Telangana360

The Ekaveera Devi temple located in Mogilichral,  Geesugonda  Mandal, Warangal was   greatly patronised by the Kakatiya kings, is now in state of neglect. Perhaps the only one of its kind in the region, the rulers used to offer prayers at the temple everyday, particularly the great queen Rani Rudrama, according to local lore. Located 12 kilometres from the Warangal district headquarters, the Ekaveera Devi temple is situated on the banks of a tank in Mogilicherla village. It was built during 1156-1196 AD and Kakatiya kings used to offer prayers daily till the empire collapsed. It was also said that Rani Rudrama was ambushed here at this temple by her opponents. The Kakatiyas had greatly patronised temples. They also built tanks adjacent to temples where habitations too came up sustaining on the tank. Similarly, in Mogilicherla village too, the Kakatiya kings built a sprawling tank. Adjoining to the tank grew the thick bushes of Garden Marigold or Telugu Mogili Chettu....

Padmakshi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Padmakshi who is fondly referred as ‘Amma’ or ‘mother.’ She is the consort of Lord Shiva. The present shrine is believed to have been built during the 12th century by the Kakatiya rulers. The deity is also referred as Padmakshamma and the shrine is located atop a Gutta or a hill. The pond at the foot of the Padmakshi hillock is sacred. Pillar in the temple is a unique piece of architecture. The quadrangular column is made in black granite stone and is located at the entrance of the shrine. The four faces of pillar are imposing.  The padmakshi temple is one of the oldest temples of the city, The Kakatiya King Betaraju II was the first king in his dynasty to have converted to Veerasaivism. However, prior to that all Kakatiyan kings were followers of Jainism. It was under the rule of Prolaraju II that the Kakatiyans built a Jain temple or Badasi. This was later converted to the Padmakshi temple once the rulers converted to Veerasaivism...

Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1952 is located near Pakhalashoknagar Village, Khanapur Mandal, Warangal District, Telangana State, India. It is located by the boundary of Pakhal Lake / Cheruvu, so it was named on the name of lake. It was built to serve as source of water for irrigational purpose. About 10 km from Narsampet town and 57 km from Warangal city, Pakhal lake is one of the few unpolluted lakes in India. This Lake was constructed by Jagadala Mummandi , a son of Bayyana Nayaka , Minister of the Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva in 1213 AD. The sanctuary covers an area of 879.30 sq. km and is bestowed with rare flora and fauna. Some of the wild animals that can be spotted here at the Pakhal Wildlife sanctuary are Leopard, wild boar, panthers, hyenas, sloth bear, chital, mountain gazelle, blackbuck, four-horned antelope or chousingha and many others. Reptiles such as python, cobra, crocodiles, monitor lizard, etc., can also been seen in the sanctuary. One can also see a wide...

The fort of Warangal referred to as Orugallu, Orumgallu or Ekasilanagaram in the inscriptions and literature rose to prominence, when it was the capital of Kakatiya kingdom during the reign of Ganapati Deva Maharaja (1199-1261). Warangal Fort is one of the main attractions of warangal due to its heritage significance. The fort is spread across 19 km between warangal and hanamkonda. It has seven concentric fortifications, with the inner stone fortification containing 45 bastions and gateways at the four cardinal points, and signifies essence of early medieval defence architecture. The remains of Swayambhu temple complex enclosed by four lofty toranas and the Kush mahal or the Shitab Khan mahal. Kush Mahal(Shitab Khan Palace): This rectangular palace (16x38x12 m), with an arched entrance, was built in Indo-Saracenic style. Its interior is marked by arches joining both walls and supporting the ceiling. This edifice was said to be raised by Shitab Khan, whose lengthy record dated 1504 AD f...

The magnificent temple of the thousand pillars at Hanamkonda  is one of the most important parts of the Warangal City. The temple was constructed in the 1162 - 1163 AD by the great  Prataparudradeva I/  Rudradeva and the deity is Rudreshwara Swamy, a personification of Lord Shiva. The temple has an old and long history and dates back to the Chalukyan era. Constructed in the 1163 AD by Rudra Deva, Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda is one of the finest specimens of Kakatiya architecture and sculp- ture. The temple depicts the typical Chalukyan style of architecture. While the gopuram (tower) was tragically knocked down by vandal invaders, the main structure itself has managed to survive the test of time. The pillars of the temple in particular are known for their detail, design, and resplen- dent polish. The temple base is a star shaped with three shrines devoted to Rudradeva (Siva), Vasude- va (Vishnu) and Surya (Sun). Siva’s shrine faces east and other shrines face...

