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Warangal

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For the district of the same name, see Warangal district.
Warangal
Warangal
newly formed city
Map
Population
 (2001)
 • Total
530,636

Warangal (Template:Lang-te, Template:Lang-hi (pronunciationⓘ)) also known as Orugallu, and Ekasila Nagaram is a city and a municipal corporation in Warangal district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Warangal is located 145 km northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad and is the administrative headquarters of Warangal District. It is the fourth largest city in Andhra Pradesh with a population of nearly 19 to 24 lakhs[1][2] (2001 census). It is called a tri-city including Hanamakonda and Kazipet.

History

1000 pillar temple at Warangal
One of the Kirti toranas of Kakatiya Dynasty

Warangal was the capital of a Hindu Shaivaite kingdom[citation needed] ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The old name of this newly formed city is Orugallu. Oru means one and Kallu means stone. The entire city was carved in a single rock, hence the name Orukallu meaning 'one rock' (Ekasila nagaram in Sanskrit). It was also called "Andhra Nagaram". 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) Rudrama Devi. After the defeat of PratapaRudra, the Musunuri Nayaks united seventy two Nayak chieftains and captured Warangal from Delhi sultanate and ruled for fifty years. Jealousy and mutual rivalry between Nayaks ultimately led to the downfall of Hindus in 1370 A.D. and success of Bahmanis. Bahmani Sultanate 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, became part of Andhra Pradesh.

Geography and climate

Warangal is located at 18°00′N 79°35′E / 18.0°N 79.58°E / 18.0; 79.58.[3] It has an average elevation of 302 metres (990 feet).

Climate

Warangal
Climate chart (explanation)
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Weather66
Imperial conversion
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86
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Located in the semi-arid Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, Warangal has a predominantly hot and dry climate. Summers start in March, and peak in May with average high temperatures in the 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) range. The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September with about 550 mm (22 in) of precipitation. A dry, mild winter starts in late November and lasts until early February. With little humidity and average temperatures in the 22–23 °C (72–73 °F) range, this is the best time to visit Warangal.

Economy

Warangal's economy is predominantly agricultural. It has a large grain market in Enamamula. This is a rice-growing region and most farmers grow rice for both subsistence and the commerce. Cotton has also been a major cash crop since the early 1990s; however the cotton sector has been troubled in recent years, and there was a highly publicized spate 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 Cloth Mills, closed down; Warangal has several small to medium scale industries.

A STPI (Software Technology Parks of India) has been set up at National Institute of Technology, Warangal with the intention of taking the benefits of the Information Technology revolution to second tier cities. Warangal makes an excellent location for this because of its proximity to Hyderabad, the student pool from some of the best institutes in the country, good transportation facilities, infrastructure, lower traffic problems, etc.

Governance

Warangal city is the headquarters of Warangal district. Warangal district contributes a total of twelve seats (city has two; that of Warangal East and Warangal West) in the lower house of the State Legislature and two seats (Warangal and Mahabubabad) in lower house of Indian Parliament.

Politics

Warangal witnessed a bloody chapter in its history in 1969, called the Mulki (locals) agitation. In 1969, the people of Telangana raised their voice asking for a separate state. They felt discriminated in the unified state of Andhra Pradesh and wanted to reverse the unification and exist separately as was the case before 1956. Warangal was the brewing ground of the movement and lead it from the front. Students, peasants and government employees all joined forces. More than 400 students lost their lives in the struggle.

In the early 2000s the movement for a separate Telangana was again started under the leadership of K. Chandrasekhar Rao who established the political party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The party allied with the Indira Congress in the state elections. The alliance won majority, and Chandrasekhar Rao became a Union Minister. In 2006, as the Congress party was against separationism, Chandrasekhar Rao resigned his ministry and his Membership of the Parliament. He contested again in the resulting by-election and won the election in the first by-election with over hundred thousand votes and a second time with over twenty thousand votes.

Member of Parliament

Education

Warangal is the fourth-largest city in Andhra Pradesh and is known for important educational institutions like Kakatiya Medical College and National Institute of Technology, Warangal. Established in 1959 as the first of Regional Engineering Colleges in the country, foundation stone laid by the then first prime minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru, the NIT grew into an important national level institute for engineering studies.Warangal NIT is one of the best Institutes among all the NIT's in India. From 1959, it is successful in producing innumerable global citizens and scientists till date. Every year Abdul Kalam visits NITW.

There are several non-governmental organizations active in primary and secondary education in Warangal District. Of these, the best known is the Rural Development Foundation and Institute for Technology and Management, Warangal (ITM Warangal)

Transport

Warangal Railway Station

Air

There is an airstrip at Mamnoor on the south-eastern outskirts of Warangal. It was earlier used as a make shift air force base. The nearest international airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad located 160 km away from Warangal.

