He was speaking after inaugurating the renovated kalyan mandapam at the historic thousand pillars temple and dedicating it to the devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri in Hanamkonda on Friday.
Earlier, the minister offered prayers at the Sri Rudreshwara Swamy temple and at Sri Bhadrakali temple during his visit to Hanamkonda district.
Speaking on the occasion, Kishan Reddy said that Kakatiya dynasty’s Rudradeva had built this architectural marvel in 1163. Historical sources say that it took 72 years to build it. The temple shrine was partially destroyed during an attack by (Ghiyath al-din) Tughlaq’s army in 1324-25. The kalyana mandapam was demolished in 2006. The Nandi statue present between the temple and mandapam was also destroyed by foreigners.
He said that after he assumed charge as a Union minister, he reviewed the status of projects and was saddened to hear the dangerous situation of the kalyana mandapam. He took it as a challenge to restore it, he said.
The previous UPA government did not sanction adequate funds to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for the revival of the project. Moreover, officials took up restoration works of the kalyana mandapam within their limitations, so the works were delayed.
But the BJP government expedited the works by bringing artisans, specialising in temple construction from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The renovation is almost complete except for a few minor works which will be finished soon, he assured.
All the artisans, workers, historians and ASI officials, who played a key role in the documentation and marking of pillars were honoured and felicitated on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.
Legislative Council deputy chairman Banda Prakash, MP Pasunuri Dayakar, local Congress party MLA Naini Rajender Reddy, Prof. Pandu Rangaiah Rao, BJP district unit president Rao Padma and former MLA Dharmapuri Rao were also present.
