Thousand Pillar Temple

Thousand Pillar temple is a place not only for devotees but for every history enthusiast and architecture lover. A place to must visit in Warangal, this 1000 Pillar Temple is sure to leave you mesmerized with its structural beauty as well as will leave you intrigued with its historical significance. Built in 12th century, by the Rudra Deva, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Named as Sri Rudreshwara Swamy Temple, it has been built in architectural style of Chalukyan Temples.
As the name suggest, this temple boasts of many exquisitely carved pillars. Its rock cut elephant sculpture, massive monolith of Nandi (Lord Shiva’s divine vehicle), intricate carvings will leave you mesmerized. The spiritual aura of Thousand Pillar Temple makes the experience even more enriching. Now managed by the Archaeological Survey of India, this temple was renovated by Government of India in 2004. It has been declared as protected monument. What makes this temple even more attractive is its good maintenance. There is a lush green lawn that greets you as you enter the temple complex. There is also the facility of drinking water here at the temple.

The temple stands proudly on a platform that rises to a height of 1 metre from the ground and is perched on a slope on the Hanamkonda hills. It is also the main attraction of the place. Tourists are afforded a glimpse of the architectural splendor of the Kakatiya dynasty through the exquisite perforated screens embellishing the main structure. The attention to detailing in each of its sculpture deserves special mention. The rock cut elephant structures that exude the remarkable genius of the Kakatiyan artisans are truly worth seeing.
Most notable among its sculptures is that of a giant Nandi that is present within the temple premises. The monolithic structure is made of black basalt and has a polish that shines brightly even today. This majestic structure is a strong reminder of the glorious history of the Kakatiya rulers in their capital city of Warangal. The temple is easily accessible from every corner of the country. The ample transport options available enable visitors to conveniently fit in this rich legacy within their travel plans. The Thousand Pillar Temple gifts tourists with the perfect opportunity to savor the past and history of Kakatiya rulers on Orugallu (old name of Warangal).

There are many interesting facts about Thousand Pillar Temple. It’s is still believed that there is an underground route from Warangal Fort to this temple which was build by Kakatiya ruler and also beleived that the Kakatiya ruler used this route to visit this temple. Other interesting fact is the temparature inside the temple is always cool. One should sit in the temple to feel the cooling effect even in hot summer. It is beleived that this cooling effect is because of the special soft wet sand used at the foundation level which is connected to Bhadrakali Lake through a pipe connection. The pillars of this temple are very unique and even a small micro carving is done with great detailing care and one can see the simmitry of the carvings on the pillars of Thousand Pillar Temple.
The ‘Nandi’ is a special attraction of this temple. The carvings on this Nandi is very interesting and looks like real jewellary. The minute carvings are done with extra care and are perfect to more than 1000 percent. There is big mandapam on the other side of the temple which is dismantled by Archealogical Survey of India (ASI). ASI assured that the mandapam will be re-arranged but till now the process has not yet begu. Also there used to be water pond (Temple Koneru) on the left side of the temple which is now converted to grass lawn. This shows the huge negligance by the ASI and government on this historical architectural Temple of Telangana.