Warangal: Encyclopedia - Warangal

Warangal

Warangal is a city in Andhra Pradesh state of southeastern India. Warangal is 157 km northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad. Warangal is the administrative seat of Warangal District. It is the fourth-largest city in Andhra Pradesh with a population is 528,570 (agglomeration 577,190) (2001 census).

The city is home to Kakatiya Medical College, Kakatiya University, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Sciences(KITS-Wgl) and the National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NITW), formerly known as Regional Engineering College, Warangal (REC).

Warangal District has an area of 12,846 km², and a population of 2,818,832 (1991 census). The district is bounded by Karimnagar District to the north, Khammam District to the east and southeast, Nalgonda District to the southwest, and Medak District to the west. Warangal is well known for granite quarries (notably the black and brown varieties), grain market for rice, chillies, cotton, and tobacco.

Warangal - History

Warangal was the capital of a Hindu kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The Kakatiyas left many monuments, including an impressive fortress, four massive stone gateways, the Swayambhu temple dedicated to Shiva, and the Ramappa temple situated near Ramappa Lake. The cultural and administrative distinction of the Kakatiyas was mentioned by the famous traveller Marco Polo. Famous or well-known rules included Ganapathi Deva, Prathapa Rudra, and Rani (queen) Rudramma Devi.

Kakatiya rule ended in the 14th century, when Warangal was conquered by the Muslim-ruled Bahmani Sultanate, which later broke up into several smaller sultanates, of which the Golconda sultanate ruled Warangal. 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 in 1724. Hyderabad was annexed to India in 1948, and became an Indian state. In 1956 Hyderabad was partitioned as part of the States Reorganization Act, and Telangana, the Telugu-speaking region of Hyderabad state which includes Warangal, was joined to Andhra Pradesh.

Warangal - Tourist attractions

Warangal Fort Warangal fort is 6-km from Warangal Railway station, which dates back to the 13th century. The fort was destroyed by invaders, only remnants will be seen. The stone gateways are still seen. They are are also called kirti Toranas, the great gateways. The fort had three layers of protection, remnants of which can still be seen today. First layer is a wall made of mud which is currently about 40 feet high and encircles the entire fort, the circumference of which is a few kilometers. Second layer is a wall made up of granite rock. Than the actual main fort. The famous stone gateways which stand about 50 feet from the ground are a masterpiece and carved out of a single rock. The Kirti Toranas of Kakatiyas has become a symbol for Andhra Pradesh tourism and its replicas made out of concrete can be seen in various parts of the state.

Thousand Pillar Temple: This temple is one of the finest examples of Kakatiya architecture and sculpture. Rudra Deva built it in 1163 in the style of Chalukyan temples, star shaped and triple shrined.

Bhadra Kali Temple: Situated on a hilltop between Hanamkonda and Warangal, it is noted for its stone image of the Goddess Kali. The temple is located beside the "Bhadrakali" lake (Cheruvu).

Siddeshwara Temple:Which was built in 3rd century, its one of the pachimadwara muka temple (that is the entrance will be from west)

Jain Temple: The 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Mahavira is a famous place of worship for Jains in the country. The temple is embellished with beautiful images of Tirthankaras. The 5ft high image of Mahavira is carved entirely out of jade.

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. During this period the village was a religious centre of Jains, and ranks among other great Jain centers in the south. The State Department of Archaeology and Museums established the Kolanupaka Museum which exhibits exquisite artifacts from the numerous historical monuments in Kolanupaka.

Sri Veeranarayana Temple: This temple was built in the Chalukyan style around 1104.

Pakhal Lake: A man-made lake built in 1213 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 km².

Ramappa Temple: also known as Ramalingeswara Temple, this temple is situated in Palampet village, 70 km from Warangal. This is a beautiful monument dating back to 1213. It displays the glory and richness of the Kakatiya kingdom.

Vanavigyan Kendra: Situated on Hunter Road between Hanamkonda and Warangal.

The district currently hosts the Samakka-Sarakka Jatra congregation. Every two years, approximately 5 million people converge over three days around the small village of Tadvai, 90 km from Warangal city. This fair commemorates the valiant fight put up by a mother-daughter combination with the reigning rulers over an unjust law.

Getting There

• Air : The nearest Airport is at Hyderabad (140-km) connected by Indian Airlines flights to all the major cities of India.
• Rail : Warangal is well connected to all the major cities in India by rail.
• Road : Volvo buses ply from Warangal to Bangalore. The regular Hi-Tech bus services are available through APSRTC from Warrangal to all other cities in Hyderabad, Yadagirigutta, Vijayawada, Armur, Kolanupaka, Jangaon, Kodad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Suryapet, Palampet, Jagtial, Khammam, Bhadrachalam, Basara, Bangalore, Mysore and Tirupati once in every 15 minutes interval.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Warangal", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki