- Built
- 1213, Kakatiya period
- Deity
- Ramalingeswara Swamy (Shiva)
- Heritage status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site (2021)
- Timings
- 6 am to 6 pm
- Distance from Warangal
- About 65 km
- Nearest airport
- Hyderabad
Architecture
The temple rises from a star-shaped platform about six feet high. The roof and tower are built with very light bricks that are said to float in water, which helped keep the structure stable. Inside the hall, polished black stone pillars are carved so finely that they catch and play with the light.
Sculptures
The brackets along the outer walls hold graceful figures of celestial dancers and musicians. Their poses record dance styles such as Perini and Kolatam, and they have been an important source for dancers and scholars reviving those forms. Tradition says the sculptors worked on the temple for some 40 years.
Festivals and timings
Darshan is possible daily between 6 am and 6 pm, and mornings are cooler and quieter for looking at the carvings. Mahashivaratri is its main festival, celebrated over three days with special worship and large gatherings of devotees.
Nearby places
Most of these lie in and around Warangal, so they fit easily into a second day.
- Warangal Fort, a 13th-century Kakatiya citadel raised under Ganapati Deva
- Thousand Pillar Temple at Hanamkonda, with shrines to Shiva, Vishnu and Surya
- Pakhal Lake and its wildlife sanctuary
- Bhadrakali Temple on a hill between Hanamkonda and Warangal
- Kakatiya Musical Garden and Govindarajula Gutta
How to reach
Warangal and Kazipet are the closest major railway stations, with frequent trains from Hyderabad and beyond. The drive from Warangal takes around one and a half hours by NH163. Hyderabad has the nearest airport. We can arrange a full Kakatiya heritage day from Warangal or Hyderabad.
Also nearby
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