Khilashapur Fort

Khilashapur or Quileshapur or Khila Shapur Fort is located in Khilashapur village, Raghunathpalle Mandal, Jangaon District, Telangana State, India about 5 km from Raghunathpalli Railway station

The fort built by Sardar Sarvai Pappanna (1650 and died in 1709 A.D) is estimated to be built in 1690, according to researcher and heritage enthusiast Aravind Arya Pakide. The fort was constructed on square in plan with massive bastions at four corners of the fortifications. Recently, deep pointing works were done by removing tree overgrowths to strengthen the walls.

Although Papadu built forts at Bhongir, Thatikonda, Kolanpak, Cheriyal, Karimnagar, Huzurabad and Husnabad, he made Khilashapur fort as his capital. The outer wall of the Khilashapur fort was constructed by stones and the inside structures were built by dung sunnam (lime mortar mix). The fort has five buruzus (fortified towers). The ramparts of the fort were built conveniently to place cannon fires. Currently, there are only two cannons existing and the other two are missing. The fort is also believed to have secret tunnels to escape. In all, the fort reflects the war capabilities of Papadu.

Restoration

Authorities of the State Archaeology department are planning to develop the Quilla (fort) at Quilla Shapur or Quileshapur village of Raghunathpally mandal in Jangoan district, thanks to the State government’s commitment to conserve monuments.

Oct 16, 2020 : Historic Quilashapur fort’s wall in Telangana collapses due to rains

Source 

https://www.thehansindia.com/telangana/telangana-historic-khilashapur-fort-wall-crumbles-651596
https://telanganatoday.news/quilla-shapur-preserving-the-remnants

https://www.thenewsminute.com/telangana/historic-quilashapur-fort-s-wall-telangana-collapses-due-rains-135482

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Munigadapa Siddipet

Archaeology officials have identified an ancient idol Shaivite Veeragallu at a farmer’s field at

Munigadapa village of Jagadevpur. It belongs to 12-13th century AD.

Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums, Telangana, P Nagaraju clarified that some locals mistook it as idol of lord Shiva, but actually it is a Veeragallu idol. “Number of such idols have been found across Telangana in the past too,” said Nagaraju.

He further said that they were planning to make a visit to Munigadapa after informing the Director of Archaeology and Museums, NR Visalatchy to find out if there were any historical sites that were located at Munigadapa. The idol was found at the farm of farmer Vadde Narsimhulu on last Thursday. Locals, Krishna Murthy and Venkata Swamy identified it recently.

Source

https://telanganatoday.news/shaivite-veeragallu-idol-found

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Ippagudem, Jangoan

Much to the delight of archaeologists and historians, a rare idol of Tara – the female Bodhisattva in

Mahayana Buddhism who appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism – was found at Ippagudem in Station Ghanpur mandal recently.

Archaeology and history enthusiast R Rathnakar Reddy found the black granite idol abandoned near the bund of a tank. He first mistook it for Yakshini of Jain mythology. But later, noted archaeologist and historian Emani Shivanagi Reddy confirmed it as Tara.

“It was Shivanagi Reddy who identified the idol as Tara. There is an engraved image of Buddha on the hair bun. The deity’s upper body is naked with large breasts, which is the most common description of Tara in Buddhist literature,” Rathnakar said.

Rathnakar also found a broken idol of Buddha near the black granite structure, which helped them confirm that it was Tara. Both the idols – three-ft-tall Tara and four-ft-tall Buddha – take historians and archeologists closer to the Buddhist era. It is believed that idol of Tara, which was damaged, belonged to 8th or 9th century AD.

Considering the value of the idol, Rathankar Reddy urged the State Archaeology and Museums to shift it to a museum at the earliest. He said Telangana had some followers of Buddha during the 9th and 10th centuries.

Telangana Jagruthi State secretary Sri Ramoju Haragopal visited the site at Ippaguem on Friday and urged the government to preserve the idols. Though Tara is said to be a tantric meditation deity mainly worshiped by the followers of Vajrayana Buddhism, there are several other stories about her. And some of them indicate that she belonged to Hindusim and seen as a form of Shakti.

