About Warangal

Country: India | State: Telangana

Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days

Nearest City to Warangal: Warangal, Hyderabad (149 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Warangal: October to March

Peak Season: November to February

At a distance of 149 km from Hyderabad, 142 km from Nalgonda, 118 km from Khammam, 241 km from Vijayawada and 523 km from Visakhapatnam, Warangal or Orugallu or Ekasila Nagaram is a historical city in Warangal district of Telangana. Warangal is the district headquarters and the second largest city in Telangana after Hyderabad. It is also one of the famous weekend getaways from Hyderabad and an important historical site in Telangana. This is one of the popular places to experience Telangana tourism. Hanamkonda is its twin city.

Warangal was the capital of a Hindu Shaivite kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Its old name was Orugallu where Oru means one and Kallu means stone. The entire city was reportedly carved using a single rock. The cultural and administrative distinction of the Kakatiyas was mentioned by the famous traveler Marco Polo. Famous rulers of Kakatiya dynasty include Ganapathi Deva, Prathapa Rudra, and Rani Rudramma Devi. After the defeat of Prathapa Rudra, the Musunuri Nayaks united seventy two Nayak chieftains and captured Warangal from Delhi sultanate and ruled for fifty years. Jealousy and mutual rivalry between Nayaks ultimately led to the downfall of Hindus in 1370 AD. It was occupied by Bahmani Sultanate followed by the takeover of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and later in 1724, it had become part of Hyderabad state.

The Warangal map shows many historical monuments, including an impressive fortress, four massive stone gateways, Thousand Pillar Temple, the Swayambhu temple dedicated to Shiva, and the Ramappa temple situated near Ramappa Lake. Along with these, Eturnagaram Wild Life Sanctuary, Musical Garden, Inavolu Temple, Rock Garden, Ramappa Lake, Pakhal Lake, Laknavaram Lake, Bhadrakali Temple and Sammakka Sarakka temple are the other famous places to visit in Warangal. The Sammakka-Sarakka Jatra hosted in once in two years and attracts almost ten million people, mostly tribal population.

The nearest airport to reach Warangal city is in Hyderabad, which is 176 km away. Warangal railway station is linked to major cities in India like Hyderabad, Vizag, Chennai, Madurai, Luknow, Rajasthan, Pondicherry, Jammu, Adilabad, Mangalore, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Tirupati, Patna, New Delhi, Kolkata, Mysore, Coimbatore, Bilaspur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Trivandrum, Gaya, Gorakhpur, Bhubaneswar and Kochi. Warangal is very well connected by bus to Hyderabad, Khammam, Vijayawada, Karimnagar, Rajahmundry and Tirupati.

The best season to visit Warangal is from October to March while the Peak Season is from November to February. It usually takes 2 days to visit major places around Warangal.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Very Good
STD Code: 08712
Languages Spoken: Telugu, English, Hindi
Major Festivals: Details Not Available
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Warangal

By Air

Nearest Airport: Hyderabad - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (176 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Warangal Railway Station (0 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Warangal Bus Station (0 Kms)
Hanmakonda Bus Station (3 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Warangal

Heritage

#1 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 6 Kms from Warangal Railway Station (in Hanmakonda part of the city), Thousand Pillar Temple is one of the finest examples of Kakatiya architecture.

Rudra Deva built this temple in 1163 AD in the style of star shaped Chalukyan temples and named after him as Sri Rudreshwara Swamy Temple, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Separate shires for Lord Surya & Lord Vishnu in the temple are connected to main shrine by a square mandap in the centre. A beautifully carved giant Nandi (bull) is seen on the platform connecting the shrines. The exterior wall of the temple, the ceiling slabs and the four central pillars of the mandap are decorated with finely carved sculptures. Poojas are still performed.

The actual thousand pillar hall situated behind Nandi in the temple complex is currently being renovated by the archelogical department and closed for visitors.

The temple is located between Warangal and Hanmakonda Chowrasta, close to main road.

Timings: 6 AM .....

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Heritage

#2 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 5 Kms from Warangal Railway Station, the historic Warangal Fort was built by Kakatiyas in 12th Century AD. The King Rudradeva started construction of this Fort when the capital was shifted from Hanamankonda. It was further extended by his nephew, Ganapati Deva and was finally completed by Princess Rani Rudrama Devi. The fort was mostly destroyed by invaders and only the ruins can be seen now. It is one of the popular tourist places to visit near Hyderabad as a weekend getaway.

Most of the fort is filled with settlements and small area in the center of fort has Open Air Museum with architectural remains of Kakatiyas. The famous stone gateways (called Kirti Toranas) are situated here, about 30 feet high and still standing, a masterpiece carved from a single rock.

The Shambhulingeshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is opposite to Open Air Museum.

Timings: 10 AM - 7 PM.

Entry Fee: .....

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Heritage | Pilgrimage

#3 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 5 Kms from Warangal Railway Station, the Bhadra Kali Temple is situated on top a hillock towards Hanamkonda. This temple is famous for 2.7 meter stone idol of the deity with eight arms and a weapon in each hand, in sitting posture. This deity is believed to be worshipped by the Chalukyan ruler Pulakesin-II in the year 625 AD.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, found in peaceful mood. This temple is located on the banks of Bhadrakali Lake. There is a park adjacent to the temple along Bhadrakali Lake which also has a shrine for Lord Siva in the form of Sri Chandra Mouleeswara.

Brahmotsavas are held every year in the month of April/May in a grand manner. The festival attracts thousands of devotees from all over the region of Telangana.

