About Warangal

Warangal, about 150 km northeast of Hyderabad, is the second largest city of Telangana and was once the capital of the Kakatiya kingdom. Together with Hanamkonda and Kazipet it forms the "tri-city", known for its temples, its fort, its lakes and the National Institute of Technology, the first of India's regional engineering colleges, founded in 1959.

Geography of Warangal

The city lies on the Deccan plateau, among low granite hills and the many tanks and lakes built by the Kakatiyas to store rainwater. Kazipet is an important railway junction on the line between Delhi and Chennai, and the city is on the highway from Hyderabad to Bhupalpally and the forests of the Godavari valley. The climate is hot in summer, with most of the rain coming in the southwest monsoon from June to September.

See the map of Warangal.

History of Warangal

Warangal's old name, Orugallu ("one stone"), is said to come from a large single rock on the site. The Kakatiyas, at first feudatories of the Western Chalukyas, made Hanamkonda and then Orugallu their capital and ruled most of the Telugu country from the 12th to the early 14th century. King Ganapati Deva began the great fort in 1199, and his daughter Rudramadevi, one of the few women to rule an Indian kingdom in her own right, completed it. The Venetian traveller Marco Polo, who visited the Kakatiya coast, wrote in praise of her rule.

The Kakatiyas built hundreds of temples and irrigation tanks; Ramappa, Pakhal and Laknavaram lakes are still in use. The kingdom fell to the armies of the Delhi Sultanate in 1323. Warangal later passed to the Bahmani sultans, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda and the Nizams of Hyderabad, and became part of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and of Telangana in 2014.

Warangal Tourist Attractions

Warangal Fort

The fort had three rings of walls, of mud, stone and brick. At its centre stand four carved stone gateways, the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, around the ruins of a great Shiva temple, with fallen sculptures lying among them. A sound and light show tells the fort's story in the evenings.

Thousand Pillar Temple

Built at Hanamkonda in 1163 by Rudra Deva, the temple has three shrines, to Shiva, Vishnu and Surya, arranged in a star shape, and a hall of richly carved pillars. A polished monolithic Nandi stands in front.

Bhadrakali Temple

The temple of the goddess Bhadrakali stands on a hill between Hanamkonda and Warangal, overlooking the Bhadrakali lake.

Ramappa Temple

About 70 km away at Palampet, the Ramappa (Rudreswara) Temple of 1213 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its sculptures of dancers.

Lakes

Pakhal Lake (about 50 km away) and Laknavaram Lake (about 70 km), both built by the Kakatiyas and surrounded by forest, are good for boating, birdwatching and picnics. Laknavaram has a hanging bridge to its islands.

Kakatiya Musical Garden

A garden with a musical fountain beside the Bhadrakali lake.