Source

https://telanganatoday.news/man-stumbles-upon-rare-idol-female-buddha

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Padurivarigudem, Nalgonda

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient menhir, a memorial from the Iron Age, in

Padurivarigudem in Nalgonda district of Telangana.

The structure stands 11 feet high and was built as a memorial for warriors or tribal leaders in the region. Similar relics have been found in Guntur too.

E. Siva Nagi Reddy and his associates uncovered the massive menhir that, according to them, dates back to 1000 BC.

“Based on the information that we received from T. Saidulu, president of the local Vivekananda Youth Association, we visited the spot on Thursday and confirmed that the menhir belongs to the Megalithic period. It stands 11 feet tall, is six feet in width and goes six feet deep into the soil. The massive stone slab was installed during the Iron Age as a memorial to tribal lords or warriors in the region. It reveals the collective efforts of the ancient iron-smelting community,” he said.

The team of archaeologists also examined around 20 circular burial stones, also from the Megalithic age, near the Chinna Cheruvu, a tank located in Chandupatla village.

According to the experts, these burial sites and the marking stones are prone to damage because of active agricultural operations in the area. Mr Nagi Reddy said he has asked the state government to actively protect the unique menhir, as it stands testimony to the history of Telangana from the Iron Age.

Similar menhirs have been found in the districts of Nalgonda and Guntur. Though the site where the megalithic artefacts were uncovered was not of particular significance in the Kakatiya Empire, it lies close to Chandupatla, where Kakatiya ruler Rani Rudrama Devi is believed to have died.

Source

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/170317/telangana-archaeologists-discover-huge-relic-from-iron-age.html

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Narmeta, Siddipet

Excavation at Narmeta sets back region’s history to 3,500 years

Beads made of bones and used as ornaments and two conches found

The ongoing excavation at Narmeta and Palamakula villages in Nanganur mandal of Siddipet district may set back the history of the region to at least 3,500 years as the excavation site belongs to Megalithic period.

Burial site

The Department of Archaeology and Museums has taken up excavation at Menhir burial site at Narmeta, located between Siddipet and Husnabad. Two burial sites – a Menhir and a Cairn burial –were selected for excavation. The sites were named Meg-I and Meg-II.

The excavation at Meg-I was done adopting quadrangular method. This Menhir burial has double circles of boulders.

The diameter of Meg-I is 14 metres and it has 24 boulders forming the inner circle and six boulders on the outer circle. It has the Menhir planted on the northern side, which measures 2.9 metres in height and 95 cm in width. A capstone found at this site measures 6m long, 4m wide and 65cm deep.

Beads made of bones and used as ornaments were found at the burial site. Similarly, four fire stands and two conches were also found during the excavation. The officials believe this would help throw some light on the culture of that period.

Cultural phase

According to the officials of Archaeology Department, Megalithic excavations are marked by a tomb, built of huge stones either dressed or undressed.

These tombs built in south India represent a distinctive cultural phase which succeeded the primitive Neolithic culture.

Also know as Iron Age, the Megalithic period is dated between 1,000 BC and second century AD.

Interesting artifacts

“The Meg-II is located on the northern side of Meg-I and has diameter of 10m. There are no boulders at this site. At a depth of 1.3 metres, we found an oval shape pit with loose soil. We were able to collect redware pots, pointed-shape iron arrowheads and conches,” Assistant Director (Archaeology) P. Nagaraju toldThe Hindu .

“The excavation that took place at Pullur banda indicates that it belongs to 500 BC and people might have migrated from north west of India. Eleswaram in Nalgonda district dated back to 1,200 years and we believe that this site may belong to 1,500 BC. However, the actual date can be ascertained only after carbon-dating,” said Niraj Rai, a senior scientist from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).

A capstone in the shape of a human body was excavated at Narmeta village,  This is the largest capstone ever discovered by the department in its 100-year history. It was excavated near an ancient human burial site and is said to be at least 2,750 years old.

