A 617-year-old brick temple, built by Kumaragiri Reddy of Kondaveedu dynasty in 1400 AD, is craving for attention.
E. Sivanagi Reddy, CEO, Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati, said he and his team stumbled upon the monumental temple in a recent survey on the hillock at Kothur village.
The team consisting of K. Rama Krishna, Golla Narayana Rao, Gumma Sambasiva Rao and Venna Vallabha Rao, identified the temple with the help of an arthamandapa and a huge inscription slab recording donation of land to the temple.
“The temple is threatened by a huge tree on the walls resulting in developing of cracks which may cause damage to the very existence of the temple and other structures,” he pointed out.
Mr. Reddy said he had noticed a dwarapala s culpture and a broken inscription slab of the same period. The temple, surrounded by thick bushes and shrubs, needed protection from natural damage and vandalism by humans.
He appealed to the State Department of Archaeology and Museums to declare it as a protected monument under the provisions of the Act and take conservation and preservation measures to safeguard the structure for posterity.
The temple is strategically located on a 200-foot-high hillock and it will definitely attract heritage and archaeological tourists. The hill is suitable for trekking also, Mr. Reddy added.
