Warangal Urban: The temples of the Kakatiya era, which are widely appreciated for their distinct architectural acumen, style and technology, helped Warangal city bag the heritage city tag by the Government of India.
But one of these temples — Trikuta (a complex of three temples) — remains half-buried at the mud wall of Warangal Fort. Though the temple complex is located 1km from the core area of the fort, at LP Gandhi, the Archeology Survey of India (ASI) or any other government agency did not make any attempt to revive it.
While the entrance of Trikutalayam is seen clearly, two other temples of the Trikutalaya complex and several idols are entirely buried. “It is not known if this Trikutalaya was constructed underground to protect it from vandals or was it unearthed later,” Aravind Arya Pakide, an archaeology enthusiast who has been campaigning for the development of the temples and monuments, said.
Meanwhile, treasure hunters dug up an area in the temple in search of wealth, damaging it. According to some historians, more than 100 temples were built in the vicinity of Warangal Fort that was built in the 13th century.
The city was allotted Rs 40 crore for the development of its monuments and historic places under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) by the Centre that chose Warangal as one among the 12 heritage cities in the country for holistic development.
Considering the value of the temple, locals urged ASI to renovate the Trikuta temple and also excavate the nearby area to unearth the architectural wealth