The mysterious Mr Ramappa

I visited the Ramappa temple in 2007. The trip was a couple of years in the planning. I was working on a story revolving around a fictitious account of the Kakatiya Treasure. One of the important locations in the story was the Ramappa Temple in Palampet. Palampet is part of the Mulugu district in Warangal. In recent times, Mulugu has been more known for harbouring Naxalites in its forests and hills, rather than for the Ramappa Temple and other Kakatiya-era national treasures of the region. The Ramappa Temple itself goes back 800 years, to the reign of Ganapati Deva at the peak of the Kakatiya kingdom. The temple is said to be named after the architect-sculptor Ramappa, and not the deity, or the king, nor the local warlord.

Mr Ramappa appears in unexpected places across the regions ruled by the Kakatiyas. Most recently, on a visit to Hampi, I was told by the local guide that the royal enclosure, Zenana Mahal, was built by Ramappa. Of course, there is a time difference of about 300 years between the construction of the Ramappa Temple and that of Zenana Mahal of Hampi. However, the four-petalled flower, which is the signature of the Ramappa Temple, is also present in Zenana Mahal. There is also a style of the foundational layers of the Ramappa Temple that is used in Zenana Mahal. The rest of Zenana Mahal is in the Islamic style, with decorative arches and domes. Ramappa is said to have been from Karnataka, and the architect of several man-made lakes and civic constructions in southern India.

The Ramappa Temple, which took 40 years to build, was surely the effort of many sculptors and engineers. The sculptures are very different from any seen elsewhere in India. Not carrying the traditional measures of a perfect body, the ladies of the Ramappa Temple are stylised, elongated, and boneless snake-like in their postures. The carvings are very intricate and have decorative elements with the dimensions of a straw. The pillars of the main temple are iconic. The Nandi is magnificent, in shiny basalt rock, the head cocked stylishly to the side, sitting in its own enclosure besides the temple. Ramappa’s signature flower is everywhere, and in a fractal sense, the plan view of the temple is also the four-petalled flower. The Mulugu forests provide a lush green backdrop. Medaram, a village in Mulugu, hosts the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara tribal gathering once every two years. The gathering celebrates two tribal women who died in battle defending tribal rights against the Kakatiya armies.

The recent UNESCO recognition for the Ramappa Temple as a world heritage site is welcome. The temples and forts of Warangal city included, the Ramappa Temple and the Mulugu forests could be a major attraction, if curated well. The increase in tourism should be managed scientifically. It is important to put in efforts to preserve the beautiful structures, including neighbouring temples, which are equally fascinating.

Some of the potential additional funding could be utilised in researching the region and its tales – including the truth behind Mr Ramappa. Was the temple really named after the sculptor-architect? Or was the temple named with an endearing reference to its deity Ramalingeswara? Who was the sculptor behind the ladies of the Ramappa Temple? Who was the mysterious Mr Ramappa who seemed to have been a sculptor, the architect of many temples, an engineer of many civic structures, and lived for well over 300 years?!