ASI notifies Gollala Gudi near Ramappa temple as site of national importance

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has formally declared Gollala Gudi, a Kakatiya-era temple in Palampet village of Mulugu district, Telangana, as a monument of national importance. The notification brings the total number of ASI-protected sites in the state to ten.

The temple, located in close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ramappa temple, shares its architectural lineage and construction techniques. Built with interlocking stones without any binding mortar, the structure is believed to date from the same Kakatiya period as its more famous neighbour.

With the declaration, the temple now falls under the protection of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The ASI will undertake conservation work, regulate public access, and maintain the site. Officials noted that the temple was found in a severely dilapidated state, prompting earlier documentation using LiDAR technology and the installation of protective fencing and scaffolding.

A significant portion of the temple's original stones — around 60 percent — remain intact, while the rest are damaged. Conservation plans involve carefully dismantling the structure and reassembling it according to its original layout. An annual maintenance programme has been outlined to ensure the site's long-term preservation.

The State government has transferred 16 acres of land to the ASI, enabling the creation of a unified visitor complex. This will allow tourists to access Ramappa temple, the nearby Shiva temple, and Gollala Gudi through a single entrance.

The move also addresses a key condition attached to Ramappa temple's 2021 UNESCO World Heritage inscription, which emphasised viewing the monument not in isolation but as part of a broader heritage landscape encompassing the surrounding temples.