Telangana360

Kolanupaka Sri Someswara Temple or Sri Chandikamba Sametha Someshwaraswami temple as called by locals is a Shiva Templelocated in kolanupaka village (also called as Kulpak), Alair or Aler Mandal, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district in Telangana State, India. The main deity of the temple is lord Shiva in the form of Swayambu or Someshwara Swamy, and his consort is Shakti or devi Chandika. There is a huge Saharsalinga inside one of the temple sanctums, which gives it the name of Veyi Lingala gudi, meaning the temple of the thousand lingas.  The temples in the complex include those of Sri Renukacharya, Sri Mallikarjunaswami, Chandeshwari, Kundamamba, Kotilingeswaraswami, Kala Bhairaviswami, Anjaneya, Rudranidraswami, Veerabhadraswami, Kumaraswami and the Ekadasharudrula temple. The temple has Ganapathi and Nataraja idols and Mahavir in yoga posture of the Chalukya period in the 12th century. This Shiva temple is situated around 82 km from Warangal and located near Kulpak ji, a famous Jain te...

Gangapuram Chenna Keshava Swamy Temple is located in Gangapuram Village, Jadcherla Mandal, Mahabubnagar district, Telangana State, India. Built in 1042 AD is one of the important temples existing in South India and it is mentioned in Skandha Purana. This place is located about 5 Kms from Jadcherla towards Kalwakurthy in Mahabubnagar District.  The place became very famous during the reign of Chalukya kings of Badami. The Chalukya king of Kalyani Sri Thrailokya Malla Somwswarudu (1042 A.D. to 1063 A.D.) built Kesava Swamy Temple.  From then this place was known as Kesavapuram. Earlier it was called as Mayapuram, Mathsyapuram and dhurithapuram etc. the main deity of this temple is Sri Kesava Swmay and the sculpture here is very attractive. There is an evidence of Jaina Kalamukha and shiva religions spread here. Every year festival of this temple will be celebrated on the day of Radhasapthami and people participate in this event on a large scale. Sri Chenna Kesava Swamy is the pr...

Gollatha Temple is a holy shrine for Jains located near Alvanpalli village, Jadcherla Mandal of Mahabubnagar District, Telangana State, India. Alvanpalli (Gollathagudi) village is located about 10 km from Jadcherlatown and nearly 30 km from the district headquarters of Mahabubnagar. It is well accessible by road.  According to the department of archaeology and museums, there are only two ancient structures in the country built of bricks. While one lies in total ruin at Gollatha Gullu in Alwanpally in Jadcherla, the other is the oldest Hindu temple built during the Gupta period located at Bhitargaon, Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The Gollatha Gullu, near the is a unique temple and stands amid an empty space with a wall around it and a locked gate. Built entirely of bricks, this temple stands as a model for brick technology of the time, according to ancient texts. A familiar blue board lets us know that it is under the protection of the archaeology department, but it is obviousl...

Rock art is a form of landscape art that includes designs that have been placed on boulder and cliff faces, cave walls and ceilings, and on the ground surface. Petroglyphs are rock carvings (rock paintings are called pictographs) made by pecking directly on the rock surface using a stone chisel and a hammerstone.  Of all the questions with regard to rock art the most problematic is its dating. For the relative dating of rock art the following aspects are taken into consideration.  They are: 1. Thematic content 2. Superimposition 3. State of preservation 4. Colour scheme 5. Archaeological evidence. 1. Thematic content The thematic content in the rock art of Telangana mainly consists of animal figures such as deer species, humped bull (Bos indicus), hare, rabbit , mangoose, porcupine, dog, tiger etc., and birds such as peacock, human and anthropomorphic figures, hand prints and geometric figures. The thematic content of the paintings and also the petroglyphs, is useful for under...

Hero stones, also known as Veeragallu, are a type of memorial stone that are commonly found in the Telugu region of India. They are typically erected in memory of a brave warrior or hero who died in battle or while defending their community. The history of hero stones in the Telugu region can be traced back to the early medieval period, with the earliest known examples dating back to the 5th century CE. These early hero stones were primarily made of granite and were typically adorned with intricate carvings and inscriptions detailing the deeds and accomplishments of the person being honored.Over time, the tradition of erecting hero stones spread throughout the Telugu region and became a common practice among various communities. The inscriptions on these stones were usually in the form of poetry, and many of them are considered to be important historical records of the culture and society of the time.In addition to honoring warriors and heroes, hero stones were also used to commemorate...

