How TORCH turned forgotten Telangana ruins into protected heritage sites
HYDERABAD: Tucked away in the dense forests of Mulugu district, a one-of-a-kind temple rises from the undergrowth. Historians insist there is no other like it in India. Its builders crafted it from sculpted stone bricks, a technique found nowhere else in the country. For years, the jungle kept this temple a secret, its story swallowed. Everything changed when a young researcher from Janagaon shared its tale on Facebook.
The researcher is Pakide Arvind Arya, founder of TORCH (Team of Research on Culture and Heritage). The story of Devunigutta temple captures what TORCH stands for. The group aims to discover hidden sites, document them before they vanish, and bring Telangana’s history to light.
As he explored, P. Arvind found that most heritage sites he visited were in poor condition. In an exclusive conversation with HyderabadMail he said, “About 90% were crumbling, overgrown, and neglected. Many lacked even basic care.”
Looking back, Arvind did not start in an archive or university. He began exploring heritage sites in Warangal district while in college, more than 14 years ago. He was troubled by what he saw. Kakatiya-era temples lay hidden under thorny plants. Ancient burial grounds sat unprotected on village edges. Historic inscriptions lay forgotten under trees. Books about these places were hard to find.
Arvind studied journalism and completed a master’s degree. He wrote over 140 articles for Namasthe Telangana and more than 700 articles in total. But he saw that writing alone was not enough. In 2016, he and friends started cleaning heritage sites on weekends. They got permission from local leaders, brought water cans, and cut away overgrowth by hand. Between 2016 and 2019, they cleaned more than 33 historic monuments.
In 2019, the group became an official NGO called TORCH. The team now has 140 members across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
By comparison, Andhra Pradesh has 137 protected heritage sites, while Telangana has only eight at the time of bifurication in 2014. Andhra Pradesh protects temples that are only a few hundred years old. In contrast, Telangana has archeology sites which are 4,000 years old that remain unprotected. Arvind sees the neglect of Telangana’s heritage as a result of unfair treatment during the united Andhra Pradesh governance. The neighbouring AP has 137 monuments under central protection, even some that are only centuries old. Telangana, with its ancient burial sites and rock-cut caves, has just eight protected sites. TORCH was created to address this failure.
Three pillars: document, conserve, promote
At its core, TORCH works around three main goals. The first is documentation. The team records sites in detail and with urgency. Recently, when a Kakatiya-era temple was demolished, only TORCH had a full record. They took 600 photos of every part of the temple before it was lost. Arvind calls this archaeological documentation. It includes careful measurement, mapping statues and inscriptions, and making videos. TORCH has documented more than 1,250 sites in Telangana and keeps over 1,30,000 photos in its archive.
The second goal is conservation. TORCH has helped restore 15 to 20 historic sites. This includes five stepwells in Warangal, ancient burial grounds, and Aggalayagutta in Hanamkonda. After TORCH campaigned for it, the government gave Rs 1.3 crore for Aggalayagutta. The team has architects, plant experts, and art specialists who volunteer their skills. They write reports with details like statue placement and which trees can grow without extra water.
Finally, the third goal is promotion. TORCH shares stories and images on YouTube, radio, and social media titled The Untold Telangana. Their Google Maps campaign has over 70 million views from 30,000 photos. Because of this, some once-forgotten ruins are now tourist spots with ticket sales.
Reflecting on this, P. Arvind said, “I worked for free for months to conserve these sites. Now, when I visit, I have to buy a ticket. The staff do not even know who I am. That makes me happy.”
Landmark projects
In 2022, TORCH brought a Kakatiya dynasty descendant back to Warangal for the first time in 700 years. They also displayed 777 images at the State Art Gallery. TORCH created a full record of Devunigutta temple with 360-degree photos, videos, and drawings. Now, international archaeologists are interested in the site.
The Devunigutta temple shows TORCH’s global impact. Arvind’s social media posts drew worldwide attention. Professors from Germany, the UK, the USA, and many other countries came to Warangal for research. Experts like Prof. Corinna Wessels-Mevissen, Prof. Adam Hardy, and Prof. Thomas E. Levy have worked with Arvind. Researchers from about ten countries have visited Telangana because of TORCH’s documentation.
To push for preservation, Arvind wrote over 40 letters to officials, from District Collectors to the Prime Minister’s Office, to protect Devunigutta. The Governor of Telangana then asked the Central Ministry of Culture for protection. The government later gave about Rs 3 crore to restore the temple.
Teaching the next generation
To educate the next generation, TORCH works with eight colleges in Telangana. Each year, they run ten special sessions at each college, with experts in history and art. Arvind serves on the Board of Studies at three colleges. He started a project called “Our Village, Our History.” Students must visit and survey ancient monuments and sites in villages as part of their studies.
Alongside this, TORCH keeps a library of about 7,500 rare books and gives students digital copies if they ask. The group has held ancient coin exhibitions in Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Siddipet. They have also made podcasts, documentaries, and a book called “Orugallu to Bastar,” which explores the cultural link between Kakatiya and Chhattisgarh.
What comes next
Looking ahead, Arvind wants to make heritage relevant, not just preserve it. The Kakatiya era featured 32 types of Veena, but only four or five are still known. Gold shops now sell Kakatiya-style jewellery for large sums. Buildings from that time have lasted centuries. Arvind believes the past is not just history, it is a guide and resource for the present.
TORCH plans to expand across South India over the next ten years. They want to make their digital archive public and help more monuments get official protection. Meanwhile, the group keeps working. They clean old inscriptions, record temples the government has ignored for years, and visit remote sites that are hard to reach.
