A temple tank built in Kakatiya style has been discovered at Pedda Kodepaka village in Hanumakonda district, Warangal. The tank is 50 ft in length, 30 ft in width and 30 ft in depth and is made of granite stones. It has a unique feature: a shrine housing lord Ganesa leans towards the right side. The tank is the only one of its kind with a balcony around it, and a shrine that allows devotees to go round the holy tank from the inside and have a comfortable Darshan of Ganesa. The triple shrine, collapsed Mandapa, and the dilapidated temple tank represent the typical Kakatiya temple architectural style built during the Kakatiya Ganapatideva’s regnal period (13th century CE).
Dr. Emani Sivanagi Reddy, archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation, visited the local Triple shrine (Trikuta temple dedicated to Siva) on Monday, along with Aravind Arya Pakide, Secretary of Warangal-based heritage organization TORCH, and S S Rangacharyulu, former Deputy Director of the Department of Heritage Telangana. Dr Reddy and his team found that the structure had undergone renovation many times and had lost its Kakatiya features. They believe that the temple tank should be restored using the fallen temple stones scattered here and there and developed as a tourist spot.
The team also visited the Panchalaraya temple at Chinakodepaka Village and found beautiful sculptures of Surya, Mahishamardini, Siva, and Serpent goddess in neglect. Speaking to The Hans India, Aravind Arya Pakide said, “It’s high time that the authorities gird up their loins and protect the temple tank of the Kakatiya times.”
