What’s the News?

Bhadrachalam Group of Temples:

The temple at Bhadrachalam is said to be more than 350 years old and is closely associated with the epic of Ramayana.
It was contructed in 17th Centuary by Bhakta Ramdasu (popularly known as Bhakt Raamadaas). He was born as Gopanna.
It is believed that Lord Rama with his wife Goddess Sita and brother Lakshmana spent some part of their 14 years of exile at a village called Parnasala, a part of Dandakaranya forest near Bhadrachalam Temple.
These group of temples are situated on the left bank of the Godavari River. It has dravidian style architecture with an influence of Mughal Art

Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana

Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreshwara temple, is a Kakatiya style Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva, located in Telangana, India.
An inscription in the temple says it was constructed in the year 1213 CE by Recharla Rudra alias Recharla Rudri Reddi- a General of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva 1199–1262

Note– Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya empire, supposedly called the temple “the brightest star in the galaxy of temples”

Features

6 feet star shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings.
Foundation of temple is built with the sandbox technique
The building features decorated beams and pillars of carved granite and dolerite with a distinctive and pyramidal Vimana (horizontally stepped tower)
It is made of lightweight porous bricks, so-called ‘floating bricks’, which reduced the weight of the roof structures.
The temple’s sculptures of high artistic quality illustrate regional dance customs and Kakatiyan culture. It has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

PRASHAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive)

The Government of India launched the PRASAD scheme in the year 2014-2015 under the Ministry of Tourism with the objective of holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations.
It focuses on developing and identifying pilgrimage sites across India for enriching the religious tourism experience.
It aims to integrate pilgrimage destinations in a prioritised, planned and sustainable manner to provide a complete religious tourism experience.
Under it several religious cities/sites in have been identified for development such as Amaravati and Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Kamakhya (Assam), Parasuram Kund (Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), etc.
The projects identified under this scheme shall be implemented through the identified agencies by the respective State/ Union Territory Government.

Note

The name of the scheme was changed from PRASAD to “National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)” in October 2017.
After the discontinuation of the HRIDAY scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the development of Heritage destinations was included in the PRASAD Scheme, changing it to PRASHAD.