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Revision as of 10:56, 22 September 2006 by Kappa (talk | contribs) (→Education: Schools include Nagarjuna High school.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Template:Infobox Indian urban area Warangal pronunciation is a city and a municipal corporation in Warangal district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Telangana region of the state. Warangal is 157 km northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad. Warangal is the administrative seat of Warangal District. It is the fourth-largest city in Andhra Pradesh with a population is 9,28,570 (including Hanumakonda). (agglomeration 1,077,190) (2006 census), . It is the second largest city in Telangana
Warangal is a major urban centre serving the educational, medical, trading and cultural needs of the people in Telangana region. It has the only university in Telangana outside Hyderabad. MGM (Mahatma Gandhi Memorial) hospital serves the medical needs of not only people from Warangal but from all over Telangana.
Warangal District has an area of 12,846 km², and a population of 2,818,832 (1991 census). The district is bounded by Karimnagar District to the north, Khammam District to the east and southeast, Nalgonda District to the southwest, and Medak District to the west. Warangal is well known for granite quarries (notably the black and brown varieties), grain market for rice, chillies, cotton, and tobacco.
History
Warangal was the capital of a Hindu Shaivite kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The old name of this city is Orugallu 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 the famous traveller Marco Polo. Famous or well-known rulers included Ganapathi Deva, Prathapa Rudra, and Rani (queen) Rudramma Devi.
Kakatiya rule ended in the 14th century, when Warangal was conquered by the Muslim-ruled Bahmani Sultanate, which later broke up into several smaller sultanates, of which the Golconda sultanate ruled Warangal. 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, was joined to Andhra Pradesh.
Warangal witnessed one of the bloodiest movements in Independent India. In 1969, the people of Telangana raised their voice asking for a separate state. They felt discriminated in the Unified State and wanted to revert back the unification to exist separately as was the case until 1956. Warangal being in the heart of Telangana and an educational center was the brewing ground of the movement and lead it from the front. The students, peasants, government employees all joined their forces. The Indian government crushed the movement using force by bringing in the military. More than 400 Telangana students lost their lives in the struggle.
Geography
Warangal is located at 18°00′N 79°35′E / 18.0°N 79.58°E / 18.0; 79.58. It has an average elevation of 302 metres (990 feet).
Demographics
As of 2001 India censusTemplate:GR, Warangal had a population of 528,570. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Warangal has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 64%. In Warangal, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Education
The city is the home to the National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NITW), formerly known as Regional Engineering College, Warangal (REC). NITW is the first NIT to be set up, and is ranked as one of the best NIT campuses. It is also home to the only full fledged university in Telangana, Kakatiya University and the well established Kakatiya Medical College, and Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Sciences(KITS-Wgl).there many engineering colleges,B.ed,undergraduate&post graduates were established. there are more 300 schools in this region. Schools include Nagarjuna High school.
Places of interest
Warangal Fort Warangal fort, which dates back to the 13th century, is 2 km from the Warangal Railway station. The fort was destroyed by invaders and only remnants can now be seen. The fort had three layers of protection, remnants of which can still be seen today. The first layer is a mud wall, currently about 40 feet high and several kilometers in circumference, encircling the fort. The second layer is a wall up of granite rock. The fort has famous stone gateways, about 50 feet high and still standing, a masterpiece carved from a single rock. They are called Kirti Toranas (The gateways of glory) of Kakatiyas. They have become a widely replicated symbol for Andhra Pradesh tourism.
Thousand Pillar Temple: This temple is one of the finest examples of Kakatiya architecture and sculpture. Rudra Deva built it in 1163 in the style of Chalukyan temples, star shaped and triple shrined.
Bhadra Kali Temple: Situated on a hilltop between Hanamkonda and Warangal, it is noted for its stone image of the Goddess Kali. The temple is located beside the "Bhadrakali" lake (Cheruvu).
Siddeshwara Temple:Which was built in 3rd century, its one of the pachimadwara muka temple (that is the entrance will be from west)
Jain Temple: The 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Mahavira is a famous place of worship for Jains in the country. The temple is embellished with beautiful images of Tirthankaras. The 5 ft high image of Mahavira is carved entirely out of jade.
Kolanupaka: Kolanupaka, 80 km from Hyderabad, is situated between Hyderabad and Warangal. This was the second capital town of Kalyani Chalukyas during the 11th century. During this period the village was a religious centre of Jains, and ranks among other great Jain centers in the south. The State Department of Archaeology and Museums established the Kolanupaka Museum which exhibits exquisite artifacts from the numerous historical monuments in Kolanupaka.
Sri Veeranarayana Temple: This temple was built in the Chalukyan style around 1104.
Pakhal Lake: A man-made lake built in 1213 by the Kakatiya king, Ganapathideva, by harnessing a small tributary of the Krishna River. It is located 50 km from Warangal and spreads over an area of 30 km².
Ramappa Temple: also known as Ramalingeswara Temple, this temple is situated in Palampet village, 70 km from Warangal. This is a beautiful monument dating back to 1213. It displays the glory and richness of the Kakatiya kingdom and is the finest specimen of the temple architecture of the time.
Vanavigyan Kendra: Situated on Hunter Road between Hanamkonda and Warangal.
The district currently hosts the Samakka-Sarakka Jatra congregation. Every two years, approximately 5 million people converge over three days around the small village of Medaram, 90 km from Warangal city. This fair commemorates the valiant fight put up by a mother-daughter combination with the reigning rulers over an unjust law.
Komaravelli: Komaravelli is holy place where devotees worship Komaravelli Mallana Swamy. Komaravelli is situated just before 10 km from Siddipet while going from Hyderabad/Secundrabad. There is no train facility here, and it can only be reached by road.
The fair starts on first week of January and lasts at "Ugadi" every year. On the last week of fair devotees walk on the fire called "Aggi Gundalu". Devotees not only come from different parts of Andhra Pradesh but also from neighbouring states. - BMKS
Getting There
- Air : Warangal air port starts from shortly it is linked to major cities in india. Nearest airport Hyderabad, situated at approx. 120km.
- Rail : Warangal is well connected to all the major cities in India by rail. Warangal is zonal/divisional headquaters. Kazipet situated at 13kms from warangal is also a major railway junction.
- Road : Luxury buses ply from Warangal to Bangalore, Madras, Hyderabad, Hubli, available from Warrangal and other cities in Hyderabad, vijayawada, Jangaon, Kodad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Suryapet, Palampet, Jagtial, Khammam, Bhadrachalam, Basara, Bangalore, Mysore and Tirupati.
Economy
Warangal's economy is predominantly agricultural. It is home to the world's second largest grain market in Enamamula. It is the trading center for the farmers from the Telangana region. This is a rice-growing region and almost all farmers grow rice for both subsistence and the market. Cotton has also been a major cash crop since the early 1990's; however the cotton sector has been troubled in recent years, and there was a well-publicized rash of suicides by cotton farmers in 1997-1998.
Industry has been neglected in the region by successive governments. Some industries existing during the Nizam's rule, like Azam Jahi Mills, have been closed; unemployment in the region may help feed the Naxalite (Peoples War Group) movement. Warangal has several small to medium scale industries but no large scale ones.
The recent government setup an STPI(Software technology parks of India) with the intention of taking the benefits of the Information Technology revolution to the second tier cities. Several companies have shown interest in setting up operation in Warangal. Warangal makes excellent location because of its proximity to Hyderabad, the student pool from some of the best institutes in the country, good transportation facilites, infrastructure, lower traffic problems etc.
References
External links
- Warangal Website
- Warangal District official website
- Warangal on Wikitravel
- Warangal NRI
- Warangal Local Information
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