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The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)-led Telangana government is all set to hold a week-long event starting Thursday to celebrate the rich history of the Kakatiya dynasty, with the state tourism and culture minister V Srinivas Goud saying that the event will showcase the history and accomplishments of the Kakatiya era between the 12th and the 14th centuries, when the dynasty ruled the present Telangana and Andhra region with Warangal as their capital city.
“The programme ‘Kakatiya Vaibhava Saptaham’ will highlight the history, culture, and traditions of the Kakatiya dynasty and their legacy. They are an important part of Telangana and its pride,’’ Goud said.
The IT and industries minister and TRS working president, K T Rama Rao, the son of Telangana Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao, and Goud released a brochure on the Kakatiya event on Tuesday.
To popularise the event to be held at Warangal, the state government has even invited the Kakatiyas’ descendent Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo from Chattisgarh’s Bastar as its chief guest.
Addressing a public meeting at Hyderabad’s Parade Grounds on July 3 following the BJP’s national executive meeting in the city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the Kakatiya dynasty and highlighted the rich cultural history of Telangana.
While the BJP has been aggressively raking up nationalism as it goes all out to challenge the TRS, the latter has resorted to championing regionalism and Telangana pride to checkmate the saffron party – and holding the Kakatiya celebration event seems to be part of this strategy.
In its poll campaigns, the TRS has always played up regional sentiments with the party’s key poll plank centring on the “Jai Telangana” slogan.
CM KCR hails the Kakatiyas whenever he speaks about Telangana. Sources said the week-long event will aim to increase the awareness about the Kakatiyas among the state’s youth and instil in them a sense of regional pride.
The TRS government has named its scheme for the revival of water tanks, ponds and lakes in the state “Mission Kakatiya” as a tribute to the Kakatiya rulers, who had commissioned over 50,000 water tanks across the region to harvest and store rainwater and boost groundwater levels. The Telangana government’s logo also features the distinctive arch of the Kakatiya dynasty. The UNESCO world heritage site, the Ramappa temple near Warangal, and the thousand pillar temple are iconic examples of the Kakatiya architecture.
For Telangana’s political parties, celebrating the Kakatiyas is rooted in their bids to promote regionalism and Telangana sentiments. In the run-up to the state Assembly elections slated for late next year, as the BJP continues to step up pressure on the TRS, the latter has been looking to reignite strong regional pride among the people through various programmes. It also includes an event meant to celebrate the legacy of the “son of the soil” late P V Narasimha Rao, the former PM, who was born in Warangal.
The Kakatiya dynasty, known for their distinctive architecture, ruled from Warangal during CE 1083-1323. The Kakatiyas had built many temples and taken various measures to ensure an effective irrigation system. Prola II, who ruled from CE 1110 to 1158, founded the independent dynasty of the Kakatiyas, who earlier ruled as the feudatories of the Chalukyas.
In his reaction to the KCR government’s week-long Kakatiya event, the state BJP’s chief spokesperson K Krishna Sagar Rao said: “The TRS has reacted very quickly. The BJP has started an initiative to promote the culture and history of Telangana. This is obviously a counter-measure.’’
