Jain shrine located near Ramappa temple in Mulugu district awaiting protection from government agencies | Photo credit: By arrangement
A Jain shrine near Ramappa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Kakatiya-era architecture, is in urgent need of protection and preservation, heritage activists said.
Archaeologist E. Sivanagi Reddy, who is also CEO of Pleach India Foundation, and Warangal-based Team of Research on Culture and Heritage (TORCH) secretary Arvind Arya said the sanctuary is overgrown with vegetation and needs immediate protection. Expressing gratitude to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Hyderabad Circle, for initiating conservation measures for two nearby temples at Palampet, they urged the ASI to include the Jain shrine in its list of protected monuments to ensure proper care and maintenance.
Damaged part of a Jain temple at Palamapet in Mulugu district. | Photo credit: By arrangement
According to heritage enthusiasts, the small but aesthetically significant temple contains a garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum) and ardhamandapa (semi-open hall) and is crowned by a stepped pyramidal sikha (tower) in the Kadamba Nagara style with a projected sukanasa (projecting ornamental feature above the temple entrance) on the front. Built on a simple adhisthana (foundation), the shrine has plain walls and a perforated jaali (lattice screen) at the entrance. The translation is decorated with a series of miniature sikharas reflecting the typical 13th century Kakatiya architectural style.
They noticed that a plinth inside the shrine bears sculptures of a lion, a lanchana (symbol) associated with Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, suggesting that the shrine was originally dedicated to Mahavira, although the idol is no longer present in the shrine.
Meanwhile, the ASI recently issued preliminary notifications to declare two historic temples in Palampet — Shiva Temple and Gollala Gudi — as monuments of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
Both the temples are located near the Ramappa temple. Officials said the Gollala Gudi temple is structurally stable but requires repairs, while the Shiva temple is in a dilapidated condition and has been secured by scaffolding. Conservation work will begin after the final notification on the declaration of the buildings as protected monuments has been issued.
Published – 15 March 2026 19:58 IST