Though there was initial euphoria that it was the world’s largest capstone, director of department NR Visalatchy said that it would be premature to say so.

“This capstone is 6.7 metres in length. Usually, they are half or one-third of its size. Only one stone was used for the entire body and another one to cover the head,” Visalatchy said.

Source

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-telangana/excavation-at-narmeta-sets-back-regions-history-to-3500-years/article17858543.ece

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2017/mar/23/telangana-archaeology-dept-discovers-large-capstone-in-siddipet-village-1584685.html

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Nacharam Temple

The Nacharam Gutta houses a revered Lakshmi Narshima Swamy temple, in the Wargal Mandal, Siddipet district of Telangana, India. This place is about 50 kilometers from the state capital. The temple is believed to be 600 years old. The Lakshmi Narsimha Swamy temple is a cave temple, situated on a beautiful hillock.

Inside the sanctum (Gharba Gudi), we can see Swayambu Narashima Swamy along with his consort Lakshmi thayar beautifully carved inthe rock. The temple also has some more idols. According to the Hindu Mythology, Naradha forfeited here. The place got its name Nacharam gutta after a devotee by the name Nacharam. As we go round the temple, we can find a flight of stairs to the left side, these stairs lead us to the darshanam of Lord Shri Soorya Narayana.

The temple has a beautiful rajagopuram with images of Gods and Goddesses carved on it in multi-colours. A gold coated Dhwajastambha which made up of a metal is installed opposite Garbhagudi.

There are sub-shrines in the temple for Sun-god, Lord Dattatreya, Lord Shiva in the form of Linga, Lord Rama and a Navagraha mandapam.

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in Nacharam, 47 km from Hyderabad and accessible by road.

This temple Opening & Closing times is 5.00 AM and 8.00 PM. During this period major part of the Lord Lakshmi Narasmiha Swami rituals are performed. Archana, Aarti and Abhisekham are the daily pujas performed.

By Road: Buses are available from all places in Telangana to reach the temple in Nacharam Gutta which is 50 km away from Hyderabad. You could also drive or rent a cab to get to Nacharam Narasimha Swamy temple.

Source

https://www.templepurohit.com/hindu-temple/sri-lakshmi-narasimha-swamy-temple-medak/

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Wargal Saraswati Temple

Wargal Saraswati Temple, or Sri Vidya Saraswati Temple, is a Hindu temple located in Siddipet
district in Telangana, India. The deity of education in Hinduism is Goddess Saraswati. It is among the few temples of Saraswati in Telangana. It is maintained by the Kanchi Shanker Mutt. Construction of the temple complex was due to the efforts of Yayavaram Chandrashekhara Sharma, a scholar and adherent of Goddess Saraswati.

This temple is located on a hillock near Wargal village. On the same hillock are the temples of various other deities, such as:

Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple
Sri Vidya Saraswati Temple
Lord Shanishchara Temple
Lord Shiva Temple
a few Vaishnava temples, now completely damaged and without mola vigrahas

Many families visit the temple for their children's akshara abyasam ("learning ceremony"). Meals are provided for free to all devotees at the temple premises, a practice referred to as nitya annadanam.

Vasant Panchami and Sharad Navratri festivals are celebrated at the temple every year.[1] The Navratri mula nakshatram("birth star of Goddess Saraswati") is the most auspicious day for worshiping Saraswati devi. During this day, special rituals are performed at the temple.

The temple has a Veda paathashaala (a school specializing in the tradition of Vedic recitation) on its premises where many students learn the Vedas.

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Wargal Rock Art

Glory of prehistoric period reflects in the rock paintings in the small temple town, throwing light on the rich wildlife and tradition of Stone Age.

Wargal One of those marvels left behind by the history for the posterity - rock arts - seem to continue to be the delight of archeological experts and young students. Historians from Telangana are busy deciphering the ancient paintings at the rock shelters here at Wargal in Siddipet district.

