What is in news : The Union Minister for Culture, Tourism   unveiled the UNESCO World Heritage Listing plaque at Ramappa – KakatiyaRudreshwara Temple in Palampet.

About Ramappa temple

• Also known as the Rudreshswara (Lord Siva) temple
• Located in the state of Telangana.
• An inscription in the temple dates it to the year 1213 CE and says it was built by a Kakatiya General Recharla Rudra Deva, during the period of the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva
• This temple was constructed by Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva’s general Recharla Rudra.
• Ramalingeswara Swamy is the presiding deity of this temple.
• Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya Empire, allegedly called the temple “the brightest star in the galaxy of temples”.
• The technique involved filling the pit — dug up for laying the foundation — with a mixture of sand-lime, jaggery (for binding) and karakkaya (black myrobalan fruit) before the buildings were constructed on these ‘sandboxes’.
• The sandbox in the foundation acts as a cushion in case of earthquakes.
• Most of the vibrations caused by earthquakes lose their strength while passing through the sand by the time they reach the actual foundation of the building.

About World Heritage site: The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.

India is NOT a member of this Committee