UNESCO declares Kakatiya Ramappa Temple a World Heritage site

UNESCO declares Kakatiya Ramappa Temple a World Heritage site

Part of: GS Prelims and GS -I – Culture

In news UNESCO has recently declared Kakatiya Ramappa Temple a World Heritage site.

About Kakatiya Ramappa Temple 

• The Ramappa Temple showcases the craftsmanship of Kakatiya dynasty. 
• It also known as the Rudreshswara (Lord Siva) temple and is located in Hyderabad, Telangana 
• The temple is a Sivalayam, where Lord Ramalingeswara is worshipped. 
• Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya Empire, allegedly called the temple “the brightest star in the galaxy of temples”
• The hall in front of the sanctum has numerous carved pillars that have been positioned to create an effect that combines light and space wonderfully. 
• The temple is named after the sculptor Ramappa, who built it, and is perhaps the only temple in South India to be named after a craftsman who built it.
• Columns of the temple are carved as mythical animals or female dancers or musicians, and are “the masterpieces of Kakatiya art, notable for their delicate carving, sensuous postures and elongated bodies and heads.”

About UNESCO World Heritage Site 

• A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance. 
• The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international ‘World Heritage Programme’, administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
• UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
• This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
• India now has 39 world heritage sites 

News Source: PIB