800-Year-Old Kakatiya Temple Demolished in Telangana

The demolition of an 800-year-old Shiva temple from the Kakatiya era in Ashok Nagar, Khanapur Mandal of Warangal district, Telangana, has ignited widespread controversy among historians and heritage activists, prompting the Union Ministry of Culture and the Archaeology Department to register a case.

The incident occurred during land-clearing operations on a 30-acre government site designated for a Young India Integrated Residential School. The temple, dating to the reign of Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva and featuring a rare seven-line Telugu inscription from February 1231 AD that referred to him as Maharaja and Rajadhirajulu, was documented by the state Heritage Department as early as 1965. The structure stood within the historic Kota Katta mud fort zone, an area rich in ancient defensive remnants.

Telangana rights lawyer Immaneni Rama Rao filed a complaint with the National Monuments Authority, alleging the temple was razed using heavy machinery without required permissions from the Archaeology and Endowments Departments. The complaint invoked Section 30 of the Telangana Heritage Act, accusing officials of failing to constitute a mandatory Heritage Conservation Committee and...