Everyone loves to spend some time in Mother Nature. If you are planning to visit such places Ramappa Temple is one among them. The Ramappa Temple article has enough information to visit this place. All the details regarding the following topics are listed in article: About, History, Timings, Built By, Lake, Architecture.
About Ramappa temple
Ramappa Temple is also called as the Ramalingeswara temple it is located at a distance of 77 km from Warangal, this place was the former capital in Kakatiya reign. This temple is situated at southern part of India in state of Telangana at a distance of 157 km from Hyderabad. It is in a Valley to the village of Palampet Venkatapur Mandal, formerly Mulug Taluq of Bhupalpally Jayashankar district, a small village had it’s glory days in the 13th and 14th centuries. An in scripted notes on the temple wall shows that temple was built in the year 1213 AD by a general Recherla Rudra, when Ganapati Deva was king.
The temple is pentagon in shape, raised on a platform about six feet from the ground with beautiful architecture which is one of its kinds. This platform connects the entrance hall, dance hall and the main sanctum. There are nearly thirty-two pillars with rich and intricate carvings and even the roof is covered with sculptors of the warrior Gods. To the left side of the main shrine, there is a pillar which generates music upon which you can play primary musical notes. On the top most part of this pillar, you find beautifully carved drummers in various dancing postures.
There are many beautifully carved sculptures, one is that of Rati, Goddesses of Spring, holding a bow made of sugarcane with the arrows of desire. There is also a pillar to the side of the courtyard, with one of the earliest Telugu inscriptions carved on it. There is a temple of Lord Shiva which is almost falling to pieces with finely carved Nandi (bull mount of Lord Shiva) housed in a separate hall. As you walk around the temple premises, you ll get to experience the royalty as this is the land where the Kakatiyan kings once toddled. The beautiful carving on the granite with fine cuttings is not the job of a day, rather, took months to built the temple what it stands as even today!
Dedicated to the God Ramalingeswara, the temple was named as ramappa temple on behalf of its sculptor named ramappa. It is the said to be the only temple in the country which is known by the name of its sculptor.
Now under the administration of the Archaeological Survey of India, this temple an overview in the glorious past of this region and of Kakatiya rule. Currently, there are cottages by the side by the edge of the Lake with a restaurant, which were put in place by the Ministry of tourism. So you can explore this beautiful temple and the surroundings leisure and, later, spend relaxing time cottages.
History
by some inscriptions, Ramappa temple was built around 1213 AD. This temple was built during the reign of Kakatiya Ganapati Deva King. It was built under the supervision of Commander in Chief Recherla Rudra. However the temple came to known as the name of the sculptor Ramappa.
This temple is considered to be one of the best among the medieval temples of South India. Despite being several decades old and attend various invasions and wars over time, is still standing Temple Ramappa, creating a haunting impression on every visitor.
Architecture
Ramappa Temple Temple, Warangal is accessible by a lush green path strewn with trees, which was once a garden. Although this temple built with bricks that can float in water, but this temple is still stands strong. It is built on a platform of 6 feet high. It consists of a garbhagriha, an antarala and maha mandapam. The main entrance, which is built on the outer wall of the temple, is now in ruins. Therefore, you will need to enter through the back door. The main temple is surrounded by walls.
The walls of the temple showcase intricate sculptures. Even pillars and ceilings have been beautifully engraved. The sanctum, surrounded by pradakshina path is strewn with a shikhara. In front of the temple consists of a large number of pillars with carvings. When you enter the temple, you will see a Nandi mandapam with Nandi, in the face of the cult of the God Shiva. Although the mandapa is not in good condition, the majestic statue of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s divine vehicle, is in good condition and has an impressive show.
Inside the temple, Shivalingam was placed at a height of 9 feet of garbhagriha. At the entrance to Garbhagriha, you can see prints on the walls, with various forms of dance as well as different musical instruments. Its ceiling consisting of sculptures, representing scenes from Ramayana, Hindu epics Shiva Purana and various other ancient texts. There are sub shrines of the temple, which are located on both the sides. Kameswara and Koteswara shrines are two shrines built here; the Kameswara Temple is now in ruins. Ramappa Temple, presents a classic style of the structures that the main building of the temple is built on a raised platform in order to differentiate it. It is symbolic of the bond of heaven and Earth in the middle of the two.
Things to notice at Ramappa Temple
Apart from its religious and historical and structural importance, brilliance Ramappa temple is known for some unique aspects as well. The bricks used in the construction of the Temple of Ramalingeswara are light. Unlike other stones, these bricks are floating in water instead of sinking.
Another aspect to notice in this temple is the pillar. Each pillar of the temple has sculptures and stories from Hindu mythology. If you hit a pillar or a stone of this temple, you can listen to some musical sounds.
