800-Year-Old Shiva Temple In Telangana's Warangal Demolished, Sparks Public Anger Culture Ministry Files Case

(MENAFN- Live Mint) An 800-year-old Kakatiya-era Shiva temple in Telangana's Warangal district was reportedly demolished, sparking outrage among the locals.

The temple, located in Ashok Nagar, Khanapur Mandal, was allegedly bulldozed to clear land for a government Integrated School, NDTV reported.

A complaint was reportedly filed before the National Monuments Authority by Telangana rights lawyer Rama Rao Immaneni.

The Union Ministry of Culture and the Archaeology Department registered a case, NDTV added.

As per the report, legal action was sought under Section 30 of the Telangana Heritage Act against officials who permitted the work without mandatory approvals from the Archaeology and Endowments Departments.

The complaint also accused the state government of failing to form a mandatory Heritage Conservation Committee.

Not a protected monument?

Amid the uproar, the Warangal District Collector's office issued a clarification following a joint inspection on 6 May.

As per NDTV, the administration denied deliberate demolition, claiming only "remnants of an old dilapidated structure" were found while clearing dense bushes on the 30-acre site.

Officials also noted that the structure was not officially recorded as a protected monument.

However, to pacify public anger, Warangal Collector Dr Satya Sharada and Narsampet MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy visited the site and promised to fully reconstruct the temple at the same location.

The restoration will be carried out in consultation with historians, Stapathis (traditional architects), and the Archaeology Department, and steps will be taken to formally protect the site, NDTV reported.

About the temple

The temple site, dating to the 13th-century reign of Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva, housed a rare seven-line Telugu inscription from February 1231 AD, which addressed the king as "Maharaja" and "Rajadhirajulu," NDTV reported.

The structure stood within the historic "Kota Katta" mud fort region, known for its ancient fortifications, NDTV reported. It quoted experts who argued that the heritage site could have been easily preserved or relocated.

MENAFN08052026007365015876ID1111086321