Bhadrakali Temple at Hanamkonda is significant Devi temple located on the hilltop between the twin cities of Hanamkonda and Warangal in Telangana. The temple is held in high esteem by devotees of the of Goddess Bhadrakali popularly called the ‘Grant Mother Goddess’. Remarkable feature of the temple is the square shaped stone image of the Goddess (2.7 X 2.7 meters). In the image goddess is seen in a sitting posture with fierce looking eyes and face. The Goddess can also be seen wearing a crown and having eight hands holding various weapons. The Kohinoor diamond is believed to be originally installed as one of the eyes of the goddess by the Kakatiya kings. High point of Bhadrakali Temple is an artificial lake of 2 ½ kms radius in the vicinity of the temple. Number of natural rock formations in the surroundings add to the spiritual charm of the temple and are the most dominant feature of the temple. Some of the unique shaped rocks are said to carry immense spiritual powers. The struct...

The earliest known record of Ganapatideva (1199 - 1262) is the  Manthena epigraph, dated to 26 December 1199. It seems that the decade of the 1190s saw a series of misfortunes befall the Kakatiya kingdom. Besides the previously mentioned conflict with the Yadavas, in which King Mahadeva was killed, the Palampet inscription of 1213 indicates that there was a major political crisis caused by the ambitions of certain noble families. Nagatiraja and his brother Kusumaditya, both members of the old Mudigonda Chalukya family, ruled Visurunadu (in modern-day Khammam district) until they were driven out by Rudradeva in the later part of his reign. The Mudigonda Chalukyas, being dispossessed of their lands, temporarily sought refuge in other kingdoms. Eventually, Nagatiraja was able to gather an army, and led an invasion of the Kakatiya kingdom to to reclaim his ancestral territories. However, Nagatiraja was decisively defeated by the Kakatiya general Recherla Rudra, thanks to whom the terri...

Prataparudra II (1289 - 1323), the son of Rudramadevi's daughter Mummadamba, ascended the throne following his grandmother's death. His immediate task was to defeat Ambadeva and restore Kakatiya authority over the lands south of the Krishna river. However, Prataparudra also had to prepare for the possibility that Ambadeva's allies would also get involved in any such conflict. Thus, Prataparudra planned a three-pronged offensive against his enemies. The first Kakatiya offensive took place in 1291 and was commanded by Manuma Gannaya, son of Induluri Soma-mantri, and Annayadeva, son of Induluri Peda Gannaya. This offensive was directed against Tripurantakam in the northern part of Ambadeva's territory. While the exact details of this campaign are unknown, it seems that Ambadeva was defeated and fled south to Mulikinadu. The record of the Kakatiya general Annayadeva at Tripurantakam occurs just two months after the last record of Ambadeva at that place, with both records oc...

Kakatiya Dynasty Name : Rudrama Devi Born : c.1223 AD Died : Nov 27, 1289 AD.  Kakatiya Ruler : 25 March 1261 AD - Nov 27, 1289 AD Spouse : Chalukya Veerabhadra  Children :  Mummadamba, Ruyamma and Rudrama Sister : Ganapamba married Beta of the Kota family Parents : Ganapatideva & Somamba Important People :  The important people in her life were Shivadesikulu, a minister who served the dynasty, and Annamambikadevi, the wife of Gona Ganna Reddy. Exact birthdate of Rudramadevi is unknown but based on current known evidence she was born in c.1223 A.D. As per the Ganapati Deva`s Malkapuram inscription, she was born in Chaitra Bahula Ashtami on Mar 25. Bahula Ashtami - waning phase of moon 8th day Waning Crescent. This phase occurs between the last quarter and new Moon phases. A waning moon occurs between a full moon (when the visible surface is fully round and lit up) and a new moon (when the surface that faces Earth is completely covere...