I will start my blog with my Stay in Warangal. Its best to stay at Ramappa Haritha Resort which is a beautiful property – overlooking the beautiful Ramappa Lake. Make sure you reach here by evening to catch the breathtaking sunset.
The property is idyllic. There are two rows of houses: one side there are four duplexes just above the water. Other side, there are large spacious private rooms. There is a restaurant within property. Due to COVID, we had very limited meal options. Otherwise, the stay was overwhelming specially with the beautiful lake overview. A perfect quaint place for a short vacation with friends and family.
Ramappa Lake
Built under patronage of Ganapathi Deva, the Kakatiyan ruler in 13 century- the lake is spread across an area of 82 Sq km. The lake is surrounded with beautiful hillocks which offers a spectacular view especially during sunset time. We were mesmerized with the scenic beauty , specially from the reservoir room. The calm lake had an extremely soothing effect on us, after our long drive of almost 10 hours. It is open on all days of the week from 5 AM – 6PM – however best time to visit is around sunset.
During the period of the mighty Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva, General Recherla Rudra Reddy built this magnificent Shiva temple for Lord Ramalingeswara. The structure of the temple is unique – built on a star shaped pedestal which is close to 6-7 feet high. It is said that due to its beautiful star-shaped structure, Marco Polo lauded this temple as “the brightest star in the galaxy of temples”. The aura of the temple is overwhelming specially when visited early morning. The sprawling garden around the temple is very well-kept and there are lot of eateries outside of the temple premises for visitors.
Laknavaram lake is more popular than the Ramappa lake or Pakhal lake. Spread over 10,000 acres, this lake holds about about 2.135 tmcft of water. The lake is primary source for irrigation as it irrigates over 3,500 acres of land. Built by Kakatiya kings, the lake has about 3 islands in it.
The main tourist attraction is the 160 metres long hanging bridge, which connects three islands. The wonderful hanging bridge, considered one-of-its-kind in the state. When we had visited in December, we were met with lot of crowd who had come for either picnic or wedding photoshoot. The hanging bridge does have a filmy vibe to it – with drones hovering over the bridge for birds eye view of the whole area! Though there is accommodation for few rooms in the middle of the lake, Laknavaram Haritha resort is usually always fully occupied.
The now-ruined temple is located near the Hanamkonda-Warangal Highway. Built under patronage of Rudra Deva of Kakatiya dynasty, the architecture of this temple is an example of splendour. The richly carved pillars fetch awe-stuck tourists to its door. The thousand pillars are constructed in such a calculated way that the view to the shrine is not obstructed from any angle in front. We were astonished at the intrinsic Jaali work inside the temple and the monolithic dolerite Nandi outside of the temple. It is on UNESCO list of World heritage sites.
Temple history states that it was built by the King Pulakeshin II of Chalukya dynasty,in 625 A.D, to commemorate his victory over Vengi region of Andhra Desham. Bhadra Kali mata was the Kuldevi of Kakatiya dynasty. It is rumuored that the left eye of the Goddess idol bore the famous diamond – “Koh-i-noor” which was presented to Alauddin Khilji as truce by the Kakatiyan rulers. The temple has large compound and attracts lot of footfall through out the year.
The capital city of Kakatiya dynasty, Warangal, once boasted of the massive fort. Now in utter ruins, the fort was closed due to COVID precautions. The famed Kakatiyan arch has been officially incorporated into the emblem of Telangana after the state bifurcation on June 2,2014.
How to reach :
By Road : Frequently buses ply from all over Hyderabad to Warangal. TSTRC buses are the cheapest. You can also book reputed private buses like Orange travels. Bus journey takes 3 hours depending on start location
By car, you can follow the route as Secunderabad >Yadirigutta >Warangal
By Rail : Several trains are available from Secunderabad with Sleeper fare as low as 70₹
By Air : Nearest Airport is Hyderabad International Airport. You can hire out-station cab or Zoom car to drive over to Warangal
Did you visit Warangal – what places did you like?
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Happy Travelling!
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