Unlike most other Lord Shiva temple in the country, here Nandi is shown in a posture that is attentive, as if ready to take command of the Lord, and run it.
Information
The only time the temple is busy is during Maha Shivarathri in the month of February/March. As the temple is away from city but close to Palampet village, it will not be very crowded, at the same time, it’ll not lag behind in the number of devotees. The perfect blend of tranquil atmosphere in and around the temple with its own sanctity, makes it a good place to visit. About one kilometre from the temple, there is a lake called Ramappa lake, which makes it a good picnic spot. There is also a forest area which is one of the best places to be amidst nature. The forest department offers a guest house to stay which will be one of the memorable experiences while on your visit.
If you are looking for a luxurious accommodation, then Palampet hardly has one. However, there is a Punnami Hotel in Warangal run by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism department just opposite to the Regional Engineering College. The Ramappa Temple is hardly and hour and half journey from Warangal so you have good option to stay here and make a day trip. The best place is to stay at Hotel Ashoka which is almost like a 3-star hotel with comparatively good amenities. Its location in the centre of the city makes it a good place to stay. If you are a food-lover and like to taste some of the local delicacies, then there are some small hotels and food joints where you can go for meals. Otherwise, the restaurant run by Hotel Ashoka is the best place to eat.
Ramappa Temple Timings
Hourly hourly darshan of opening / Ramappa Temple are from 6:00 to 18:00.
How to reach the Ramappa Temple & Warangal, Hyderabad
Ramappa temple is located about 67 km from Warangal. It is situated in Palampet village of mulugu mandal and it is about 19 km from Mandal headquaters. Toto the temple are needed to achieve Warangal of Hyderabad or need to reach Hanamkonda. From here, you can get many public buses that can go up to or through Ramappa Temple at regular intervals. You can rent a rent private taxi and travel to this temple of Hyderabad.
After you finish your darshan in Ramappa temple, there is a must visiting place near temple, that is Ramappa Lake. We have listed details about Ramappa lake in the below sections.
Ramappa Lake
The Kakatiya dynasty has left an indelible mark of their existence in Warangal in the form of temples, palaces and lakes. During the tenure of their reign they have devoted, time, money and effort in building or patronizing a whole host of these architectural and engineering marvels. The picturesque Ramappa Lake in Warangal is one such specimen that speaks volumes of the irrigation genius of the Great Kakatiya rulers.
Set in scenic surroundings, the Ramappa Lake borders the Warangal city. It was built in the 13th century under the supervision of Recherla Rudra ( or Rudra Samani as he is also known), Army General of the great Kakatiyan king Ganapati Deva. The irrigation sense of the Kakatiyan kings made them realize innovative ways of distributing waters to the surrounding areas to be used for cultivation. As a result they created a massive pit by joining mountain ranges that were in close proximity. This pit was later filled with water to form the lake. The Ramappa Lake, therefore, is a manmade lake and not a natural one which was used to store water for irrigation. The efficient planning involved in building this lake has resulted in enabling it to provide waters for irrigation to fields even today.
In addition to its agricultural utility, the lake is also a great favorite with leisure and entertainment seekers. The beautiful surroundings provide the most perfect location for organizing picnics with family and friends. As it is located between mountains, the lake provides a beautiful view during sunset. As the sun spreads its last glow over the lake, its calm waters take on a reddish-orange hue and afford one of the most stunning vistas. The mellowed horizon, the pleasant breeze from the lake waters and the captivating view of the setting sun provides visitors with one of the most charming memories of the place. It is this which makes them coming back for more. Thus Ramappa Lake has become of the best tourist destinations of Warangal and Telangana.
Though the lake does providing entertainment options like boating, visitors, however, prefer the gift of serenity it offers above anything else. This also acts as a temptation visitors need to take a break from their hectic life and rushing over to soak up this absolute bliss making it one of the best places to visit in Warangal and Telangana.
The tourism department team at Ramappa Lake manages the daily operations of running the boating facilities in the Ramappa Lake. The team also rents out Motorboats which can be used for joy rides.
The Ramappa Lake however, is not absolutely barren of tourist attractions principal among them being the dilapidated Ramappa temple built by Kakatiya dynasty rulers. Also known as the Ramalingeshwara temple, the Ramappa temple is a Shiva temple located at a distance of 1 km from the lake. The temple still has a Shiva Linga present in its garba griha or inner chambers and is an excellent specimen of Kakatiyan style of architecture. The fascinating history that this temple encloses within its ravaged chambers makes it an interesting site to look up on a visit to the Ramappa lake.
Ramappa Lake Timings
Open on all days of the week from 5 AM – 6 PM