Warangal is a city in Andhra Pradesh state of southeastern India. Warangal is 157 km northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad. Warangal is the administrative seat of Warangal district.

Warangal is the home to Kakatiya Medical College and the National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NITW), formerly known as Regional Engineering College, Warangal (RECW).

Warangal District

Warangal District has an area of 12,846 sq. km., and a population of 2,818,832 (1991 census). 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 kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The Kakatiyas left many monuments, including an impressive fortress, four massive stone gates, and the Swayambhu temple, dedicated to Shiva. The cultural and administrative distinction of the Kakatiyas was mentioned by the famous traveller Marco Polo. Famous or well-known rules 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. 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.

Other facts

• 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 Tadvai, 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.
• The People's War Group is a well-known guerilla group which uses the forests of Warangal and surrounding distrcts for cover.