Mudumal Niluvu Raallu are an arrangement of menhirs that dates back to 5000 BC located in Mudumal village, Krishna Mandal, Narayanpet district of Telangana State, India.  Spread across nearly 89 acres, there are close to 80 tall menhirs of 10 to 14 feet height, accompanied by nearly 3,000 alignment stones. Historians and archeologists believe as the only megalithic site in India, where a depiction of star constellation has been identified. This site has three kinds of burial set-ups which indicate presence of a social division and the practice of revering the departed souls. The Menhirs also offer insight into how observant and scientific the community was as the Menhirs appear to be tracking the sun’s movement. Based on the kind of shadow cast and based on the location of the sun at sunrise the people in those days might have determined seasons and planned agriculture activities. Experts have found an inscription of the Ursa Major constellation on a flat rock here. “This is the on...

The Turquoise Throne (Telugu: Vaiḍhurya simhasanam) was originally covered with an gold and turquoise enamel was a famous jewel-studded throne of Warangal which became royal throne Takht-i-Firoza (Hindustani: Takht-e-firoza) of the Bahmani Sultans of Deccan in India.  March 23, 1363 : Warangal goldsmiths had a reputation for jewellery making. It was a gift by Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, then king of Warangal. Over a period of time, this throne became one of the most important icons of the Bahmani royalty and heritage Telangana region was liberated by Musunuri Nayaks in the early 1330s. Nearly after three decades, the King of Telangana (or Warangal) Kapaya Nayaka came up with a proposal that caught the imagination of the Bahmani sultan. Kapaya Nayaka agreed to present the Bahmani with such a wonderful gift that is worthy only to be offered to a great king if they accept a truce and fix a frontier between the two kingdoms. This came after Nagadeva, son of Kapaya Nayaka was brutally kille...

Kaulas or Kowlas Fort is located in Kaulas Village, Jukkal mandal, Kamareddy District, Telangana State, India , at the border of three states – Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Kaulas or Koulas village, which holds the illustrious past like a jewel in the crown, presently a gram panchayat, falls under Jukkal mandal. However, locals say that the fort has been empty for decades now but sees many visitors. In the past there kingdoms Kaulas, Bodhan and Nizamabad were called Indur. Spread across 6 sq km with two entrances, Kaulas is perhaps one of the largest royal forts in the state. The mega fort sits majestically on the outskirts of Kaulas village, less than 1 km from the main village, and is surrounded by the Kaulas nala (stream). According to historians, it was built in Indra IV’s period of the Rashtrakuta dynasty in their political capital and was later captured by the Chalukyas of the Kalyani dynasty in the third quarter of the 10th century before it was captured by the Kakatiya...

The Mughal Empire's direct rule over Telangana (1687 - 1724) was a relatively short but pivotal period  that bridged the fall of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda and the rise of the independent Asaf Jahi dynasty (the Nizams of Hyderabad). Following the brutal siege and conquest of the Golconda Fort in 1687 by Emperor Aurangzeb, the region was incorporated into the Mughal Deccan as the Suba (province) of Hyderabad. This era was marked by political instability, frequent Maratha incursions, local rebellions, and administrative challenges, which ultimately paved the way for the establishment of a de facto independent state under Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I. End of an Era: It marked the definitive end of the prosperous and culturally distinct Qutb Shahi Sultanate. Political Transition: This period served as a direct prelude to the founding of the princely state of Hyderabad, which would become a major power in South India for over two centuries. Administrative Continuity and Change: The...

Thatikonda or Tatikonda Fort is located in Thatikonda village, Station Ghanpur mandal, Jangaon district, Telangana State, India. Thatikonda Fort is built in the 17th century by Sardar Sarvai Papadu, popularly known as Sardar Sarvai Papanna of Quillashapur, a local leader who had then defied Mughal imperial authority and also revolted against the Golconda Nawabs. The historic Quilla i.e., hill fort is situated in survey no. 513 and the gadis are in survey no. 369. The fortifications lie on the top of the hillock. The mud fortification wall in intermittent patches runs from the top to the fort of the hill to join the gadi. The gadi is square in plan covering an area of about 5.36 acres. The basal width of wall is 3 feet and the height is about 16-20 feet. The material used for the construction of walls from the basement until 3 feet is stone and above this, it is made of mud. The mud wall consists of pati earth, which is mixed with potsherds, gravel, coarse sand, small chips etc. The mu...

