Warangal

Warangal is located in Warangal District of Telangana. Warangal lies along the Chennai-Kazipet-Delhi rail route.

The city of Warangal is famous for its beautiful lakes, temples and wildlife along with its rich antiques and relics. A thousand-pillared temple, built in 1162, is located within the city itself. Warangal is now a commercial and industrial centre. Two walls once surrounded Warangal fort, lying southeast of the present-day city, traces of the outer wall remain, as do the four stone gateways (`sanchar`) of the inner wall.

History of Warangal includes the rise and fall of glorious Kakatiya rulers. Warangal, now under Warangal District of Telangana was the capital of Kakatiya kingdom in the early medieval times. It was ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries with much pomp and power.

The Kakatiyas left many monuments, including an impressive fortress, four massive stone gateways, the Swayambhu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva or Mahadeva, and the Ramappa temple situated near Ramappa Lake. The historical monuments of Warangal with excellent architectural styles have been attracting a wide variety of people from various parts of the world.

Warangal is an important cultural centre like, "Rajamahendravaram", which gave birth to `Adikavi Nannaya`, it could claim equal status as the great poet Pothana the author of "Srimad Bhagavatam", one of the finest creations in Classical Telugu literature, born in this place.

Warangal was the seat of the Kakatiya rulers till its decline. It was the place of rich cultural heritage of South India. The cultural and administrative distinction of the Kakatiyas was mentioned by the famous Italian traveller Marco Polo. After the defeat of Pratapa Rudra, the Musunuri Nayaks united seventy two Nayak chieftains and captured Warangal from Delhi sultanate and ruled for fifty years with great pomp and power.

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb conquered Golconda in 1687, and it remained part of the Mughal Empire until the southern provinces of the empire split away to become the state of Hyderabad under Nizams in 1724, which included the Telangana region and some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. During the regime of British East India Company and the British Government in India, Warangal was ruled by the feudal lords of Nizams.

After the Independence of India, Hyderabad was annexed to India in the year 1948, and became an Indian state. In the year 1956, Hyderabad was partitioned as part of the States Reorganization Act, and Telangana, the Telugu-speaking region of Hyderabad state, which includes Warangal that became part of Andhra Pradesh. In the year 2014, Warangal is included in Warangal District under the statehood of Telangana, a newly formed state under the government rule of Union of India, with capital Hyderabad for 10 years.

The city of rich medieval Kakatiya history was once the heartland of Telugu culture. The capital of the Kakatiya rulers Warangal today contains some of the best forms of architecture, especially in temples.

Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal also known as the Warangal Bhadrakali Temple is one of the oldest temples of Telangana, a newly formed state in India with Hyderabad as its capital. Bhadrakali Temple is located on the bank of Bhadrakali lake, a picturesque location between Hanamkonda and Warangal.

There are eight major and twelve minor temples in the mountains surrounding the Bhadrakali Temple. Goddess Bhadrakali is residing there with respect and admiration. Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal is located on the hilltop between the cities of Hanamkonda and Warangal. The deity is called Grant Mother Goddess. Hanamkonda Fort is a kilometre away with the thousand-pillared Hanamkonda Temple. Inside the fort is the Siddeshwara Temple housing a small linga shrine. An inscription near the temple dates it at 1163.

History of Bhadrakali Temple
History says that Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal was constructed under the rule of King Pulakesi II of Chalukya dynasty around 625 A.D to honour his conquest over Vengi region of Andhra Desham, now Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Later in medieval era, the Kakatiya rulers adopted Goddess Bhadrakali as their "Kula Devatha" giving her preference over other Gods. The lake near Bhadra Kali Temple in Warangal was built later by Ganapathi Deva, a minister in the powerful Kakatiya Dynasty. A road leading to the temple was also added during that period.

Architecture of Bhadrakali Temple
The temple is square shaped with a stone image of the Goddess (2.7 x 2.7 meters). The image is seated with a fierce look in her eyes and on her face. The Goddess wears a crown and has eight hands holding various weapons. There is an artificial lake of two and half km radius close to the temple. Natural rock formations add to the charm of the temple and are the dominant feature of the temple. These rocks are said to carry spiritual powers too. The temple is around 250 years old. The image transforms into a rare form called Tripura Sundari with the help of mantras, which includes the Kali form. Tripura Sundari is regarded as the supreme manifestation of Prakriti - the feminine power a vital energy of the universe. Literal meaning is "The Beauty of Three Worlds".

Festivals of Bhadrakali Temple
The festival in Bhadrakali Temple is held in the month of Sravana - August-September. The deity is aesthetically decorated. There are eight major and twelve minor temples in the mountains surrounding the Bhadrakali Temple.

Warangal Fort is located 12 kilometres from Hanamkonda in south-east of Warangal city in Telangana. The fort is now under ruins and a popular spot among the tourists. This fort was constructed in the 13th century by the Kakatiya Dynasty.

Warangal Fort in Telangana was built in the 13th century by the Kakatiya rulers. Although today the fort is in ruins and the remnants of Warangal Fort comprise of 50 feet tall towers and an awe-inspiring gateway. These are known as Warangal Kirti Pillars or Toranas. Inside the fort area, visitors can get a glimpse of the early medieval temple remains. The fort is a chief attraction among the travellers, archaeologists and local tourists as the remnants of this medieval fort offer a great insight into the history of the early medieval South India.

