Once the capital of Andhra Pradesh's warrior dynasty-the Kakatiya rulers, Warangal proudly preserves the ancient Kakatiya heritage in the form of exquisitely built temples, forts and other monuments. Warangal lies 157 kms away from Andhra Pradesh's capital city of Hyderabad. The beautiful lakes and wildlife of the place complements the ancient heritage and strengthens Warangal's claim of being a major tourist destination.

Accommodation and connectivity

Hyderabad is the airport nearest to Warangal at a distance of 157 kms. Warangal figures prominently in the railway map of India. There are trains between Warangal and most major destinations of India. Regular bus services are available from Hyderabad, Karimnagar,Vijayawada and other districts of the state.

Accommodation facilities in Warangal are very good. Apart from private hotels, the state tourism department also runs a few good hotels.

Tourist Attractions

The Thousand Pillar Temple

The famous Thousand-Pillar Temple is dedicated to the gods Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. The major attraction of the temple are the thousand pillars in black stone. All the pillars have exquisite geometric designs carved out on them. A life size cut-out of Nandi -the bull on a granite stone is also very impressive. There also are rock cut elephants on both sides of the main shrine.


Bhadrakali Temple

The Bhadrakali Temple was built during the Kakatiya period and is situated on a hillock. There is a 2.7 metre tall stone image of the deity-Goddess Kali. The architectural influence is that of the Chalukyan period..


Warangal Fort

The Warangal fort was built by Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva and his daughter Rudramma during the 13th century. The fort is basically a mud and brick structure most of which is in ruins now. There are four huge stone gateways quite similar to the ones at Sanchi and points towards a Buddhist influence. The circumference of the outer wall of the fort is 49 kms which is regarded as very large and unique.

Jain Temple

The 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Lord Mahaveer in Warangal is thronged by members of the community from all over India. The temple has many beautiful images of Thirthankaras. There is a 5 ft high image of Mahavira that looks most attractive.

Excursion Delights

Ramappa Temple

The Ramappa temple is famous for meticulously done carvings on the walls, pillars and ceilings. The temple is located 64 kms off Warangal. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This beautiful temple stands on a six feet high star-shaped platform with numerous date palm trees dotting the surroundings. It is interesting to note that the temple is named after the sculptor of the temple and not after the presiding deity. The beautiful Ramappa lake built around the same period flows from near the temple.

Pakhal wild life sanctuary

The Pakhal sanctuary covers an area of 90 acres around the lake. Many different animal and bird species including tigers, leopards, hyenas and deer are found here.


Eturnagaram Sanctuary

In the Eturnagaram Sanctuary, apart from different animal and bird species, precious trees like teak are also found. The sanctuary covers an area of 812 sq. km. The area is mostly plain with some hilly terrain at altitude ranging from 200-450 metres with many streams and springs. The wildlife sanctuary is located 90 kms off Warangal.

Kolanupaka is situated between Hyderabad and Warangal. During the medieval period, the village was a religious centre of Jainism. In present times also, the place holds lots of significance for the Jain community. The state department of Archeology has established a sculptural museum at the place.

Warangal may not be a widely known tourist destination of India, yet the art and architecture of the medieval period that the place preserves still attracts sizeable number of tourists.