Telangana Tourist Attractions

Telangana's sights range from the palaces, tombs and bazaars of Hyderabad to the Kakatiya temples around Warangal, hilltop forts, river shrines on the Godavari and Krishna, and waterfalls in the forests of the north.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, was founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah of the Golconda kingdom. Its monuments and mosques show Qutb Shahi, Mughal, Asaf Jahi and colonial architecture side by side, and the city is today one of India's largest centres of information technology and pharmaceuticals. See About Hyderabad for its history.

Places of interest: Charminar and Laad Bazaar, Mecca Masjid, Golconda Fort and its sound and light show, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Chowmahalla Palace, Falaknuma Palace, Salar Jung Museum, Hussain Sagar with its monolithic Buddha statue, Tank Bund, Birla Mandir, Birla Science Centre and planetarium, Nehru Zoological Park, Public Gardens and the State Museum, Lumbini Park, KBR National Park, Durgam Cheruvu, and Ramoji Film City on the city's outskirts, the world's largest film studio complex.

Warangal

Warangal was the capital of the Kakatiya kings. Its fort was begun by King Ganapati Deva and completed by Rudramadevi in the 13th century; its carved stone gateways, the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, have become a symbol of Telangana. The Thousand Pillar Temple at Hanamkonda, built in 1163 by Rudra Deva and dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Surya, is a fine example of Kakatiya architecture, with a polished black stone Nandi. See About Warangal.

Places of interest: Warangal Fort, Thousand Pillar Temple, Bhadrakali Temple and lake, Kakatiya Musical Garden, Pakhal Lake, Laknavaram Lake.

Ramappa Temple

The Rudreswara Temple at Palampet in Mulugu district, better known after its sculptor as the Ramappa Temple, was built in 1213 under the Kakatiya general Recherla Rudra. Its bracket figures of dancers, carved in polished black basalt, and its light "floating" bricks are celebrated; in 2021 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first in Telangana. Ramappa Lake, built by the Kakatiyas, lies beside it.

Bhadrachalam

The temple of Sita Ramachandra Swamy at Bhadrachalam stands on the banks of the Godavari in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. It was built in the 17th century by Kancharla Gopanna, a revenue official remembered as the saint-poet Bhakta Ramadasu. The wedding of Rama and Sita celebrated here on Sri Rama Navami draws pilgrims from across the Telugu states.

Yadagirigutta

The hilltop temple of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Yadagirigutta, about 60 km from Hyderabad, was rebuilt in carved black stone and reopened in 2022. It is one of the most visited temples in Telangana.

Other places

Basar: the Gnana Saraswati temple on the Godavari in Nirmal district, where parents bring children for Aksharabhyasam, their first lesson in letters.
Medak Cathedral: one of the largest churches in Asia, completed in 1924, known for its stained-glass windows.
Bhongir Fort: a fort on a single huge rock in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, on the road from Hyderabad to Warangal.
Nagarjuna Sagar: one of the largest masonry dams in the world, across the Krishna on the border with Andhra Pradesh; boats run from the Telangana side to the island museum at Nagarjunakonda.
Kuntala and Bogatha waterfalls: Kuntala on the Kadam river in Adilabad district is the highest waterfall in Telangana; Bogatha in Mulugu district is fullest in the monsoon.
Ananthagiri Hills: forested hills near Vikarabad, where the Musi river rises; a favourite weekend escape from Hyderabad.
Pochampally: the ikat weaving village, where visitors can watch the weavers at work.
Alampur: the Navabrahma temples of the Badami Chalukyas and the Jogulamba temple, one of the Shakti Peethas, on the Tungabhadra in Jogulamba Gadwal district.

Official tourism information: Telangana Tourism.