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India - Telangana - Warangal - Warangal Fort - 129

Warangal; (also known as Orugallu and Ekasila Nagaram) is a city and the district headquarters of Warangal district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is located 148 kilometres northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad and for administrative purposes comprises the Warangal, Hanmakonda and Kazipet areas.

 

The city is known for its heritage and in late 2014 was included in the Government of India's proposed HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana, along with eleven other Indian cities. A few months earlier, the national government listed it among the 100 proposed smart cities that will be eligible for additional investment to improve urban infrastructure and industrial opportunities.

 

Warangal is the second-fastest growing city in Telangana state, after Hyderabad. After taking control of 42 gram panchayats, its population has exceeded 1 million and this growth, plus its historical significance, caused the government to authorise the prefer Greater to the name of Warangal Municipal Corporation in early 2015.

 

Warangal has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.

 

ETYMOLOGY

"Oru" in Tamil means 'single' and "Kal" in Tamil is referred as a 'stone'. There is no Telugu equivalent to Oru and Kal. The word "Orugallu" synonyms, one rock, which describes the city was carved out of a single large stone. The word "Ekashilanagaram" is other way of describing the name Orugallu which literally means same as "City Carved Out of Single Stone", used very commonly in the period of kakatiyan empire. As the time went on, orugallu was changed to "Warangallu" and finally settled as Warangal.

 

HISTORY

Warangal, then known as Oragullu, was the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty from 1195 CE until that ruling family was defeated by the Delhi Sultanate in 1323. The city was then renamed as Sultanpur.

 

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 Marco Polo. After the defeat of Prataparudra II, the Musunuri Nayaks united 72 Nayak chieftains and captured Warangal from Delhi Sultanate and ruled for fifty years. After the demise of the Nayaks, Warangal was part of the Bahmani Sultanate and then the Sultanate of Golconda.

 

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, which included the Telangana region and some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. 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, became part of Andhra Pradesh.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Warangal is located at 18.0°N 79.58°E. It has an average elevation of 302 metres.

 

It is settled in the eastern part of Deccan Plateau made up of granite rocks and hill formations which left the region barren making the cultivation depend on seasonal rainfalls. There are no river flows nearby warangal, which makes it to rely on Kakatiya Canal which originates from Sriram Sagar Project to meet the drinking water requirements. Located in the semi-arid region of Telangana, Warangal has a predominantly hot and dry climate. Summer starts in March, and peak in May with average high temperatures in the 42 °C range. The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September with about 550 mm of precipitation. A dry, mild winter starts in October and lasts until early February, when there is little humidity and average temperatures in the 22–23 °C range. Many hill rocks and lakes are settled around warangal. Padmakshi hill and Govinda Rajula Gutta are two famous hills with temples. Bhadrakali and Waddepally are the two famous lakes which adds scenic beauty and also are the major sources of drinking water.

 

WIKIPEDIA

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Uploaded on July 3, 2015
Taken on February 18, 2015