Warangal District in dire need of protecting intangible cultural heritage

Warangal: The Warangal district has an extraordinary and diverse pool of ancient monuments and cultural heritage; responsibility lies on every denizen to protect them, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Warangal Chapter Convenor Prof M Pandu Ranga Rao said. Speaking at a programme 'Heritage Citizenship' organised here on Friday, he emphasised the importance of protecting archaeological sites and their remains, and the intangible cultural heritage of the region.

During the interactive session with students, he explained about the way they had progressed to promote the Ramappa Temple, the architectural marvel of Kakatiya era, for the coveted tag of World Heritage Site of the UNESCO.

He dwelt at length about the preparation of dossier that reflects the outstanding universal value of the temple and its presentation before the heritage experts of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). He gave a power point presentation on Ramappa and Thousand Pillars temples explaining the uniqueness of the structures and construction in Kakatiya Dynasty.

"By virtue of its extraordinary and diverse pool of ancient monuments carrying intangible cultural heritage, Warangal stands unique in the country. The onus is on every citizen to preserve it," INTACH Telangana Co-Convener P Anuradha Reddy said. Prof K Vijay Babu, Department of History and Tourism Management, Kakatiya University (KU), told the research scholars to focus on historical places that would help tourism growth in the region.

History enthusiast Aravind Arya Pakide expressed concern over the defacing of monuments due to ill-maintenance. He urged the people not to write or etch anything on heritage structures and sculptures. Aravind Arya emphasised the need for measures to be taken to highlight the importance of several structures in the region that have been languishing in wilderness for centuries.

On the occasion, the INTACH organised a membership drive for the students. Prof Deva Prathap, Sridhar Rao, retired lecture Sambaiah, KU research scholar Mahesh and scores varsity students were present.