These rock paintings found in parts of the State show the love humans had for art and nature as long ago as 10,000 BCE. They provide ample evidence that a large number of wild animals were present in the State centuries ago. Shambhuni Gutta (Shambu’s Hill), beside the famous Saraswathi temple here has already emerged as a great spot for explorations relating to the prehistoric life.

The roofs of the caves in the hill have red pictures. The archeological department found some of these paintings. But a lot of them are yet to be explored further. Two archeological experts - Ramoju Haragopal and Srinvas – with their assistant Chanti tried to decode the message that had been hidden in the form of art.

They found a painting of a creature that looked like a crane and three persons at the southern side of the cave. Among the three, one is a female. The depiction resembles the paintings found at Asthalapur in Medak district. Most of the paintings found on the roof look like scripts. The circles and semi-circles of this script seemed to be difficult to interpret. Letters that sound ‘Ya’, ‘ka’,’tha’,’ga’ of Brahmi script along with letters of early Telugu are seen on these walls.

Different paintings depicting the culture and traditions of that time on a huge rock canvass of 12 feet height and 25 feet length can be found on the eastern side of the hill. More than 20 paintings of oxen, cows with udders, pigs, and a man hunting a tiger are seen on this portrait. Another man’s painting is unclear. All these paintings are of great skill and are in colour and without colour.

An anthropomorphic drawing resembling the depictions at Neeladri rock art found in Khammam district is also seen here. The drawings of animals like deer, stags, and tools denote that the scenery belonged to the medieval period. According to the observations of historians, the period of the paintings were spanning from medieval stone age to megalithic age. Central India is the richest zone of prehistoric rock art in India.

The highest concentration of rock art sites is situated in the Satpura, Vindhya and Kaimur Hills. These hills are formed of sandstones, which weather relatively faster to form rock shelters and caves. They are located in the dense forest and were ecologically ideal for occupation by primitives. They were used for habitation in the Stone Age and even in the later periods. Inside the caves on the walls and ceilings, artists painted their favourite animals or human forms, symbols, daily life hunting and fighting.




Source

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2016-01-15/Wargal-wows-rock-art-lovers/200371

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Palakurthy Someshwara Temple

Palakurthy Someshwara Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in Palakurthy Mandal, Jangoan District, Telangana State India .

Jangaon is the nearest town from this village. To reach Palakurthi from Hyderabad it is around 110 kilometers, via Jangaon towards Suryapet road. 

There is Sri Someshwara Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple on the hill inside a cave. 

Bommara Pothanna birth place is very close to Palakurthy.

Sri Palkuriki Somanathudu was born and brought up here who developed Veera Shaivam. He is the first writer to do gadhya rachana in Telugu. He lived in 12th century. Places of interest in and around this village include Sri Someshwara Laxmi Narsimha Swamy Temple, Bommara Pothana native place and temple, Valmidi Sri Rama temple, and Visnoor Deshmukh fort.

All religious peoples live here, most of them are Hindhus. It is a part of Telangana. For the people visiting Palakurthy, there is a lodge available from the endowment department. Also there is nice lodge and free food for Arya Vysyas developed by Sri Rapaka Sudhakar and other members of the Arya Vysya Sangam.Located at a distance of 50 Kms from Warangal on a hillock in the out skirts of Palakurthy Mandal head quarters. It is also the birth place of famous poet palakurthy Somanadha Kavi of 12 the century.
His samadhi can be seen here.

This historic temple is dedicated to Lord Siva and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy who incarnated in two adjacent caves at a height of 120 meters on the hillock.

The 'Pradakshina Path' encircling the two caves is quite natural. There is a dillapidated 'Surya' Temple and Koneru can also be witnessed at this place. This place once flourished which the adherents of 'Veera Saiva' sect of Hiduism has lost prominence in cource of time presently it is a famous pilgrimage centre in warangal district. Pilgrims mostly from Karnataka and Maharashtra. Mainly the Veera Saivas will certainly make a visit once in year to have the blessings of presiding deities and Somanadhakan.

