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The Thousand Pillar Temple (Rudreshwara temple) at Hanamkonda, Telangana, was built by the ruler:
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Answer: Option C — Rudra Deva (Kakatiya dynasty)
Detailed Solution
The Thousand Pillar Temple, also called the Rudreshwara temple, at Hanamkonda (near Warangal), in Telangana, was built by the Kakatiya king Rudra Deva (Rudra Deva I) in 1163.
About the temple:
- It is dedicated to three deities: Shiva (Rudreshwara), Vishnu and Surya (the Sun god); this is called a "trikutalaya" (a temple with three shrines).
- It is built on a raised platform in the shape of a star.
- It is famous for its many richly carved pillars; though there are not exactly a thousand, the name refers to their large number.
- It has fine carvings of animals, dancers and floral patterns, and a large monolithic Nandi (Shiva's bull) made of black basalt.
- It is built in the Kakatiya style, which combines elements of the Chalukyan style.
- It was damaged during invasions in the 14th century, and has been restored.
About Rudra Deva:
- He ruled from about 1158 to 1195.
- He declared independence from the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani and established the Kakatiya kingdom as an independent power.
- He was a patron of learning and wrote "Nitisara", a work on statecraft.
About the Kakatiyas:
- They ruled the Telugu-speaking region (present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) from the 12th to the early 14th century.
- Their capital was Warangal (Orugallu).
- Famous rulers include Ganapati Deva and his daughter, Rudramadevi, one of the few women rulers of medieval India.
- The Kakatiyas built many tanks (lakes) for irrigation, such as the Ramappa and Pakhal lakes.
- The dynasty ended when the Delhi Sultanate conquered Warangal in 1323.
Other Kakatiya monuments:
- The Ramappa (Rudreshwara) Temple at Palampet: a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2021), named after its sculptor, Ramappa; famous for its "floating bricks" in the roof.
- The Warangal Fort, with its famous "Kakatiya Kala Thoranam" (gateways), which is the emblem of Telangana.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Krishnadeva Raya, Rajaraja I and Vishnuvardhana belonged to other dynasties.
Quick tip
Remember: Thousand Pillar Temple (Hanamkonda) = Rudra Deva (Kakatiya, 1163; trikutalaya); Ramappa Temple = UNESCO (2021); Kakatiya Kala Thoranam = Telangana emblem.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.