Warangal is in Andhra Pradesh in Southern India. Historically known as Orugallu. Warangal is part of tertiary city including Kazipet and Hanamkonda. The region once came under Kakatiya dynasty. The legendary city was once the capital of the Kakatiyas in the 12th to 14th centuries. It is located in the Telangana region of the state. Warangal is 120 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.
Warangal was the capital of a Hindu Shaivite kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The old name of this city is Orugallu. 'Oru' means one and 'Kallu' means stone. The entire city was carved in a single rock, hence the name Orukallu meaning 'one rock'. The city was also called Ekasila nagaram. 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.
PLACE TO VISIT
Warangal Fort - Warangal fort, which dates back to the 13th century, is 2 km away from the Warangal Railway station. The fort was destroyed by invaders and only the ruins can now be seen. The fort had three layers of protection, remnants of which can still be seen today.
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.Recently when the archeological department was making excavations, they found a well below the kalyanamantapam, which leads us to the conclusion that the foundation of this wonderful structure was buit on water!.
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 and is the finest specimen of the temple architecture of the time.
Jain Temple at Kolanpak or Kolanupaka - 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 5 ft high image of Mahavira is carved entirely out of jade. Kolanupaka is off the town of Aler which lies almost exactly midway(75km) between Warangal and Hyderabad.
Komaravelli - Komaravelli is holy place where devotees worship Komaravelli Mallana Swamy. Komaravelli is situated just before 10 km from Siddipet while going from Hyderabad/Secundrabad. There is no train facility here, and it can only be reached by road.
HOW TO REACH
:Warangal is 157 km from Hyderabad, a 3-½ hour drive. There is a frequent bus
service between the two cities. You can also get here by train from Hyderabad.
Possibly the best way to reach warangal is by a train since there are ample number
of trains that stop at warangal through out the day. Situated on the major railway line
connecting the north and south of india it is possible to take a train from all the major
cities of the country like delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad etc.