Akkanna Madanna Temple is located in Shalibanda, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. The presiding deity in this temple is Lord Mahankali. The temple is at a distance of 1 kilometer from Charminar It is popular during the festival of Bonalu that is celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The temple is famous for the Ghatam procession during the Bonalu festival which is majorly celebrated in the holy place. As per the records, nearly 1 lakh devotees visit the temple during Ghatam. During the festival, the devotees present an offering to Devi Mahakali. Architecture The beautiful temple is built in blush and coral shades of red, with pillars and ceilings of carvings and inscriptions of Hindu God and Goddess. The pillars and ceiling of this temple has carving and inscription of hindu Gods and Goddess and their related stories and tales. The temple premise is a walled complex and houses several small temples within it. The main tower has images of Gods and Goddesses in i...

Sir Ronald Ross Building or Heritage Building of World Medicine or Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Parasitology is a malaria research institute located in Begumpet, Secunderabad (Mandal), Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. Major Ronald Ross (13 May 1857 – 16 September 1932) was a British Doctor born in Almora, in current Uttarakhand, India. He was the first of ten children to be born to General Sir Campbell Claye Grant Ross, a British officer stationed in Secunderabad as as Duty Medical Officer for the Military. At the age of eight, he was sent to England to be educated and spent much of his childhood with an aunt and uncle on the Isle of Wight. He commenced the study of medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London in 1875; entered the Indian Medical Service in 1881.  He served in the third Burmese War in 1885 as a member of the Indian Medical Service. After studying bacteriology in London from 1888 to 1889, he returned to India and commenced the study of malaria in 1892. ...

Errum Manzil or Iram Manzil is an expansive palace s located on top of a hillock off the Irram Manzil Colony, Panjagutt, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. It was built around the year 1870 by Nawab Safdar Jung Musheer-ud-daula Fakhrul Mulk, a nobleman of Hyderabad state. The story goes that Errum Manzil was the result of a wager between the Nawab and Sir Vicar ul Umra as to who could build a higher palace. One of the first palaces to come upon a hillock facing the Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, Iram Manzil (meaning heavenly abode), has been a silent surveyor of the city ever since it was built. The mansion is located atop a hillock known as Erragadda or "red hill" in the native Telugu language. For this reason, nawab Fakhrul Mulk decided to name the new palace "Iram Manzil" (Persian for 'Paradise Mansion'), because the Persian word 'Iram' (ايرام), meaning 'Paradise,' sounds like "Erra" (ఎర్ర), the Telugu adjective meaning "red....

Khazana Building Museum is located Near Golconda Fort in Khair Complex, Toli Chowki, Hyderabad, Telangana 500008, India. It has a collection of relics from Qutb Shahi, Bahmani and Kakatiya dynasties.  Khazana Building, As the name suggests, Khazana Building was the place where the kingdoms Khazana or treasure was stored. It was the treasury of Ibrahim Qutb Shahi. Khazana Building is located close to the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad. Located on the main road, on the way from Fateh Darwaza to Bala Hissar road. The museum houses cannons from the Qutb Shahi period, stone sculptures from neighbouring regions of Chalukya and Kakatiya period as well as Qutb shahi and Bahmani dynasties, rare coins to centuries old relics unearthed during various excavations etc, 3,500 arms and weapons of Qutb Shahi period among others. As is with most Islamic buildings, there are religious centres inside the complex. Ashrafi Mosque in the eastern quarters of the building, Chani mosque (built during Ibrahim Q...

Shamsheer Kota is located in Golconda, Hyderabad district, Telangana State, India. During the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, royal arms and weaponry were stored in this building. There are many historic monuments near Golconda fort of Hyderabad and one of them is Shamsheer Kotha monument which is located near Khazana Building on the main road from the Fateh Darwaza to Bala Hissar. There are series of rooms for storing arms and weapons and a masjid, constructed in Qutb Shahi style. There is a large cannon on display at the entrance gate here that reflects the glory of historic era of Qutb Shahis who had ruled this region for nearly two centuries.

Khursheed Jah Devdi a beautiful two-story structure is a European styled architectural palace located on Government Degree College Rd, Murgi Chowk, Charminar, Hussaini Alam, Hyderabad, Telangana 500064, India The palace, built by Paigah noble Nawab Fakhruddin, is European-styled and is considered as one of the best examples of Palladian architecture.   Nawab Khursheed Jah Paigah was the maternal grandson of the third Nizam of Hyderabad. Khursheed Jah Baradari was his residence, near the Charminar. It is a gorgeous Palladian mansion with imposing pillars and a strikingly European design. While it is commonly referred to as a baradari (literally means having 12 doors) or a devdi (sort of like a haveli) it is counted as one of Hyderabad's best palaces. The construction of the palace was started by Sir Khursheed Jah's grandfather, and completed by his father. It is said, that when the Paigah family lived in this palace, it was full of expensive furniture, chandeliers and paintings...