Special development body to be formed for temple surroundings

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.