Rail

Warangal is well connected to many of the major cities of India by rail. It falls under the South Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Kazipet Junction Railway Station in Kazipet, about 13 km from Warangal is a major railway junction on the Hyderabad-New Delhi-chennai-kolkata route. Warangal Railway Station in Warangal is station located on the hyderabad- New Delhi-Chennai-kolkata route. Everyday nearly 132 trains pass through this section apart from goods trains.

Road

National Highway 202 passes through Warangal and connects it with Hyderabad and Bhopalpatnam in Chhattisgarh.

There are two major bus stations in Warangal and Hanamakonda. Long-distance deluxe buses ply from Warangal to Bangalore, Madras, Hyderabad, Tirupathi, Anantapur, and Hubli, Belgaum; and standard express buses to Guntur via Vijaywada, Cherial, Jangaon, Kodad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Suryapet, Palampet, Jagtial, Mahabubabad, Narsampet, Parkal, Khammam, Bhadrachalam and Basar. From Hyderabad there are direct buses available at regular intervals to Warangal.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[4] Warangal had a population of 528,570 citizens. 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.

Culture and cuisine

Culture

Telugu is the language spoken by the majority in Warangal. Both traditional attire like Saree and Dhoti and modern dress styles are worn. The poets of this place include the ancient poets Potana and Palkuriki Somanna to present day poets like Kaloji Narayana Rao,Kaloji Rameshwara rao,Andesri, B. Rama Raju, Pervaram Jagannatham, Kovela Sampatkumara, Kovela Suprasanna, Ampasayya Naveen, Ranganath Middela, Bollam, Varavara Rao and Anwar Pasha have contributed to Telugu literature.

Sarangapani was a famous folk singer,shankar was also a famous folk singer, Nerella Venu Madhav is a mimicry artist who has received accolades world wide.He is treated as father of indian mimicry. Warangal is also hometown for popular mimicry artist and ventriloquist Mimicry Srinivas, who performed a 32-hour nonstop mimicry show in 1990 setting a world record and created and performed a unique fete in mimicry- Dhwanyadhaanam, an ashtaavadhaanam in mimicry. Marvellous mimicry artist, cine actor Siva Reddy, greatest renounced lyricist Chandrabose is from Waragal District. The famous Telugu Film music director Chakri is also from Warangal district.

Festivals

Major Hindu festivals such as Bathukamma festival, Dasara, Deepavali, Sankranti are celebrated here. Bathukamma festival is very famous here and celebrated by the women worshipping the goddess for nine days with various flowers. In addition, the district hosts the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara or congregation. Every two years (bi-annually), approximately 6 million people converge for over three days around the small village of Medaram and its adjacent stream/rivulet, Jampanna Vagu, 90 km from Warangal city. This fair is said to be the largest repeating aggregation of tribal communities in the whole world and commemorates the valiant fight put up by a mother-daughter combination (Samakka and Sarakka) with the reigning Kakatiya king over an unjust law. Also, this is second biggest congregation in Asian continent after Kumbha Mela in India.[5] Bonalu and Bathukamma festivals, symbolic of the Telangana region are also celebrated here (Bathukamma is celebrated particularly by women) with gusto.

Every year during the month of Ramzan, there is a festival atmosphere in Muslim areas, especially in Mandi Bazaar where the main road remains closed in the evening and is only accessed by foot. Many make shift shops and food eateries crop up serving the famous haleem dish and lots of other foods, sweets and seviyan. Night shopping is very famous here when people fast the whole day and come for shopping, casual walk in the evening and shops are open almost till 1am in the night.

Fatima Feast is celebrated every year on February 12 and 13 by Catholic Christians at their Warangal Diocesian Headquarters of Cathedral Church in Fatima Nagar, Kazipet.

Cuisine

Warangal City is famous for food items such as mirchi bajji (mirapakaya bajji), mamidikaya pacchadi (pickle), gongura pickle, traditional spicy style meals and common breakfast items such as Idli, Upma, Dosa, and Puri. There are many hotels that offer a variety of food items (from several regions of India). Chakilams are very popular dish which are prepared during the festival sankranti. Aalugadda pulusu is also very popular from warangal. pachchi pulusu is also prepared here in warangal during summer.

Sports

Cricket is by far the most watched and played game. Other popular local sports are badminton, volleyball and Kabaddi. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS) is a popular stadium located in the heart of Hanamakonda.

Hospitals

Warangal is famous for its medical faculty and hospitals. It comprises M.G.M, which is one of the biggest hospitals in the state. M.G.M not only offers medical services for Warangal District, but it is also an apostle for many neighboring districts that border Warangal. Some of the hospitals in Warangal are:

  • M.G.M, Warangal
  • Government Maternity Hospital, Hanamkonda
  • Life line Hospitals
  • Rohini multi speciality hospital
  • Jaya Hospital
  • warangal hospital

References

  1. ^ "World Gazetteer - Population of Warangal".
  2. ^ http://censusindia.gov.in/towns/ap_towns.pdf Census India - Warangal
  3. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Warangal
  4. ^ Template:GR
  5. ^ Warangal
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