At Palampet near Warangal in Telangana stands the Ramappa temple, a masterpiece of Kakatiya art dedicated to Shiva as Rudreshwara, built in 1213 by a general of the Kakatiya kings. It is celebrated as perhaps the only great temple in India known by the name of its sculptor, Ramappa — a rare tribute to the genius who shaped it.
The temple is a marvel of medieval engineering and artistry: its towering vimana is built of remarkably light bricks said to float on water, and its walls and pillars bear exquisite carvings, above all the graceful bracket figures of celestial maidens. In 2021 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ramappa is among the crowning glories of the temple art of the Deccan.
The tower of the Ramappa temple is built from bricks so porous they float on water. Lightening the roof is how a 13th-century vimana was made to stand.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage List, inscription 2021
