In theory, the seductive brilliance of the idea is unanswerable. In practice, such platform temples never endure for very long. There is some inherent seed of dissipation in platform temples that see them decline after a few centuries of glory. They survive mostly as tourist spots, and if worship continues to take place, it is always at a low key, barely above a purely functional level. This is true all over the world. Historically, this one-to-one correspondence between platform temples and decline is too great to be countered. My personal theory is that a temple not literally grounded loses its locus of power as the tectonic plates shift and rearrange themselves. The carefully designed energy alignments, [ley lines, dragon lines], that first made these temples powerful are thrown in disarray and the inevitable decline commences. Temples built on the ground are mainlining the chthonic forces however, and they last longer as a consequence. The semi-frozen state of the Ramappa would confirm this theory. The Hanamkonda Kali temple, being built on solid bedrock, will probably last till the earth falls back into the sun.

The platform is over six feet high and it supports the entrance hall, dance hall and actual sanctum proper. The actual platform is made of stone while the superstructure is built of brick, which might account for the fact that the temple has not begun to bend under the weight like its counterparts and contemporaries. The temple is shaped as a five-sided star, as Rudra Shiva's yantra, his core energy pattern, is the pentacle. The lingam faces south in honor of Shiva's title, Dakshinamoorthi, the "South Facing God". Thirty-two richly sculpted and decorated pillars are found on the platform. The inevitable Kakatiya royal elephant caryatid form is also found everywhere as well as freestanding elephants, which are all badly damaged. The tower rises to a peak in tiers of decreasing fractals, and ensures the temple is visible from a great distance.

The inside of the temple is a revelation, as rich and detailed sculptures compete for attention. There is even a musical pillar, upon which you can play the primary notes of music, to the left side of the main shrine, above which dance a galaxy of frenzied drummers. What is immediately striking is the circular dance platform in front of the shrine. The central rock stage has rectangular slabs around it for musicians to place their instruments upon. The entire shrine is covered with musical motifs, but the predominant one is that of the great drums so beloved of Shiva. Shiva is the lord of the world and dance is one of the most pleasing forms of worship that could be offered to him. For, the world is 'Jagat', literally "That which moves", and of all movements dance is the most perfect as well as the most spiritual. This dance worship was a common feature of temples, until the inevitable corruption involved with having beautiful dancers housed at the expense of the temple, began to give the whole process a bad name. It was still a beautiful idea, and seeing it in such a context gives some idea of what an enchanting and moving experience it must have been in the flicker and glow of lamplight. The Shiva lingam itself is very large and placed upon a Yoni pedestal.

The roof is thickly covered with sculptures depicting the great themes of the warrior god. At one time, the Shiva Purana was one of the most popular and influential texts of the country, for almost half of all artistic representation in the last thousand years are inspired by it. Shiva being a transcendent god, his temple unites sky, earth and the underworld, the platform jutting out of the bowels of the earth to enable the temple to join the sky. One of the functions of a temple is to remind the denizens of each level to desist from transgressing their natural levels. Shiva slays the presumptuous demons of the underworld when they aspire to the dominance of the heavens. It is a Titanic struggle, the chastisement of hubris, on a plane of existence beyond the comprehension of humans. We have to crane our necks, lift our gaze in humility to observe the valor of the god, striking down Dark Might beyond our ken, a world of chaos we are spared by the mercy and grace of Shiva. All the great themes are depicted, Gajasura, the elephant demon being flayed by the ruthless god; Andhaka, the power of darkness, being pierced by the Trident; other gods in supplication before Shiva, who lives apart from gods and men but is nevertheless Mahadeva, the Great God himself.

On the outside we have some of the best sculpture in India. The female figures are voluptuous, as is expected from Hindus, but they also have a completely unprecedented and unique athletic elongation of torso. A notable feature of this temple is the bracket figures practically leaping out of their supporting pillars. Apsaras touch a tree with their foot, instantly causing it to burst into full bloom. The most spectacular however is what I call the Spirit of Kundalini, a stunning female figure framed by the ascending and descending serpent energy, holding aloft a royal cobra while under her feet is twined a serpent into the great symbol of Infinity, the lemniscrante. (In the context of Kundalini energy traveling to the brain it is interesting to note that the lemniscus is a bundle of nerve endings that cluster in the thalamus). This figure is probably Mansa Devi, a daughter of Shiva born of a brief amour with a Nagini or snake maiden. A local legend says that the District Collector in the early 20th century appropriated the figure; he was forced to reinstall it after a local outcry. This story may be true but it strains my credulity. We are asked to believe a bureaucrat had such a developed aesthetic sense and also that the depressed local population valued its heritage to such an extent. If only such things were true! Another great figure is that of Rati, goddess of Spring, consort of the Love God, holding casually the great sugarcane bow that launches arrows of desire. Sugarcane is full of juice, rasa, which is also the word for 'flavor' and specific sexual desires; sugarcane has been the traditional euphemism for something else that fills with fluid and elongates under the influence of desire, so the entire sculpture is a hilarious pun. This confluence of the sacred, erotic and bawdy is very typical of the Indian temple.

There is a pillar with inscriptions carved upon it to the side of the courtyard. We can safely presume it bears the usual self-deluding aggrandizement kings are so prone to, but it is of some historical importance as one of the earliest uses of the Telugu script proper. The temple to Shiva on the right has some interesting examples of sculpture, but like the one on the left it is in a deplorable state. The huge Nandi, housed in a separate hall of its own, is in much better shape. The temple is next to a village so it will never entirely lack worshippers, but its distance from any urban center of importance means it is never crowded. The stillness and quiet are supernatural in noisy India and may be the greatest asset of the place. The Tourism Corporation has built a little rest house and restaurant near the lake for the visitor but room availability is uncertain as they seem to be saving on staff in non-season times. Check at the Kazipeth office.

How to get there
Air
Hyderabad is the nearest airport.

By Rail
Warrangal and Kazipeth railway stations are both 75 kms away, though the former is the better served station. In any case, the two places have practically merged so it makes no great difference.

By Road
From Warrangal, Hanamkonda or Kazipeth, you can hire a car. If you are coming from Hyderabad then your route will be Hyderabad - Uppal - Bhongir - Aler - Kazipeth - Hanamkonda. You have to set off for Mulugu from Hanamkonda. As soon as you hit Mulugu you make a sharp left to reach Palampet. Nobody knows Palampet on the route except at Mulugu so keep asking for Ramappa Devalayam (temple). The road signs are reasonably clear and frequent.

Where to stay
The lodges and hotels in all three townships are primarily functional. It is best to stay at the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's Punnami Hotel at Kazipeth, opposite the REC and near the rail station. This is close to Hanamkonda and Warrangal and is the most practical option to explore the area. The tourist season is the winter; at other times there should be no problem. The Hotel at Palampet is semi-operational. It might begin full functioning soon but it is best to check at the Kazipeth site.
Tel. No. 0870 - 2432312