Telangana is a landlocked state in south-central India on the Deccan Plateau, home to Hyderabad, the Qutb Shahi and Nizam heritage of Golconda and Charminar, and the Kakatiya temples of Warangal and Ramappa.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Telangana.
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1
Thousand Pillar Temple
Rudra Deva builds the Rudreshwara temple at Hanamkonda under the Kakatiyas
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2
Ramappa Temple
Recherla Rudra completes the Ramalingeswara Temple at Palampet under Ganapati Deva
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3
Fall of Warangal
Delhi Sultanate forces under Ulugh Khan capture Warangal and end Kakatiya rule
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4
Qutb Shahi dynasty
Sultan Quli Qutb Mulk establishes the independent Qutb Shahi sultanate at Golconda
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5
Founding of Hyderabad
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah founds Hyderabad and builds Charminar
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6
Mughal conquest
Aurangzeb takes Golconda after an eight-month siege
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7
Asaf Jahi dynasty
Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I, establishes the Nizam's state
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8
Chowmahalla begun
Nizam Afzal ud Daulah begins work on Chowmahalla Palace
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9
Falaknuma Palace
Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra completes Falaknuma Palace
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10
Musi flood
The Musi flood devastates Hyderabad and prompts reservoirs and city planning
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11
Integration
Hyderabad State is integrated into the Indian Union
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12
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana is merged with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh
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13
Telangana formed
Telangana becomes India's 29th state on 2 June with Hyderabad as capital
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14
Ramappa UNESCO
Ramappa Temple is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historical sites
Places where Telangana's past comes alive.
Golconda Fort
Qutb Shahi capital and diamond-trading fortress, rebuilt in granite and taken by Aurangzeb after an eight-month siege in 1687.
Where: Golconda, Hyderabad
Admission: INR 25 (~$0.26) Indians; INR 300 (~$3) foreign
Charminar
Built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah at the founding of Hyderabad, traditionally said to mark the end of a plague.
Where: Old City, Hyderabad
Admission: INR 25 (~$0.26) Indians; INR 300 (~$3) foreign
Qutb Shahi Tombs
Seven royal tombs of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Where: Ibrahim Bagh, Hyderabad
Admission: INR 20 (~$0.21) Indians; INR 200 (~$2) foreign
Chowmahalla Palace
Seat of the Nizams' court where ceremonial events were held and new Nizams were enthroned.
Where: Khilwat, Hyderabad
Admission: INR 80 (~$0.83) Indians; INR 200 (~$2) foreign
Mecca Masjid
One of India's largest mosques, begun under Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah and completed under Aurangzeb.
Where: Old City, Hyderabad
Admission: Free
Paigah Tombs
Tombs of the Paigah nobles who served the Nizams, with fine stucco tracery.
Where: Santoshnagar, Hyderabad
Admission: Free or small fee; confirm at the gate
Taj Falaknuma Palace
Palace built by the Paigah noble Nawab Viqar-ul-Umra, later gifted to the Nizam and reopened as a Taj hotel in 2010.
Where: Falaknuma, Hyderabad
Admission: Tours about INR 2,500-4,000 (~$26-42)
Purani Haveli
Early Nizam-era palace complex, once the residence of the sixth Nizam and later partly used as a school and museum.
Where: Old City, Hyderabad
Admission: Exterior view; interior access limited
Warangal Fort and Kakatiya Toranas
Capital of the Kakatiya dynasty under Ganapati Deva and Rani Rudrama Devi, with the carved Kirti Toranas.
Where: Warangal
Admission: INR 25 (~$0.26) Indians; INR 300 (~$3) foreign
Thousand Pillar Temple
Built by Rudra Deva; a triple-shrine star-plan temple of Kakatiya design.
Where: Hanamkonda, Warangal
Admission: Free
Ramappa Temple, Palampet (UNESCO)
UNESCO World Heritage Site built under Ganapati Deva, with light floating bricks in its shikhara.
Where: Palampet, Mulugu
Admission: INR 25 (~$0.26) Indians; INR 300 (~$3) foreign
Bhongir Fort
A monolith fort raised by Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI, later held by the Qutb Shahis and Nizams.
Where: Bhongir
Admission: Free or nominal
Medak Fort
Hill fort of Kakatiya origin and later Qutb Shahi holding, with cannon and gateways.
Where: Medak
Admission: INR 25 (~$0.26) Indians
Medak Cathedral
Built by Rev Charles Walker Posnett, among the largest church buildings in Asia.
Where: Medak
Admission: Free
Kolanupaka Jain Temple
Ancient Jain and Shaiva site, with a Jain temple holding a large Mahavira image.
Where: Kolanupaka, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri
Admission: Free
Khammam Fort
A hill fort of Kakatiya origin with later Qutb Shahi additions.
Where: Khammam
Admission: Free