Warangal Fort: By: Saumya Verma 171110236

WARANGAL
FORT
By:
Saumya Verma
171110236
BUILT: 12th century
LOCATION: Warangal District, Telangana
MATERIALS: Stone and Mud
BUILT BY: Prataparudra II
Rudrama devi
PRESENT-DAY CONDITION: Ruins
Present day condition: Ruins
Image source: Google Earth
Warangal fort:
Travel map
Image source:
www.goheritage
run.com
INTRODUCTION
Warangal Fort is located in Warangal District, Telangana. It was the capital city
of Kakatiyas and Musunuri Kamma Nayakas.
It appears to have existed since at least the 12th century when it was the capital of the Kakatiya
dynasty.
The fort has four ornamental gates, known as Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, that originally formed
the entrances to a now ruined great Shiva temple.
The Fort is included in the "tentative list" of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
HISTORY
Initially, Warangal was under the rule of the Yadava kings in the 8th century; in the
12th century, it came under the control of the Kakatiya dynasty.
Historians generally agree that an earlier brick-walled structure was replaced with stone
by Ganapatideva, who died in 1262, and that he was succeeded by his daughter Rudrama
Devi, who ruled until 1289, and then her grandson Prataparudra II, whose reign came to be
known as a "Golden Age". Twenty years later his kingdom was conquered by the Sultans of
Delhi by Alauddin Khalji.
Ganapatideva, Rudramadevi, and Prataparudra II all added to the fort's height, building
gateways, square bastions, and additional circular earthen walls.
Prataparudra II,
Statue of Rudrama Devi, Kakatiya dynasty
one of the rulers of
the Kakatiya dynasty and
builder of the fort complex
Image source: Wikipedia
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Warangal Fort is laid out in three concentric circular walls with defensive fortifications.
The first structure, built during the reign of Rudrama Devi, was in the form an earthen
embankment 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in diameter.
A moat of about 150 feet (46 m) width was dug around this wall, forming the outer limits of
the fort during the reign of the Kakatiya rulers.
Another wall built to protect the fort after the earthen wall and the moat was a fortified
inner stone wall of about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) in diameter. It was the central part of the
Kakatiya capital, called the fort.
Fort features
Image
source:
http://www.
dsource.in
The fort wall was built with dressed huge granite stone blocks of very large dimensions.
These stones were not in any regular shape, but were closely fitted without using any type
of mortar.
During the reign of Rudrama Devi the height of the wall was increased to 29 feet
(8.8 m) from the structure which had been built earlier by Ganapati Dev.
The wall has been fortified with 45 very large rectangular bastions (also known as towers),
which measure 40–60 feet (12–18 m) on a side
There are also 18 stone steps laid over a gradual slope built on the inner slopes of the
earthen wall as an access to the ramparts.
The fort has 45 towers and some pillars, which have scattered all over 19km and a temple of
Mother Earth called ‘Swayambhudevi Alayam’ which is in the middle of the fort is renowned for
its sculptures.
Four paths of decorative stone gateways are built for this fort. These gateways are about 30 feet
in height and still standing as a carved masterpiece.
These entrances / gateways are called as ‘Kakatiya kala Thoranam’ (the gateways of glory) of
Kakatiyas, which are built in similar to the style of Sanchi sculptures.
Fort features:
Swayambhudevi
temple
Image source:
http://www.dsou
rce.in
Pillared mandapa with a Nandi
(bull) in the fort complex
View of Kakatiya Kala Thoranam

Image source: Wikipedia
RUINS OF THE FORT
The area within the fort has an axial road laid in an east-west
direction where there is now some human habitation.
The central part of the fort has been identified as the
archaeological zone where the ruins of a great Shiva temple are
now seen with only the freestanding "entrance portals" or gates
on the four sides.
Each gate has twin pillars with angled brackets over which lies
the huge lintel; the height of this gate is 10 metres (33 ft).
The gates have extensive intricate carvings of "lotus buds,
looped garlands, mythical animals, and birds with foliated tails".
The carvings do not include any religious symbols, which is said The Warangal gates within
to be the reason for its preserved condition and not getting the fort complex
destroyed by the Muslim invaders. Source: Wikipedia
THE SHIVA TEMPLE
While the Shiva temple has been completely
destroyed, there are many ruins of "wall slabs,
brackets and ceiling panels", some of which are
exhibited now in an outdoor museum. There are still
some standing pillars that the Bahmani
Sultanate (14th-16th century) earlier used to build
a mosque, which remained incomplete.
The original deity of the temple was a linga with the
Linga with the four faces of Shiva
four faces of Shiva, which is now deified in a separate
shrine to the south of the fort complex, where regular
worship is offered.
KUSH MAHAL
Seen within 150 metres (490 ft) of the archaeological zone is the Kush Mahal, which is a public
hall built in the 14th century by the Delhi Sultans, who had captured the fort.
The mahal, which is rectangular in shape, is built with huge sloping walls, sliced by six arched
openings on each of its sides.
There are approach steps on the northeast corner that provide access to the top of the
structure, which has scenic views of the entire fort complex.
Kush Mahal, Warangal Fort
Image source: Wikipedia and others
ORUGALLU
Within the southern quarter of the archaeological zone is a big water tank. Inside this tank is a
distinctive natural rock formation that protrudes above the water surface. This is called locally
as Orugallu (meaning: single rock) in Telugu, giving the name "Warangal" to the fort.
A small temple is built over this rock. There are many other temples and water ponds in the
entire fort complex. There are also three large granaries close to the south gate of the fort
INSCRIPTIONS
Just outside the central fort, the mud wall, which is the second circle of the fort complex in the
northwestern part, has within it the Lanja gudi ('gudi' means "shrine"), which consists of three
small temples; but the linga deities have been removed and are seen scattered nearby.
There are many inscriptions on the ruins of the wall of the main temple recording the gift of a
Kakatiya king, on pillars, on a stone outside the fort, and at many more places, all in the Telugu
language.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.Wikipedia.com
www.goheritagerun.com
www.dsource.com
www.timesofindia.com
www.telanganatourism.gov.in
www.warangaltourism.in
THE
END

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View of Kakatiya Kala Thoranam

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