24-05-2025
Historian calls for restoration of ancient Mallela Gutta hillock temples of Vijayanagara era
Gorantla-based historian MyNaa Swamy on Saturday urged the State government to undertake the restoration of ancient temples of the Vijayanagara empire, located atop the Mallela Gutta hillock near Vanavolu road in Sri Sathya Sai district.
Speaking to the media at the Madhavaraya temple here, Mr. Swamy said that a formal representation was being submitted to the Department of Tourism, Archaeology, and Culture, seeking the reconstruction of these historically significant structures.
The historian said that the department's Principal Secretary, Ajay Jain, had positively responded to the representation and assured that a team of officials from the Archaeology wing would soon conduct a ground-level survey of the site.
Mr. Swamy said that the two temples on top of the hillock were constructed in Vijayanagara architectural style. 'One of them is still called the Madhava Rayala Sannidhi. Both temples slowly slipped into oblivion and were subjected to neglect and dilapidation,' he said. The historian said that in recent years, he along with local villagers from Vanavolu, and surrounding hamlets, visited the ruined sites to assess the condition of the temples.
The historian said that the inscription carved on a large rock in front of the temple was a testimony that Emperor Venkata Raya-II of the Vijayanagara empire had granted land to the temple for its maintenance in the year 1638 of the Saka era.
Mr. Swamy called for the preservation of such historical monuments as they would not only highlight the cultural and religious significance of the region, but also serve as a testimony to the lost heritage of the Vijayanagara dynasty.