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Komuravelli Mallanna Temple

Komuravelli Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple popularly known as Komuravelli Mallanna Temple is a Hindu temple located on a hill in Komuravelli village of Siddipet district in Telangana state.

 It is located near Siddipet on SH–1.

This temple is dedicated to Lord Sri Mallikarjuna swamy a fierce looking diety along with Kethamma and Medalamma on the both sides of the main diety.

The temple is located in a cave on a small hillock at a distance of 110 Kms from warangal. Lakhs of piligrims congregate on the eve of Makara Sankranthi as Brahmotsavam starts.

The Mallanna deity with Golla Kethamma and Medalamma is at the main temple. The temple is specially popular with the devotees belonging to the Kuruma and Yadava communities. The Oggu Katha singers sing the tale of Mallanna here.

The temple is visited during Shivarathri day when Pedda Patnam is celebrated.

Another temple, Konda Pochamma temple is nearby which is visited by the devotees who visit Mallanna temple.

Lakhs of piligrims congregate on the eve of Makara Sankranthi as Brahmotsavam starts.

The clay moulded diety of Lord Mallikarjuna swamy is believed to be made 500 years ago. The temple is renovated and mandapamas and choultries etc., are constructed by Endowments Department. The 'pedda patnam' celebrated on Maha Sivaratri day attract pilgrims in lakhs.

The primary deity is Mallanna or Mallikarjuna Swamy who is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The deity is also called as Khandoba by the Maharashtrian people. The temple is located about 85 kilometers from Hyderabad.

Mallanna along with his consorts Golla Kethamma, Goddess Ganga and Medalamma, Goddess Parvati are at the main temple. The Oggu Katha singers sing the tale of Mallanna here. Devotees offer prayers to Mallanna with the help of Oggu Pujaris who draw a rangoli called as Patnam ( A form of offering prayers to Lord ) in front of Lord Mallanna inside temple and also in temple's verandah.

Large number of devotees visit the Mallanna temple during Maha Shivaratri when the Pedda Patnam is celebrated and also during the Agni Gundaalu which is celebrated on the sunday falling before the Ugadi. The festive season, called as Jatara begins from Sankranti and lasts till Ugadi. Large number of devotees offer prayers to the deity on all sundays which falls in between Sankranti and Ugadi.

Another temple, Konda Pochamma temple is nearby which is visited by the devotees who visit Mallanna temple.

There is no written script for the Lord Mallanna story. The story of Mallanna is sung in "Oggu Katha". In this Oggu katha, Swamy Mallanna married goddess Medallamma by facing conditions which are put up by her brothers. Goddess Medallamma is also called as Bramarambika, who is consort of Lord Shiva.

Also, in a recent offering from "Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev" mythological daily show on LifeOk TV channel, it has been shown that, Mallanna resembles to Marthand/Khandoba, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komrelly_Mallanna_Temple

http://srikomuravellimallanna.com/temple.html

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Jamalapuram Temple

Jamalapuram is a small village situated close to Yerrupalem town of Khammam district, Telangana,

India. 

Located about 85 km from Khammam town and 6 km from Yerrupalem railway station in serene atmosphere near the Pedda Cheruvu tank, the historical shrine attracts devotees from various parts of  Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The village has an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara. Here Lord Venkateswara is manifested in the form of swayambhu. The temple also boasts of Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, Sivalayam, Ganesh Temple, Anjaneya Swamy temple, Sri Alivelu Amma vari Temple and Ayyappa Swamy Temple. 

The temple’s location amidst pleasant weather surrounded by lush green hills is an added attraction.
The shrine in Khammam district, said to be over 800 years old, attracts devotees in droves. The ancient Swayambhu Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Jamalapuram is believed to be more than 850 years old, says Uppala Srinivasa Sarma, main priest of the shrine.

The historical Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, popularly known as ‘Telangana Tirupati,’ at Jamalapuram in Yerrupalem mandal, visited by Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra and Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya in the bygone era, holds promising potential for promotion of temple tourism in the new State.

