Telangana Authorities Deny Reports of Ancient Temple Demolition in Warangal

Hyderabad, May 2026 : Authorities in Telangana’s Warangal district on Friday refuted media reports alleging that an ancient temple was demolished during the construction work of a government school complex in Pahadla Ashoknagar village of Khanapur Mandal.

In an official clarification, the Warangal District Collector’s office stated that reports claiming demolition of a temple structure on May 6 were “false and misleading” and did not represent the actual situation on the ground.

According to the statement, a joint inspection was carried out on May 6 by officials from multiple departments, including the Revenue Divisional Office in Narsampet, the Archaeology Department, the Khanapur Tahsildar’s office, representatives of the Telangana State Education and Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGEWIDC), and officials from the executing agency handling the project.

The inspection team found that the 30-acre land parcel earmarked for the proposed Young India Integrated Residential School Complex was heavily covered with dense vegetation, bushes, and trees. During the process of clearing the area and leveling the land, remnants of an old and dilapidated structure were noticed.

The authorities clarified that no demolition or dismantling activity had been undertaken by the executing agency. Officials said the structure appeared to have been in a ruined condition for a long time and was not being used for religious or public purposes.

The statement further noted that revenue records confirmed the land belonged to the government and was not classified as endowment property. The site had already been officially allotted to the Tribal Welfare Department for the educational infrastructure project.

Officials from the Archaeology Department who participated in the inspection reportedly confirmed that the structure was neither listed nor notified as a protected monument or archaeological site under existing records.

Warangal District Collector Satya Sharada, accompanied by Narsampet MLA D. Madhava Reddy, visited the location on Thursday to review the situation firsthand.

During the visit, they assured local residents and concerned groups that the structure or monument would be restored at the same location after consultations with historians, traditional temple architects (Stapathis), and officials from the Archaeology Department.

The administration also stated that efforts would be initiated to examine the possibility of formally notifying the structure through the Archaeology Department to ensure preservation measures in the future.

The clarification from district authorities came after opposition parties, including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, accused the government of demolishing an ancient structure and demanded immediate restoration of the site.

The issue had triggered political reactions and public concern, prompting the administration to issue a detailed explanation regarding the status of the structure and the ongoing development work.