Timings: 5 AM to 1 PM & 3 - 9 PM. No lunch break during festivals. Photography not allowed.

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Heritage | Pilgrimage

#4 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 83 km from Warangal and 81 km from Hyderabad, the 2000 years old Jain Temple of Mahavira is located in Kolanupaka village (also called as Kulpak) in Nalgonda district. The temple is decorated with beautiful images of Tirthankaras and it's one of the important Jain pilgrimage sites in the country. It is also a popular place to visit around Warangal & Hyderabad. Kulpakji is an important pilgrimage center for Swetambara Jains of South India. This is one of the popular one day trip near Hyderabad and among the prime place to visit on a Hyderabad tour.

According to the mythological legend, the main temple of Kolanupaka is said to have been built by Emperor Bharata, son of King Dushyanta and Queen Sakuntala. Jainism was prevalent in Andhra Pradesh &

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Heritage

#5 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 15 km from Mulugu, 65 km from Warangal, 116 km from Karimnagar, 152 km from Khammam, 210 km from Nalgonda, 211 km from Hyderabad, and 280 km from Vijayawada, Ramappa Temple is a historical temple situated at Palampet village in the Warangal district of Telangana. It is one of the famous weekend getaways from Hyderabad and among the most important places of heritage in Telangana.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Ramappa Temple or Ramalingeshwara Temple was built by General Recherla Rudra, during the period of the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva in 1213 AD. As per history, it took 40 years to build this temple. The temple got its name from Ramappa, the chief sculptor of the temple. It's probably the only temple in the country to be known by the name of its sculptor, and among the popular places to experience Telangana Tourism. Known for its splendid architecture & intricate carvings, the temple has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site under 'The Glorious Kakatiya .....

Distance (From Warangal Railway Station): 66 Kms
Trip Duration (From Warangal Railway Station - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
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Pilgrimage

#6 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 6 Kms from Warangal Railway Station (in Hanmakonda part of the city), Siddheshwara Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The temple architecture is marvelous and is similar to Chalukyan style of architecture. The temple as whole is decorated amazingly with intricately carved pillars. This is an important shivaite temple in Warangal. Devotees throng to this holy temple during the Maha Shivarathry festival. The temple has a majestic look and the surroundings are serene and peaceful.

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Pilgrimage

#7 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 82 Kms from Warangal and 82 Kms from Hyderabad, Sri Veeranarayana Temple is an ancient temple built in 403 AD, located in Kolanupaka village in Nalgonda District.

This highly revered temple is dedicated to Shri Veeranarayana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple architecture is good and it resembles the Chalukya style of architecture. This is an important Vaishnava temple in Warangal. It is claimed that this was an ancient Jain temple later converted to a Hindu temple.

The temple is situated at a distance of 1 Km from Kolanupaka Bus Station and 1.5 Kms from Jain Temple. It is on the way to Sri Someswara Temple which is 0.5 Kms away. It seems the temple lost its glory and currently being maintained by Archeological Department. Poojas are still being performed.

Timings: 7 AM to 12 PM and 5 PM to 6:30 PM.

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Park

#8 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 5 Kms from Warangal Railway Station and 1 Km from Bhadrakali Temple, Musical Garden is a beautiful garden situated on the banks of Bhadrakali Lake.

The main attraction of this garden is a magnificent musical fountain with a huge rock having an artificial water fall in the background. Though the park has Rose Garden, Children Park and Duck Pond, it's not a well maintained place. The park still attracts large crowd on weekends and Holdays.

Boating in Bhadrakali Lake is available from here. The only show of Musical Fountain starts at 7:45 PM.

Timings: 9 AM to 8 PM. Entrance: Rs.10, Camera: Rs.20.

The Planitarium adjacent to Garden entrance offers two shows daily at 6:30 PM and 7:45 PM.

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Pilgrimage

#9 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 18 Kms from Warangal, Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple located in Inavole (also called as Inole) is considered as one of historical temples of Shiva in this region.

The Lord Shiva in this temple is in human form along with his two conserts. The construction of this 11th century temple was ordered by Sri Ayanna, a minister of the Kakatiya dynasty. The main attraction of the temple is the 108 pillars put together in form of a chariot. The rich architectural carvings depicting the Kakatiya dynasty with 4 entrance gates and a Keerthi Toranam on the main entrance attract the devotees. This large temple complex is being maintained by archeological dept. Poojas are still performed.

To reach Inavole, drive for 11 Kms from Khammam highway (there is a big arch entrance here welcoming to Mallikarjuna temple), take right turn and drive for 7 Kms. All buses towards Khammam stop at Arch entrance & autos are available to Inavole from here.

Timings: 6 AM to 12 PM & 4 .....

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Backwaters | Wildlife

#10 of 16 Places to Visit in Warangal

At a distance of 50 Kms from Warangal and 130 Kms from Hyderabad, Phakal Lake is constructed by Ganapathi Deva in 1213 AD by harnessing a small tributary of the Krishna River. This lake is spread over an area of 30 Sq. Kms. This is an ideal weekend getaway around Hyderabad

Adjacent to the lake, Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over 839 sq. kms. The sanctuary presents a beautiful landscape with a dense and a rich store of animals. it is indeed a delight for the tourists to see so many animals amidst a wonderful backdrop.

One can spot a tiger or a leopard or a bear and one can find a herd of deer roaming about freely in the wild. The sanctuary is also harboring Marmals like panthers, hyensa, wolf, wild dogs, jackals, sloth bear, nilgal, porcupine, langoor, Reptiles like python, cobra, common krait, monitor lizard and Crocodiles.

This place is connected by direct buses from Warangal.

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