A group of architecture students from different institutions in India are exploring lesser-known heritage sites in the country. These students are part of the National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA) and recently visited the Inavolu Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Warangal, which is an 11th-century site from the Kakatiya era. Around 30 students from various institutions in India have been chosen to document these unexplored heritage sites.
One of the students, Shanmukh, from Hyderabad, said that he, along with Likith and Shashi from other architecture schools, submitted a proposal to NASA, India for this program. They selected the Inavolu temple as the site and have already completed the documentation process with the help of 30 students. Anuradha Reddy, Convenor of INTACH-Hyderabad, who was part of the visit, expressed her excitement about sharing history and culture with the enthusiastic and skilled architecture students from all over the country.
The main objective of the documentation was to bring attention to the lesser-known aspects of Kakatiya’s architecture evolution. Naga Praveen Pingali, an architect who accompanied the team, mentioned the subtle variations in ornamentation and finer details in the temple’s design compared to Chalukyan architecture. The students had many questions about lenses and different perspectives on history, and they also used new technology like drones and photogrammetry for documentation.
During their visit, the students also spoke to people associated with the temple and took note of the practices followed there. They observed that Hindu temples serve as social hubs. NASA, India is the largest and oldest architecture student-run association in the world. Their main focus is to document India’s rich architectural heritage. Evanthika P, Zonal President of NASA, India, highlighted the Louis I Kahn program conducted in Warangal as an example of their commitment to this cause.
