HYDERABAD: The state government has decided to form a special development authority to preserve and regulate the area around
Ramappa temple
which was designated as a world
heritage
site on Sunday by
UNESCO. It’s the first site in Telangana to get that tag.
In the management plan submitted to Unesco, the department of heritage said that the new authority would constitute stakeholders from all departments to develop the area around the 13th century Shaivite temple also called Rudreshwara temple. It is likely to be named as
Palampet
Development Authority or Ramappa Development Authority.
While the main property will be under Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) control, the special development area will constitute Ramappa and other temples, agricultural fields of Palampet village, reserve forest and Ramappa lake. The buffer zone, part of area under the nominated property, falls under the prohibited and regulated zone. The zone is regulated by National Monument Authority rules.
The conservation and management plan is prepared at various levels: Warangal-Mulugu tourism development; proposed special development area; and main property level by integrating the efforts by various stakeholders involved in maintaining the temple’s outstanding universal value.
“The temple is located amidst an agricultural field in Palampet which was once an important town during the Kakatiya period. It gets around 1 lakh tourists annually, including pilgrims and schoolchildren. This number goes to 2 lakh during Medaram Jathara celebrations,” an official said.
A heritage village is also being planned along National Highway 163 spread over 10 hectares to accommodate visitors. The village will involve local communities where festivals, cuisines and handicrafts of Telangana region will be showcased.
Sudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times...
Read MoreSudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times of India, Hyderabad. Following the trail of migration and drought across the rustic landscape of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sudhakar reported extensively on government apathy, divisive politics, systemic gender discrimination, agrarian crisis and the will to survive great odds. His curiosity for peeking behind the curtain triumphed over the criminal agenda of many scamsters in the highest political and corporate circles, making way for breaking stories such as Panama Papers Scam, Telgi Stamp Paper Scam, and many others. His versatility in reporting extended to red corridors of left-wing extremism where the lives of security forces and the locals in Maoist-affected areas were key points of investigation. His knack for detail provided crucial evidence of involvement from overseas in terrorist bombings in Hyderabad.
Read Less