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Warangal is located on northern
Andhra Pradesh State lies along the
Chennai -Kazipet-Delhi
rail route. Warangal was the ancient capital of the Kakatiyas, an Andhra
dynasty that flourished in the 12th century AD. The city stands out for
its beautiful lakes,
temples and
wildlife. It is very rich in
antiques and relics.
Warangal's
fort, lying southeast of the present-day city, was once surrounded by two
walls, traces of the outer wall remain, as do the four stone gateways
('sanchar') of the inner wall. A thousand-pillared temple, built in 1162,
is located within the city itself. Warangal is now a commercial and
industrial center.
Prola Raja of the Kakatiya dynasty founded the place in the 12th century
AD, but some identify it with Worakalli, the capital of the Adeva Rajas of
Tuluva Andhra or Telengana in the 8th century AD. Warangal or Varankal is
believed to be the Korun Kula of Ptolemy, while another name is
Akshalinagar, evidently Yeksilanagar mentioned by Raghunath Bhaskar in his
Aravachan Kosh.
The ancient name of Warangal was known to be Orugallu or Omtikonda on
account of huge boulder like hillock situated near the swayambhu Siva
Temple and is also called "EKASILANAGARAM". In course of time,
it was called as "Orugallu", and finally known as Warangal.
Warangal has many places, which attracts tourists in large number. It
finds a reference in the travel diaries of Marco Polo.
Thousand
Pillar Temple
This temple is a fine specimen of Kakatiya architecture and sculpture. It
was built by Rudra Deva in 1163 AD in the style of Chalukyan temples, star
shaped and triple shrined. The 3 shrines are dedicated to Lord Shiva,
Vishnu and Surya. The temple is famous for its richly carved pillars,
screens and detailed sculpture. The black basalt Nandi, a monolith, has a
lovely polished finish.
Bhadra Kali
Temple
Situated on a hilltop between Hanamkonda and Warangal, it is noted for
its stone image of the Goddess Kali. She is depicted with eight arms and
carries a weapon in each hand.
Warangal Fort
Warangal fort is 12-km from Hanamakonda, which dates back to the 13th
century. The Kakatiya king, Ganapati Deva and his daughter Rudramma built
the fort. Though the main fort has been ravaged over time, the remains of
the four huge stone gateways, similar to those of Sanchi, along with
several exquisite pieces of sculpture can still be seen in and around the
fort.
Ramappa
Temple
Also know as Ramalingeswara temple, this is situated in Palampet village,
which is 70-km form 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.
Literary evidences reveal 'Kolanupaka' as the birthplace of 'Renukacharya'
the great 'Vira Saiva' saint, believed to be 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
Kolanupaka came into prominence when it was made the alternate capital of
the Kalyani Chalukyas in the 11th century AD. The State Department of
Archaeology and Museums established a sculptural gallery, which exhibits
artifacts from the various historical monuments in Kolanupaka.
Pakhal Lake
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.
Air:
The nearest Airport is Hyderabad
(140-km) connected by Indian Airlines flights with
Bombay ,
Bangalore ,
Bhubaneshwar
, Calcutta ,
Delhi , Madras,
Nagpur, and Vishakhapatnam.
Continental Aviation also operates flights from Hyderabad to Bombay.
Rail:
Warangal is linked to all-important cities in India by rail.
Road:
Regular bus services are available (APSRTC) from Hyderabad,
Yadagirigutta,
Vijayawada, Armur, Kolanupaka,
Jangaon, Kodad, Karimnagar,
Nizamabad,
Adilabad, Suryapet, Palampet,
Jagtial, Khammam,
Bhadrachalam,
Basara,
Bangalore ,
Mysore and
Tirupati .
Local Transport
Coaches are available from the Depot Manager, New Bus Depot, Andhra
Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, Hanamakonda.
Star Hotels:
Hotel Ashoka
Hotel Ratna
Hotel Shankar
Budget hotels:
Vijaya Lodge
Maheswara Lodge
Broadway Lodge
Radhika Lodge
Hospitals:
Jaya Hospital
Rohini Hospital
Sarath Laser Clinic
MGM (Mahatma Gandhi Memorial hospital)
TB - Hospital
Summer- Max. 39.6°C and Min. 23.2°C
Winter- Max. 30°C and Min. 13.5°C
Rainfall: 82.5 cm. (June to September)
Best Season: September to February
Population: 447,657 (1991 Census)
STD Code: 08712
Hyderabad : 140-km
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WARANGAL
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OF WARANGAL
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RAILWAY NETWORK MAP OF WARANGAL