immediate action in reducing the ground level of front court yard and lay the concrete pathway suitably to enhance aesthetic value of Ramappa temple.

(Writer is a senior architect in Hyderabad)

By Buchi Reddy Avala