Ramappa Temple

Ramappa Temple, formally the Rudreshwara Temple, is a Kakatiya shrine to Shiva at Palampet village in Mulugu district, roughly 200 km northeast of Hyderabad. Work began in 1213 CE under Recherla Rudra, a general of King Ganapati Deva, and is thought to have lasted about 40 years. Unusually, the temple bears the name of its chief sculptor, Ramappa, rather than its deity. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The sandstone temple rises from a platform about 6 feet high, with beams and pillars of carved granite and dolerite. Its stepped pyramidal tower uses light, porous bricks said to float on water, which ease the load on the roof. Carvings show dancers and scenes of Kakatiya life. The temple sits among fields at the foot of wooded hills beside Ramappa Cheruvu, a lake of the same era, and Marco Polo is said to have praised it highly.