Hyderabad: The demolition of nearly 800-year-old Kakatiya-era temple structure in Telangana’s Warangal district has triggered controversy, with locals, historians, and activists accusing the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of negligence in protecting heritage structures during government construction works.
The incident occurred at Ashok Nagar village in Khanapur mandal of Warangal district, where an old temple structure was allegedly razed using bulldozers during land clearing works for the construction of an Integrated School building under the Tribal Welfare Department.
Following public outrage, Warangal District Collector Dr Satya Sharada and local Congress MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy visited the site on May 7 and reviewed the situation.
In a statement posted on X, the Collector said Revenue and Archaeology Department officials conducted a joint inspection and found that the structure came to light while trees and bushes were being cleared on government land allotted earlier to the Tribal Welfare Department.
According to the Collector, officials identified old structural remains during the clearing process and maintained that the temple was not intentionally demolished. The administration also stated that steps would be taken to reconstruct the temple and coordinate with historians and the Archaeology Department for preservation measures.
నర్సంపేట డివిజన్
ఖానాపూర్ మండలం అశోక్ నగర్ లో ఇంటిగ్రేటెడ్ స్కూల్ నిర్మాణానికి కేటాయించిన స్థలంలో చెట్లపొదల చదను చేస్తున్న క్రమంలో వెలుగులోకి వచ్చిన పురాతన కాకతీయ కట్టడాన్ని గౌరవ ఎమ్మెల్యే శ్రీ దొంతి మాధవ రెడ్డి గారు,జిల్లా కలెక్టర్ డాక్టర్ సత్య శారద గార్లు … (1/1) pic.twitter.com/jMxJZ4Du6G— Collector Warangal Official (@Collector_WGL) May 7, 2026
However, local residents and heritage activists questioned the explanation, alleging that the destruction appeared deliberate and could have been avoided. They demanded that the Telangana government register an FIR and conduct a detailed investigation against the contractor and site engineer responsible for the work.
As per reports, Ramarao Immaneni, an advocate, reportedly filed a complaint before the National Monuments Authority, following which the Union government’s Culture and Archaeology departments are learnt to have initiated proceedings into the matter.
Historians claimed the temple contained a rare seven-line Telugu inscription dated February 1231 linked to Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva, where the ruler was referred to as “Maharaja” and “Rajadhirajulu”. The inscription had reportedly been documented by the heritage department in 1965, but is now allegedly missing along with the demolished structure.
The locals state that the site formed part of the historic “Kota Katta” mud fort region surrounded by ancient tanks and fort walls associated with the Kakatiya period. Nearly 16 acres of land has been marked as temple property.
The site was visited by local BJP and BRS leaders, who demanded action against those responsible for the negligence in executing the works.
Critics argued that destroying an 800-year-old temple structure despite its known historical importance reflected either gross negligence or an anti-Hindu mindset towards heritage preservation by the authorities.
