Villagers Save Kakatiya-Era Temple at Kondaparthy Near Hanamkonda

The Trikuta temple at Kondaparthy village in Hanumakonda

HYDERABAD: Residents of Kondaparthy near Hanamkonda have stepped in to protect the ruins of a centuries-old Kakatiya temple, clearing thick vegetation and debris from the historic complex while calling on Telangana heritage authorities to undertake scientific conservation.

The community effort has brought renewed attention to the 500-pillar temple at Kondaparthy, where collapsed carved pillars, crumbling walls and surviving sculptural remains testify both to the site's architectural importance and its deteriorated condition.

Residents voluntarily removed thorny bushes and vegetation that had obscured much of the monument for years, according to Deccan Chronicle. Their intervention revealed stone pillars, sculptural fragments and surviving portions of the temple complex. The villagers are now seeking systematic documentation, structural conservation, protective fencing and interpretive signage to safeguard the monument.

Telangana's Department of Heritage currently lists reconstruction of the Trikuta temple at Kondaparthy village in Hanumakonda among its conservation works. Older state heritage records also identify the Kondaparthy Trikuta temple as a Kakatiya-period protected monument dating to the 13th century.

Hareesh, a Kondaparthy resident, said unidentified people had dug inside the garbhagriha, or sanctum, apparently searching for gold. Villagers subsequently decided to clean and help protect the monument. Village sarpanch Ashok Rao also raised concerns about encroachment and illegal activity if the site remains without regular monitoring.

Deccan Chronicle, citing historians, reports that Kondaparthy was associated with the Malyala chiefs, feudatories of the Kakatiyas, and with military commander Chounda Senani during the reign of Ganapati Deva.

The Kondaparthy initiative illustrates the role local communities can play in heritage preservation. By clearing the site and drawing public attention to its condition, residents have made the monument visible again.

For Telugu readers in the United States, Kondaparthy offers a reminder that Telangana's Kakatiya legacy extends well beyond celebrated monuments such as Ramappa Temple, Warangal Fort and the Thousand Pillar Temple.