Amazing Indian world heritage sites added: Kakatiya Rudreswara (Ramappa) temple and Dholavira

Recently UNESCO (United Nations educational, scientific and culture organization) has added 2 new world heritage sites from India. Rudreswara temple(Ramappa temple) in Telangana as 39 th and city of Dholavira in Gujarat as India 40 th world heritage site.

India holds a treasure of architecture, culture and a great history, that has been unrevealed for centuries, untouched and limited to locals only. India needs attention to be properly investigated about the mysteries, architecture and wonders it holds for thousands of years now. Indian ancient history civilizations has truly been remarkable.

let's have a glance at the 2 new wonders getting focus now a days.

Kakatiya Rudreswara (Ramappa) temple 

ABOUT this temple.

1) Rudreshswara means (Lord Siva).

2) This temple is lies in Palampet village of Venkatapuri Mandal, Mulugu district in Telangana.

3) History of the temple: This temple is built by Kakatiya general

Recharla Rudra, under the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva in 1213 AD.

4) About Kakatiya dynasty:

• Kakatiya dynasty was a south Indian dynasty that ruled most over eastern Deccan region present days Telangana, Andhra Pradeshand some parts of eastern Karnataka and southern Odisha.
•  Kakatiya dynasty ruled between 12 th and 14 th centuries. Ganapatideva ruler of this dynasty ruled between (1199-1262AD) and expanded kakatiya lands.
• Kakatiya controlled the Telugu speaking lowland.
• In kakatiya dynasty we saw the different types of style of architecture. Examples of beautiful architecture are: THOUSAND PILLAR TEMPLE, RAMAPPU TEMPLE, WARANGAL FORT, and KOTA GULLU.

5) Features of the temple:

• The Remappu temple is 800 years old temple in India.
• The temple is stands on 6 foot (1.8m) high star shaped platform.
• The temple pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings.
• This temple is only in India to be named after a craftsman who built it.
• During the Kakatiya Empire MARCO POLO visit this temple and called them ‘the brightest star in the galaxy of temples’.
• (Marco polo was the Italian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled Silk Road to china between 1271 and 1295 AD.)
• Sandbox technique: The most important feature of this temple is built with unique style of sandbox technique. In this unique technique involved filling the pit---dug up for laying foundation--- with a mixture of sand lime, jiggery(for binding) and karakkaya(black myrobalan fruit), before the buildings were constructed on these sandboxes.
• The temple white Gopuram is built with light bricks that float on water.

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Dholavira

About the Dholavira

1) Ancient city of Dholavira is the Harappa city at kachchh district, in the state of Gujarat.

2) The Dholavira site is dates from the 3 rd to mid 2 nd millenniumBCE.

3) Dholavira site is located on Khadir Bet Island in the Kutch desert wildlife sanctuary in the great ran of Kutch.

4) Dholavira was discovered in 1968 by Archaeologist Jagat Pati joshi. Jagat pati joshi was the Indian archaeologist who discovered the Indus Valley sites of Dholavira and Surkotada.

5) Dholavira is the fifth largest metropolis of Indus valley civilization. Before the Dholavira (Mohenjo-Daro, Ganweriwala, and Harappa in Pakistan and Rakhigarhi in Haryana of India) were the fourth largest metropolises of Indus valley civilization (IVC).

6) Dholavira site spread over 54 acres. The area measures 771.1m in length and 616.85m in width.

7) The Dholavira city was constructed by geometrical plan of three divisions are citadel, the middle town, and the lower town.

8) Features of Dholavira site are Casading series of water reservoirs, outer fortification, multipurpose grounds (which was used for festivities and market place), nine unique designs gates, Buddhist Stupas, and multi layered defensive mechanisms, Use of stone in constructions.

9) Archaeological survey of India(ASI) found here include terracotta pottery, gold copper ornaments, seals, fish hooks, tools, animals figurines and etc.

10) Other findings are 10 large stone inscriptions, carved in Indus valley script, world earliest sign board and Fossil Park.

11) In Gujarat more Harappa sites like Lothal (lothal in saragwala village on the bank of Sabarmati in Dholka Taluka of Ahmedabad), Rangpur (rangpur on the bank of Bhadar River in surendranagar districts), Rojdi (in Rajkot district), Lakhabaval (in Jamnagar), Deshalpur (in Bhuj taluka of kutch).

By: Shubham Attri

(Law Student at IPU, DELHI)