An impressive statue of Sri Krishnadevaraya was installed in front of the Pongali Mandapam near the temple as part of the celebrations of 500th anniversary of the Vijayanagara emperor’s coronation organised by the then government in 2010.Choultries in bad shape

The shrine, said to be more than eight centuries old, was taken over by the Endowments Department way back in 1969. However, most of the development works at the shrine were taken up with the support of the donors.

Although Pedda Cheruvu, the major tank situated about half a km from the shrine, was developed during the previous regime, a grand plan drawn up by the Tourism Department to develop a tank bund park at the site remains on paper.

The ancient Swayambhu Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Jamalapuram is believed to be more than 850 years old, says Uppala Srinivasa Sarma, main priest of the shrine.

It received the patronage of emperors of various kingdoms. Kakatiya Prataparudra worshipped the presiding deity of the shrine on his way to Tiruvuru in the bygone era, he says citing some historical references.

Sri Krishnadevaraya offered prayers at the historical temple en route the Kondapalli fort during his “Jaitra Yatra” several centuries ago, he adds.

Jamalapuram flourished as a famous gurukulam under the aegis of Maharshi Jabaali, he recalls.

The historical temple town will emerge a major centre of temple tourism in the entire Telangana State if developed comprehensively, says M. Srinivasa Rao, vice-sarpanch of Jamalapuram.

The Tourism Department should take the initiative to develop a tank bund park abutting Pedda Cheruvu, construct a tourism guest house, set up a food court and introduce boating services at the tank, he suggests.


Source
http://www.telanganatourism.gov.in/partials/destinations/regions/khammam.html
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/telangana-tirupati-needs-a-makeover/article6725264.ece

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Sthambadri Temple

The temple of Sri Narashima Swamy is located in the heart of the Town, which is popularly known to

local people as guha gudi. The ancient temple is believed t be existing from Tretha Yuga.

According to legends, the Narsimha Swami or Narsimhadri temple, situated on a hill called Stambhadri, is said to have existed since 1.6 million years.

The town is located on the banks of the River Munneru, which is tributary to River Krishna.

During Tretha Yugam Mouthgalya Maharishi with his disciples penance here in a cave and he was blessed by Lord Vishnu. Mothgalya Maharishi requested Lord Vishnu to stay back in this place along with Lakshmi. Lord came out of the pillar as Sri Lakshmi Narashima Swamy. Hence the place was known as Sthambadri.

The temple is on a vertical rock which is known as Khamba which means Pillar. The temple is on khamba so it was originally known as Sthamba Sikari which later turned into Sthambadri. At present the place is known as Khammam, which was derived from the word Khammam Mettu.

Sthala Purana says in16th century, King Pratapa Rudra, who was ruling the place was blessed by Lord here. King developed the temple and pooja was arranged according to Vaikasana Agama Sthara. Panaka Abishekam on Sundays is important here. Public believe that all their wishes are fulfilled when they worship here the Lord for 40 days.

Source

http://shamalak.blogspot.com/2013/02/sthambadri-sri-lakshmi-narashima-swamy.html

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Lakaram Lake

Lakaram Lake is a lake nestled in the calm and serene ambience of Khammam District in Telangana.

It is one of the major tourist attractions in Telangana and can be a wonderful place for a family picnic. Surrounded by lush green trees and plants, the Lakaram Lake offers scenic views of the beauties of nature and several reasons to admire it. The location of the lake is very convenient as it is just 4 kilometres away from the bus stand.

15 years ago, it was just a lake with waste trees and herbs, but now it has been developed as an amazing tourist spot. The lake also features with a lush green park where you can enjoy and relax in the lap of the nature. You can also enjoy boating in the calm and tranquil water of the lake and witness the beautiful lush green surroundings.

Lakaram lake is the biggest lake among all which had been chosen under the prestigious project Mission Kakatiya for restoring of the lakes in Telangana.

Source

http://www.touristlink.com/india/lakaram-lake/overview.html

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Puligundala tank, Kallur

Puligundala tank is located in Kallur Mandal, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, India.

