How did the temple become India's 39th World Heritage Site?

At Palampet, in the Mulugu district of Telangana, not far from Warangal, stands a temple that is more than 800 years old. Its official name is the Rudreswara Temple, but almost everyone calls it the Ramappa Temple, after the sculptor who worked on it for 40 years.

The temple was built in 1213 CE, during the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty, by Recharla Rudra, a general of the Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva. The Kakatiyas built their temples in a style of their own, and the Ramappa Temple is one of its finest examples. It stands on a star-shaped platform about six feet high, and its walls, pillars and ceilings are covered with intricate carvings. The gateways to Kakatiya temple complexes were also built in a special style found only in this region.

On 25 July 2021, at the 44th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, the temple was inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming India's 39th World Heritage Site. It had been the government's only nomination for the year 2019. A few days later, Dholavira in Gujarat became the 40th.