The famed Ramappa temple in Telangana's Mulugu district was today included in the list of the UNESCO's world heritage sites.
The proposal to make the 13th century structure a heritage site received the backing of 17 countries at the ongoing World Heritage Committee (WHC) meetings. Norway was the only nation that had opposed the move.
The committee was considering 42 buildings from across the world. However, the only structure from India that was recognised as a heritage site was the Ramappa temple which was built in the 1213 AD by Racherla Senapati Rudrayya, a general of the Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva.
On either side of the beautiful structure, lie the ruins of the Kateshwarayya and the Kameshwarayya temples. It is known for its intricate architecture and ornate relief work as well as its unique use of local materials.
The decision came as a major diplomatic victory for India - the Centre had been trying to get the building included in the UNESCO heritage sites list for a while now. However, these efforts did not amount to much as the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) had earlier cited nine problems with the site after an initial visit in 2019.
Refusing to give up, at this year's WHC meeting, the country made sure to mobilise the support of a majority of member countries to reverse the ICOMOS' stand on the matter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and state BJP head Bandi Sanjay Kumar were among those who expressed their happiness at the decision.