The scenic spot encircled by thick woods in Kallur mandal to be developed into an eco-tourism centre

The eco-tourism potential of the scenic spot at Puligundala tank, encircled by thick woods in Kallur mandal, has caught the attention of the Tourism Department.

Nestled in the lap of nature amid lush green surroundings and flanked by hillocks, the picturesque spot located at about 70 km from the district headquarters town of Khammam, has the potential of becoming an ideal weekend getaway.

Scenic splendor

The enchanting waterfall on the nearby hill range add to the scenic splendour of the site.

An old Siva temple at Brahmalakunta, a village surrounded by several tribal habitations, nearby the Puligundala tank, draws devotees in hordes during the Kartika Masam.

A team of officials headed by Director of Department of Tourism Sunitha Bhagwat visited the spot on Monday.

Impressed by the promising potential of the site to become an ideal destination for nature lovers, the team mulled the idea of developing the site into an eco-tourism centre.

Located quite away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, the picturesque spot at Puligundala offers tremendous scope for organising trekking, bird watching and other tourism promotion activities, said Suman Chakravarthy, District Tourism Officer, Khammam. If developed, the spot would become a favourite eco-tourism destination. It would in turn give a major impetus to tourism promotion and help augment income generation activities for the benefit of local tribal youths.

The Tourism Department is mulling a proposal to promote the community-based eco-tourism project at the site, he said, adding that the proposal will be forwarded to the Forest and other concerned departments soon.

Source

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/Puligundala-catches-attention-of-Tourism-Dept./article17285628.ece

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Kusumanchi Temples

Kusumanchi is a town and Mandal in Khammam district, Telangana, India, which was popularly
known as Krupamani during the Kakatiya period. The Shivalingam in this shrine is one of the largest in Telangana. There is a 15 ft high idol of Lord Venu Gopala Swamy on the southern side of the temple.

Jakkepalli, Kistapuram, Kokya Thanda, Lokya Thanda, Mallaigudem, Munigepalli, Naikangudem, Narasimhulagudem and Palair are some of the tribal villages located in the vicinity of Kusumanchi which can be visited.

Kakatiya rulers built Ganapeshwaralayam, Mukkanteswaralayam in Kusumanchi

After being neglected for decades, the historical Siva temples of Kakatiya era in Kusumanchi mandal headquarters are set to undergo renovation.

Sri Ganapeshwaralayam and Mukkanteswaralayam, the two Siva temples built by Kakatiya rulers during 12th and 3th centuries in Kusumanchi stand testimony to the architectural acumen of the great Kakatiya kings.

The historical shrines resemble the famous Ghanpur and Ramappa temples of Kakatiya period in Bhupalpalli district. Although declared as protected monuments by the Department of Archaeology several decades ago, the Mukkanteswaralayam situated near Ganapeshwaralayam continue to lie in utter neglect.

Thanks to the patronage of some devotees and heritage conscious persons, the daily rituals are being held without any interruption at Ganapeshwaralayam. This particular temple attracts devotees from far off places in Warangal, Nalgonda and other neighbouring districts during Sivaratri festivities every year.

A group of philanthropists including Venkatapratap Reddy, a retired police officer, initiated several development works at Ganapeshwara temple in the last couple of years.

Scores of devotees throng the temple during Sravanamasam and other auspicious occasions more particularly during the Sivaratri jatara here, says Devulapalli Seshagiri Sarma, the priest of Ganapeshwara shrine. There is a dire necessity for a kalyana mandapam on the premises of the temple to perform special rituals and also provide seating arrangements for devotees during celebration of festivities, says Mr Sarma.

The government has released Rs. 30 lakh each for Ganapeshwaralayam and Mukkanteshwaralayam for renovation and development more than a month ago, says Rangacharyulu, consultant, Department of Archaeology.

 A detailed project report has been finalised to lay a pathway between the two historical shrines and take up renovation works such as strengthening the foundations including platform and other structures of the temples, he says.

Sources
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/historical-siva-temples-in-kusumanchi-to-get-a-facelift/article5806358.ece

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