800 year old Kakatiya era Shiva temple demolished in Telangana sparks outrage

The alleged demolition of an 800-year-old Kakatiya-era Shiva temple in Telangana’s Warangal district has triggered widespread outrage, with historians, activists and the Union Ministry of Culture demanding accountability over the incident.

The temple, located in Ashok Nagar under Khanapur Mandal, was reportedly bulldozed during land clearing activities for the construction of a government Integrated School.

According to historians and heritage activists, the temple dated back to the 13th-century reign of Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva and carried significant archaeological and historical value.

The site reportedly contained a rare seven-line Telugu inscription dated February 1231 AD, in which the ruler was referred to as “Maharaja” and “Rajadhirajulu”.

The structure had earlier been documented by the Heritage Department in 1965 and was located within the historic “Kota Katta” mud fort region, known for its ancient fortifications.

Experts argued that the heritage structure could have been preserved or relocated instead of being demolished.

Following public outrage, Telangana rights lawyer Rama Rao Immaneni filed a complaint before the National Monuments Authority. Subsequently, the Union Ministry of Culture and the Archaeology Department registered a case in connection with the incident.

Legal action has been sought under Section 30 of the Telangana Heritage Act against officials allegedly responsible for permitting the work without obtaining mandatory approvals from the Archaeology and Endowments Departments.

The complaint also accused the Telangana government of failing to establish a mandatory Heritage Conservation Committee as required under the law.

Responding to the controversy, the Warangal District Collector’s office issued a clarification after conducting a joint inspection of the site on May 6.

The administration denied any deliberate demolition and claimed that officials found only “remnants of an old dilapidated structure” while clearing dense vegetation on the 30-acre land parcel.

Authorities further stated that the structure was not officially listed as a protected monument.

Amid mounting criticism, Warangal Collector Dr Satya Sharada and Narsampet MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy visited the site and assured the public that the temple would be reconstructed at the same location.

Officials said the restoration work would be carried out in consultation with historians, traditional temple architects known as Stapathis, and the Archaeology Department.

The administration also promised to initiate steps for formally protecting the site in the future.