An 800-year-old Kakatiya-era Shiva temple in Warangal district was demolished to make way for a government Integrated School, triggering outrage among historians and cultural activists.
The site, located at Ashok Nagar in Khanapur Mandal, housed a rare seven-line Telugu inscription from 1231 AD during the reign of Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva.
The temple stood within the historic “Kota Katta” mud fort region and was documented by the Heritage Department in 1965. Experts argued the heritage site could have been preserved or relocated instead of being bulldozed.
Following the demolition, Telangana rights lawyer Rama Rao Immaneni filed a complaint before the National Monuments Authority. The Union Ministry of Culture and Archaeology Department registered a case under Section 30 of the Telangana Heritage Act against officials who bypassed mandatory approvals. The complaint also accused the state government of failing to form a Heritage Conservation Committee.
Warangal District Collector’s office issued a clarification after a joint inspection on May 6, claiming only remnants of a dilapidated structure were found while clearing bushes on the 30-acre site. Officials said the temple was not listed as a protected monument.
To pacify public anger, Collector Dr Satya Sharada and MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy visited the site and promised full reconstruction of the temple at the same location. The restoration will involve historians, Stapathis, and the Archaeology Department, alongside steps to formally protect the site.
