Historian Dr. D Satyanarayana discovered a Bhogini Mandapa built atop a hillock in Rachakonda in Telangana by Sarvagnya Singa Bhupala.
Bhupala appreciated the varied forms of art and music. On the instructions of Bhupala, dance classes and competitions were held at the king’s court frequently. Vasantotsavam was especially organised to appreciate dance and music.
He strongly advocated roles for Bhoginis in plays. In order to honour Bhoginis in plays, he himself composed a Sanskrit play titled Ratnapanchaalika.
A figure of the king Bhupala engraved on a rock wall inside a cavern behind the mandapa has also been found. “Out of love for Singa Bhupala, the Bhogini had herself employed a skilled sculptor to chisel the figure of the king, and she, along with other dancers, used to worship him” The New Indian Express quoted Dr. Satyanarayana.
Poet Bammera Pothana, who composed Bhogini Dandakam, writes “how Bhogini, the daughter of a prostitute, had captivated the interest of Singa Bhupala through her beauty and singing and dancing capabilities.”
Scholar Vaanamaamalai Varadacharyulu studied Pothana’s and other contemporary works thoroughly. He composed Bhogini Laasyam “in which he described Singa Bhupala riding a horse like the incarnation of Kalki, which could be seen in the picture engraved on the rock wall, which is still intact.”