History of Warangal Fort
Warangal served as the capital of the Hindu Shaivite Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Warangal Fort, of the 13th century was built during the reign of Ganapathi Deva in 1199 AD. The fort was later completed by his daughter Rani Rudramadevi in 1261 AD. Built with Geometric workings, the fort portrayed an exquisite Thorean Architectural style. Although most of the fort is in ruins today, but still Warangal fort is among the best attractions in Telangana. The fort stands as a fine example of the architectural brilliance of the past.

Architecture of Warangal Fort
Warangal Fort, a popular destination for the tourists is known for its architectural splendour. The fort is adorned with beautiful arches, pillars, towers and four huge stone gateways. The gateway of the fort is adorned with pillars that had been carved out of a single rock known as Kirti Thoranam. These extend upto about 19 kilometres between Hanamkonda and Warangal. These beautifully carved and intricately designed from top to bottom.

Located close to the Ekashila hill rock, there are different layers of the fort that spreads out. Warangal fort is bordered by three consecutive walls built around it making it almost impregnable for invaders to enter the premises in ancient period. The outer two compound walls standing at an altitude of 20 feet have been made of mud while the inner-most wall has been built of granite blocks.

Warangal Fort in Telangana was bounded by a wide water channel dug all around the fort. This secured the fort from the invaders. Tourists can trace ruins within the fort that lay scattered like the delicate stone carved structures, motifs and beautifully crafted designs representing animals like lions and swans.

The most striking is the great temple located in the central part of the fort known as Swayambhuva which is dedicated to Mother Earth. There are nearly 45 towers and pillars spread over a large area amidst which stands this temple. The fort has two fortifications, with the inner one consisting of four stone gateways made of granite.

These gateways also called as Torana dwara and more popularly as Hamsatoranas, are similar in design. The fort also houses a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which has now in ruins. Some other temples which adorned the fort were destroyed by the rulers of Qutub Shahi Dynasty. The fort as well as the entire town of Warangal had been popular for its sculptural beauty. The place also finds a mention in the books of Marco Polo during his visit to this Deccan region of South India. Even the Muslim invaders admired the beauty of this place and its amazing forts, temples and palaces. The majestic beauty of the place with its finest rock carvings makes this place worth visiting.

Tourism in Warangal comprises of the temples, forts, toranas, waterfall and the hilly terrain. The 1000-pillar temple and the Ramappa Temple in the district are glowing examples of the exquisite architecture patronized by the Kakatiyas. Warangal city today is part of a cluster of three towns - Warangal, Kazipet and Hanamkonda, the district headquarters. The attractions in the city are Planetarium, Musical Garden, Rock garden, Archeological Museum, Samskriti Vihar. The district is also known for its picturesque lakes, hand-woven thick cotton fibre carpets, scroll painting done on cloth in earth colours mainly at Cheriyal nearby, and sheet-metal artistry at Pembarti.

Thousand Pillar Temple
The Kakatiya King Rudra Deva, following the Chalukyan style of temple architecture, built one of the most famous monuments of Andhra Pradesh, the Thousand Pillar Temple, located in Hanamkonda, in 1163 AD. The 3 shrines are dedicated to Lord Shiva or Mahadeva, Vishnu and Surya - with its perforated stone screens, richly carved icons, meticulously designed pillars, stands testimony to the highly evolved brilliance of Kakatiya architecture. The six feet high monolithic Nandi is another major lure of this temple, also known as `Trikutalayam`, because of the three shrines within. There are a few festivals that are celebrated in the temple complex, which are Maha Shivaratri, Ganesha Festival, Karthika Poornami, Nagula Chaviti and Kunkuma Pooja.

Ramappa Temple
This temple is also know as Ramalingeswara temple, this is situated in Palampet village, which is 70-km from Warangal. This is a magnificent monument dating back to 1213 AD depicts the glory and richness of the Kakatiya kingdom.

Kolanupaka
Kolanupaka, 80-km from Hyderabad, is situated between Hyderabad and Warangal. This was the second capital town of Kalyani Chalukyas during the 11th century AD. During this period the village was a religious centre of Jains, and ranks among other great Jain centres in the south. It was also a great centre of Shaivism. Kolanupaka is also the birthplace of `Renukacharya` the great `Vira Saiva` saint born from the `Svayambaghu Linga` at this village and absorbed into it after preaching Vira Saivism.

Jain Mandir
The 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Mahaveer is a famous place of worship for Jains in the country. The temple is embellished with beautiful images of Thirthankaras. The 5ft high image of Mahavira is entirely carved of Jade.

Sri Veeranarayana Temple
The temple is constructed in the Chalukyan style around 1104 AD. The appearance of the temple indicates that it was originally a Jain temple converted into a Vaishnava shrine

Someshwara Temple
Someswara III the Kalyani Chalukya emperor constructed the temple of Someswara. Rare specimens of architecture and sculpture of the Western Chalukyan period can be found in this temple.

Kolanupaka Site Museum
The State Department of Archaeology and Museums established a sculptural gallery, which exhibits artefacts from the various historical monuments in Kolanupaka.

Pakhal Lake
Pakhal Lake is a manmade lake completed in 1213 AD by the Kakatiya king, Ganapathidev, by harnessing a small tributary of the Krishna River. It is located 50-km from Warangal and spreads over an area of 30-sq-km.

Khush Mahal
A testimony to a glorious past is the Khush Mahal, a masterpiece built by Shitabh Khan. Located close to the Warangal Fort, this magnificent edifice houses idols excavated in the surrounding areas.