Context: Recently, a temple constructed by emperor Ganapati Deva, a mighty ruler of Kakatiya dynasty, in Dharanikota near Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh has been converted into an abode of local goddess Balusulamma (Goddess Durga).
Architectural significance of the temple

• Ceiling bears decorations of lotus medallions
• No sikhara on its top
• Totally akin to their counterparts found in shrines at Hanamkonda and Warangal fort etc.– the original home land of Kakatiya dynasty.

Background

• The presiding deity at this 13th century temple was Kakati Devi, the tutelary deity of Kakatiya rulers.
• With passage of time, when patrons became extinct the shrine was neglected and unpreserved, the idol rolled out from its original place in the sanctum and mutilated.
• The villagers of Dharanikota, who had no knowledge about the hoary past of the temple, installed Balusulamma idol and started worshipping.
• Unfortunately, neither the shrines sanctified by her ardent royal devotees nor her venerated images have so far been brought to light.
• Currently, idol is placed in a small shelter on the southern side of the temple, locally known as Gollabhama Gudi.

Ganapati Deva

• Ganapati Deva is the first king who introduced the worship of Kakati Devi into the coastal region of Andhra and outside the dominions of his kingdom.

Later, the abode was developed under the patronage of Ganapamba.

• The goddess is gracefully seated in Padmasana with eight hands.
• This is a very rare and unique image possessed with best iconographical illustrations of the Kakatiya sculptures and pointing towards a most distinguished cult deity.
• Her facial physiognomic features are oval, distinguished with slender cheeks, wide open eyes, an elongated nose and closed tender pair of lips.
• She has eight hands and poses eight different special attributes.
• Her lower right hand is benevolently blessing the devotees.

Architectural style of kakatiyas dynasty

• In terms of architecture, the Kakatiyas followed their former masters, the Chalukyas, in form, but managed to create a distinctive feature of their own by bringing in more indigenous forms of art, such as paintings (Cheriyal paintings) that once adorned the temple walls and still survives in various manifestations.
• The artisans used granite, basalt, and sandstone that were locally available, while lime and bricks were used for making superstructures.
• Black granite and basalt were used for making pillars, lintels, jambs, ornamental motifs and figures.
• As these were hard rock and not particularly easy to carve, the perfection of the edges and shapes of the lathe turned pillars especially those that adorn the Natya Mandapa speak eloquently of the skill of the artisans and the technology that was developed by them.
• Kakatiyan temple architecture show high levels of sophistication.
• Gradual evolution of their style starting from basic temples having a simple mandapa, antarala, and garbhagriha, with pillars lacking sculptures; to the complex trikuta and stellate form of the Thousand-pillared temple; and finally reaching its climax in the exquisitely carved Rudresvara/Ramappa temple.

Society of Kakatiya dynasty

• Under the Kakatiya rule, the caste system was not rigid and in fact, it was not given much significance socially. Anyone could take up any profession and people were not bound to an occupation by birth.
• The Kakatiya rule finally came to an end in 1323 A.D. when Warangal was conquered by the Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the then Sultan of Delhi.