Thousand Pillar temple
Also called: Rudreswara Swamy temple, Hanamkonda, Rudreshwara temple · Topic: Southern Dynasties: Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 4 "Turning Tides: The 11th and 12th Centuries"
Meaning
The Thousand Pillar temple, also called the Rudreshwara temple, is a Kakatiya temple at Hanamkonda in Telangana. The Kakatiya king Rudradeva built it c. 1163. It stands on a star-shaped platform and has three shrines, for Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. It is famous for its many finely carved stone pillars, from which it gets its name.
Example
The temple was built near the Kakatiya capital, Orugallu (Warangal), in the 12th century. It shows the wealth and building skill of the Kakatiyas as they rose to power after the Western Chalukyas declined.
Don't confuse with
- Ramappa temple: another Kakatiya temple, at Palampet in Telangana, built in the 13th century. Ramappa is on the UNESCO World Heritage list; the Thousand Pillar temple is not.
Related concepts
- Kakatiyas
- Rudramadevi
- Kakatiya Kala Thoranam
- Ramappa temple
- Hoysalas
- Vishnuvardhana
- Chennakeshava temple
- Hoysaleshwara temple, Halebidu
- Keshava temple, Somanathapura
- Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas