Warangal
India · Asia
About Warangal
Warangal, also known as Orugallu, is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 811,844 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an 406 km2 (157 sq mi).
Warangal served as the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty which was established in 1163. The monuments left by the Kakatiyas include fortresses, lakes, temples and stone gateways which, in the present, helped the city to become a popular tourist attraction. The Kakatiya Kala Thoranam was included in the emblem of Telangana by the state government and Warangal is also touted as the cultural capital of Telangana.
It is one of eleven cities in the country to have been chosen for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme by the Government of India. It was also selected as a smart city in the "fast-track competition", which makes it eligible for additional investment to improve urban infrastructure and industrial opportunities under the Smart Cities Mission.
UNESCO has included Warangal in its Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) in recognition of the city's outstanding efforts to make lifelong learning a reality for all at the local level.
The three urban cities: Kazipet, Hanamkonda and Warangal are together known as Warangal Tri-City. The three cities are connected by the National Highway 163 (Hyderabad–Bhuvanagiri–Warangal–Bhopalpatnam). The major stations are Kazipet Junction railway station and Warangal railway station.
Warangal travel guide
Getting there
The nearest airport is in Hyderabad, approximately 130 km away. It falls on the New Delhi - Chennai trunk train route so many important trains like Grand Trunk express call on here. By road its connected to Hyderabad through NH202. Warangal is very well connected by bus to Hyderabad, the closest big city with a high frequency of various quality services. Possibly the best way to reach Warangal is by a train since there are ample number of trains that stop here throughout 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.
1 Warangal railway station, Station Rd. (updated Jun 2020)
Getting around
Auto-rickshaws, which are three wheeled motor powered vehicles, with a carrying capacity of up to three. Autos ply on the main road between Warangal railway station and Kazipet railway station which is about 20 km away. There is no standardised metered tariff and one has to either share a single auto with others or negotiate a charge for single occupancy. One can drop down at Kazipet or Warangal railway stations, both are like twin cities. You also have Hanamkonda in between Warangal and Kazipet which are like Tricities. These 3 cities are well connected and together they are called Tri-City. In between the Warangal and Kazipet there is a major railway crossing which divides the trains towards Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad. You can take a two day trip to Warangal the places listed except Ramappa are within the 10-20 km circle. and one day you can spend for Ramappa which is about 70 km from the Warangal city. Roaming in an auto will be very cheap. You can also travel using city bus. The railway station in Kazipet is Junction.
See
You can take a one day tour of Warangal Fort, Thousand Pillar Temple, Bhadrakali Temple and Kakatiya Musical Garden, which are in the city. For the religious, a trip to Yadagirigutta (a holy shrine of Lord Narasimha), Jeedkal (Shrine of lord Rama - who sat there while looking for Sita), Kolunupaka (a holy shrine of Jains - with a statute of Mahavir in jade) can be immensely satisfying. On the way back to Warangal one can also visit Pembrathi to see the brass craftsmen at work.
1 Warangal Fort. (updated Jun 2020)
Temples 2 Bhadrakali Temple (భద్రకాళీ దేవాలయం). One of the oldest temples for Goddess Bhadrakali, believed to be built in 625 AD by King Pulakeshin II of Chalukya dynasty. (updated Jun 2020) Padmakshi Temple. (updated Jun 2020) Palakurthy Someshwaraswamy Temple. (updated Jun 2020) Shiva temple (Kondaparthy district). (updated Jun 2020) Rayaparthy Shiva Temple. Built in the 18th century. (updated Jun 2020) Siddeshwara Temple. Built in the 3rd century. (updated Jun 2020) 3 Thousand Pillar Temple. Renovated in 2004. (updated Jun 2020)
Parks Eturnagaram Forest Wildlife Refuge Govindarajula Gutta Kakatiya Musical Garden Kakatiya Rock Garden
Eat
The main hotels have some of the best restaurants in the city and serve both south Indian as well as north Indian food.
Drink & nightlife
There are many Dhabas, bars and restaurants in Warangal. The food quality is the best, and has the authentic 'Dhaba' taste.
Sleep
The costliest hotels are Ratna and Ashoka where the room costs about 400 for SR without AC and 600-700 for Single AC.
Ashoka Hotel (Hanamkonda) (near Ashoka Theater), ☏ +91 870 6692220. City Grand Hotel, S.V.P Road, Rangampet, ☏ +91 870-2454587. Offers well-furnished and comfortable air-conditioned rooms. ₹1450. Hima Residency, Near N.I.T (beside Sri Kalinga Restaurant), ☏ +91 870-2456522. Located near to National Institute Of Technology. Hotel Landmark Residency (Near Water Tank), Warangal-Kazipet Main Road, Nakkalagutta, Hanumakonda, ☏ +91 870-2546111, [email protected]. A 3 star hotel in Warangal, one of the few upscale hotels around, which in addition to the 3 in-house restaurants, also carries 2 banquet halls for official meetings and parties. Its features include king-size beds, flat screen TVs, elegant interiors, centralized AC's, exemplary service. Hotel Suprabha, Hanumakonda, ☏ +91 870-2573888. Punnami Hotel (AP Tourism Hotel), Kazipet, ☏ +91 870 2432312. Ratna Hotel, Pochamma Maidan, ☏ +91 870-2500096.
Go next
Bhuvanagiri Fort around 98 km from city of Warangal. Is a huge rock fort on very smooth rock. At the foot of the hill is Bhongir bus stop. It is a marvelous experience to climb the fort and needs great skill and balance at few places. Totally an awesome place for trekkers and rock climbers. Guntur City Hyderabad Karimnagar Pakhal Lake Vijayawada Ramappa Temple
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.