Neglected historical treasure in the backyard of Telangana

The site of pre-historic paintings is first of its kind so far as Nalgonda district is concerned. It is also the only site in Telangana apart from Eddanur of Medak district to have pre-historic paintings in one cave and petroglyphs in another cave at a single site. In view of the rarity of the site and its heritage value, the Government of Telangana has to take steps to protect and preserve the ‘Cave Shelters of Petroglyphs and Paintings’ immediately, as treasure hunters pose serious threat to the site

In an attempt to bring out a monograph on Rachakonda, I visited the Rachakonda Hills several times during the past two and half years, the last being on November 9, 2014. What I discovered was astonishing. The rocks and forts there stand testimony to centuries old heritage. Forts surrounded by forest, hills and temples, caves and pre-historic paintings make Rachakonda a treasure trove – an invaluable heritage site.

There are around 10 main hillocks. I climbed Gurraalagutta, otherwise known as Naagayakonda, which is opposite Kacherikonda overlooking a tank in between. On passing through the main entrance of the Gurraalagutta I walked to the right side to a group of huge boulders. A boulder falling on the adjacent boulder formed a cave like formation. A peek into it revealed a small boulder on which I discovered a group of petroglyphs and cup shaped holes (called cup marks or cupules).

The petroglyphs engraved on the wall are in two rows. The first row consists of three men with weapons (bow and arrows) attacking a tiger. The second row below the first row also consists of three men with weapons attacking the tiger. Six cupules are drilled in between the group of six men. A sacred symbol of a deity or temple above the first row of three men is noticed. The tiger is followed by a symbol consisting of a bar from which about four lines are drawn downwards. The bar is followed by a lineal series of cupules numbering about fifteen.

Several such cup marks are also noticed on the smooth rocky floor under an umbrella-like boulder nearby. A slab for grinding eatables is also found near the cupules. The place looks ideal for taking shelter during all seasons and a stream during rainy season flows through the open see through cave. I came to know, after referring to the expert works / books on rock paintings that the petroglyphs and cupules described above belong to the neolithic age (some 5,000 years back) when the use of metal implements came into existence.

The petroglyphs and cup marks were engraved on the stone surface with those metal implements only. Dr VV Krishna Sastry, former Director of Archaeology, Govt. of erstwhile AP reported similar type of petroglyphs from Siddhulagutta of Eddanur village of Medak district. He also stated that such petroglyphs were also found in north Karnataka. It appears then that such petroglyphs are the unique to the Deccan area.

I also discovered a group of paintings under a rock shelter adjacent to a 1000-year-old Chalukyan temple. The profound feature of the paintings is that a series of lines of about a foot in length and 3 cm. in width in a row of 7 metres are depicted in ochre red colour. Adjacent to the lines, a diametric design (hoped to be representative of a deity) of a metre in length and half a metre in width is noticed. The design is followed by a group of people (devotees) dancing headed by a priest.

The group of paintings appears to be representing a deity invoked by devotees in Megalithic age some 3000 years ago, because several megalithic burials are noticed in a short distance from the cave. The huge ‘Cave Shelter’ was inhabited by devotees up to medieval period as it is attested by a medieval engraving of Lord Ganesh to the wall opposite the paintings.

Tourism prospects in Rachakonda

Initially I was shocked to see that the once-upon-a time capital city of Telangana is no more in existence today. About half a dozen tribal hamlets sprang up on the historical remains of the city. But I was equally astonished to see the heritage potential of the city even today, after the collapse of thousands of historical remains during the course of five centuries.

The forts

There are two forts in Rachakonda-Kacheri Konda fort and Naagayakonda fort. The former is the bigger of the two. It has four circular fortifications thus forming 4 entrances and equal number of exits. Visitors can enter/exit from either direction. The entrances are beautiful structures constructed as if they are part and parcel of the natural boulders, hill slopes and hillock gaps. The Padmanayaka rulers who constructed this fort in AD 1360s had chiseled large Bhairava icons at each entrance to frighten their foes in addition to ponds and tanks which add to the beauty of the fort. The inscriptions at these entrances and ponds stimulate nostalgia.

Naagayakonda is also called Gurraalagutta and appears to have been constructed at least two centuries before the Kacherikonda fort, because the main attraction in this fort is the eleventh century Vaishnava temple built with Chalukyan features. Idols of the temple are not found now but the temple remains intact and beautiful lake caught between green-clad hillocks.

The temples

There are about 50 temples in Rachakonda Hills. But only one temple of Rama is being visited by the devotees even today. The inscription incised to a ‘dhvaja stambha’ in front of the temple reveals that it was constructed by the Padmanayaka ruler Anapota in the year 1368 AD The idols of Sitarama, Laxmana and Hanuman are in a cave around which the temple was built.

In fact the biggest cave temple in Telangana is found here on the Narsimtagutta. The hill has two caves – the biggest one has open cave shrine while the other cave was enshrined with ‘antaraala’ and ‘garbhagruha’ with ‘sikhara’. The entrance of the Narasimha cave shrine greets us with beautifully carved sculptures of man-height Hanuman and Garuda. One has to reach them through a narrow cave which doesn’t allow second person at a time.

Visitors will be surprised to see a series of icons -12 Alvaars-engraved in a see through cave in front of the cave shrine. In June 2013, a 7-foot polished Sivalinga was unearthed by one Yadagiri, when he was working in fields. Now the Sivalinga became the main site for local pilgrims. There are numerous temples and their remains in one kilometre radius from the Sivalinga. The chief among them are found inside the outer fortification of the Rachakonda fort in its South-Eastern corner. The Sivalayam and two Vaishnavaalayas are important in view of their architectural values and beauty.

Numerous sculptures of Bhairava, Ganesha, Garuda, Hanuma, Ponds, streams peacocks, etc. that are found everywhere in Rachakonda hills have to be seen, for their splendour to be experienced.

The Way Forward

Economic wealth can be created or alternated but not historical wealth. The only alternative is to protect it for posterity. Hence the government has to:

• Conduct a comprehensive survey through the Department of Archaeology.
• Preserve the archaeological structures and remains in the site museum that needs to be constructed.
• Promote the city as a heritage city through the Department of Tourism.
• Protect the pre-heritage paintings and petroglyphs by constructing enclosures around the sites.