Thaindian News

Hyderabad, June 14 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government is making efforts to develop the Kakatiya monuments in Warangal district as World Heritage sites.
A steering committee headed by Tourism Minister J. Geeta Reddy constituted for the purpose held its first meeting here Monday.

The minister told reporters that the meeting discussed the action plan to preserve and renovate three Kakatiya monuments - Ramappa temple in Venkatapur mandal, Thousand Pillar temple in Hanamkonda and the Warangal Fort.

The steering committee would meet once every three months to review the progress of the work and prepare a dossier to be submitted to UNESCO for declaring the monuments World Heritage sites.

“It is a long process as there are several norms for monuments to be declared World Heritage sites,” he said.

The committee comprises Kakatiya Heritage Trust founders B.V. Papa Rao and M. Panduranga Rao, public representatives from the districts, officials of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), director of archaeology and museums and the Warangal district collector.

The meeting discussed public private partnership model for building restaurants and cottages and for reconstruction and renovation of Ramappa temple.

The government Saturday constituted a committee for the promotion of Kakatiya monuments. The steering committee will make efforts to conduct the 8th centenary celebrations of Ramappa temple in 2013.

Warangal, about 150 km from Hyderabad, was the capital of the Kakatiya kingdom. The fort there withstood attacks during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Thousand Pillar temple and Ramalingeswara temple, popularly known as the Ramappa temple, are some of the famous Kakatiya monuments in and around the town.