My exploration of Buddhist sculptures of 1580 years old found in Indrapalanagaram is published in all the leading Telugu papers on the eve of Buddha Purnima (4.5.2015)
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Neglected historical treasure in the backyard of Telangana By Dr. Dyaavanapalli Satyanarayana published in THE HANS INDIA on 04-01-2015
TOURISM PROSPECTS IN RACHAKONDA
The site of
pre-historic paintings is first of its kind so far as Nalgonda district is
concerned. It is also the only site in Telangana apart from Eddanur of Medak
district to have pre-historic paintings in one cave and petroglyphs in another
cave at a single site. In view of the rarity of the site and its heritage
value, the Government of Telangana has to take steps to protect and preserve
the ‘Cave Shelters of Petroglyphs and Paintings’ immediately, as treasure
hunters pose serious threat to the site.
In an attempt to bring out
a monograph on Rachakonda, I visited the Rachakonda Hills several times during
the past two and half years, the last being on November 9, 2014. What I
discovered was astonishing. The rocks and forts there stand testimony to
centuries old heritage. Forts surrounded by forest, hills and temples, caves
and pre-historic paintings make Rachakonda a treasure trove – an invaluable
heritage site.
There are around 10 main
hillocks. I climbed Gurraalagutta, otherwise known as Naagayakonda, which is
opposite Kacherikonda overlooking a tank in between. On passing through the
main entrance of the Gurraalagutta I walked to the right side to a group of
huge boulders. A boulder falling on the adjacent boulder formed a cave like
formation. A peek into it revealed a small boulder on which I discovered a
group of petroglyphs and cup shaped holes (called cup marks or cupules).
The petroglyphs engraved on
the wall are in two rows. The first row consists of three men with weapons (bow
and arrows) attacking a tiger. The second row below the first row also consists
of three men with weapons attacking the tiger. Six cupules are drilled in
between the group of six men. A sacred symbol of a deity or temple above the
first row of three men is noticed. The tiger is followed by a symbol consisting
of a bar from which about four lines are drawn downwards. The bar is followed
by a lineal series of cupules numbering about fifteen.
Several such cup marks are
also noticed on the smooth rocky floor under an umbrella-like boulder nearby. A
slab for grinding eatables is also found near the cupules. The place looks
ideal for taking shelter during all seasons and a stream during rainy season
flows through the open see through cave. I came to know, after referring to the
expert works / books on rock paintings that the petroglyphs and cupules
described above belong to the neolithic age (some 5,000 years back) when the
use of metal implements came into existence.
The petroglyphs and cup
marks were engraved on the stone surface with those metal implements only. Dr
VV Krishna Sastry, former Director of Archaeology, Govt. of erstwhile AP
reported similar type of petroglyphs from Siddhulagutta of Eddanur village of Medak Deccan area.
I also discovered a group
of paintings under a rock shelter adjacent to a 1000-year-old Chalukyan temple.
The profound feature of the paintings is that a series of lines of about a foot
in length and 3 cm. in width in a row of 7 metres are depicted in ochre red
colour. Adjacent to the lines, a diametric design (hoped to be representative
of a deity) of a metre in length and half a metre in width is noticed. The
design is followed by a group of people (devotees) dancing headed by a
priest.
The group of paintings
appears to be representing a deity invoked by devotees in Megalithic age some
3000 years ago, because several megalithic burials are noticed in a short
distance from the cave. The huge ‘Cave Shelter’ was inhabited by devotees up to
medieval period as it is attested by a medieval engraving of Lord Ganesh to the
wall opposite the paintings.
Tourism prospects in Rachakonda
Initially I was shocked to see that the
once-upon-a time capital city of Telangana
The forts
There are two forts in
Rachakonda-Kacheri Konda fort and Naagayakonda fort. The former is the bigger
of the two. It has four circular fortifications thus forming 4 entrances and
equal number of exits. Visitors can enter/exit from either direction. The
entrances are beautiful structures constructed as if they are part and parcel
of the natural boulders, hill slopes and hillock gaps. The Padmanayaka rulers
who constructed this fort in AD 1360s had chiseled large Bhairava icons at each
entrance to frighten their foes in addition to ponds and tanks which add to the
beauty of the fort. The inscriptions at these entrances and ponds stimulate
nostalgia.
Naagayakonda is also called
Gurraalagutta and appears to have been constructed at least two centuries
before the Kacherikonda fort, because the main attraction in this fort is the
eleventh century Vaishnava temple built with Chalukyan features. Idols of the
temple are not found now but the temple remains intact and beautiful lake
caught between green-clad hillocks.
The temples
There are about 50 temples
in Rachakonda Hills. But only one temple
of Rama
In fact the biggest cave
temple in Telangana is found here on the Narsimtagutta. The hill has two caves
– the biggest one has open cave shrine while the other cave was enshrined with
‘antaraala’ and ‘garbhagruha’ with ‘sikhara’. The entrance of the Narasimha
cave shrine greets us with beautifully carved sculptures of man-height Hanuman
and Garuda. One has to reach them through a narrow cave which doesn’t allow
second person at a time.
Visitors will be surprised
to see a series of icons -12 Alvaars-engraved in a see through cave in front of
the cave shrine. In June 2013, a 7-foot polished Sivalinga was unearthed by one
Yadagiri, when he was working in fields. Now the Sivalinga became the main site
for local pilgrims. There are numerous temples and their remains in one
kilometre radius from the Sivalinga. The chief among them are found inside the
outer fortification of the Rachakonda fort in its South-Eastern corner. The
Sivalayam and two Vaishnavaalayas are important in view of their architectural
values and beauty.
Numerous sculptures of
Bhairava, Ganesha, Garuda, Hanuma, Ponds, streams peacocks, etc. that are found
everywhere in Rachakonda hills have to be seen, for their splendour to be
experienced.
The Way Forward
Economic wealth can be created or
alternated but not historical wealth. The only alternative is to protect it for
posterity. Hence the government has to:
· Conduct a comprehensive survey through
the Department of Archaeology.
· Preserve the archaeological structures
and remains in the site museum that needs to be constructed.
· Promote the city as a heritage city
through the Department of Tourism.
Protect the pre-heritage paintings and petroglyphs by constructing
enclosures around the sites.
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