About Mahabubnagar

 

Geography of Mahabubnagar

The city has an average elevation of 498 meters or 1633 feet with geographical coordinates of 16.73°N and 77.98°E. The district has an area of over 4,037 square kilometers. It is located around 98 KM from Hyderabad, 108 KM from Kurnool and 105 KM from Raichur. The district is surrounded by the Guntur District of AP to the east, Kurnool district of AP to the south, Nalgonda & Ranga Reddy Districts to the north and Gulbarga & Raichur districts of the state of Karnataka to the West. Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers flow through the district with its border marked by River Krishna in the south with Andhra Pradesh. Dindi River is an important tributary of the River Krishna flowing through here.
 
The city is well connected to all major cities by rail and road transport. National Highway 164 and State Highways 20 & 23 pass through the city connecting it to all major cities and towns. There are frequent buses operating on different routes from here. There is also good railway connectivity here with Mahabubnagar railway station, Yenugonda Station and Diviti Pally Stations. The nearest airport to the city is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad located around 87 KM from here.

History of Mahabubnagar

Mahabubnagar has held a great historical significance. The region was the core of Satavahana dynasty from 221 BC to 218 AD and also formed a large area of the Chalukya dynasty from 5th to 11th century AD. Later it became part of the Kingdom of Golkonda (1364 – 1512 AD) with capital city of Golkonda located near Hyderabad. From 1518 until 1687, it remained under control of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Post this, region was a part of Hyderabad state from 1724 to 1948 that was ruled by the Asaf Jahi Dynasty. The region witnessed many wars between 14th and 16th centuries. There are more than 200 sites of Megalithic Period that have been found here. On the banks of River Krishna, Old Stone Age and New Stone Age sites have been excavated. 

 

Culture of Mahabubnagar

The city has a rich cultural heritage that can be explored in its many ancient temples and historical monuments. Dance, music and art & craft form indispensable culture of Mahabubnagar. Some popular dance forms here are Lambadi, Bonalu, Kolattam and Burrakatha. Telugu is the official language here and Urdu is the second official language. The district had a population of 1,318,110 per census of 2011. The city has a literacy rate of 55% with sex ratio of 977 per 1000 males. The city is quite hot in summer season with maximum temperature crossing 45 °C and best time to visit is December to February.

Tourism in Mahabubnagar

There are many interesting places in Mahabubnagar that are frequently visited by people. It is one of the famous tourist destinations in Telangana and also serves as a weekend getaway for people in nearby cities of Raichur and Rameshwaram.
 
Pillalamrri
It is one of the most interesting places to visit in Mahabubnagar. This is a banyan tree that is around 700 years old with its branches extending over an area of 3 acres. It is located about 4 KM from the town and has tomb of a famous Muslim saint under it. From a distance, the tress presents the appearance of a small hillock with green foliage however on reaching closure it looks like a green umbrella under which around thousand people can easily take shelter. In Telugu, 'Pillalu' means children and 'marri' means a banyan tree. There is also a small zoo, aquarium and an archaeological museum here that can be visited.
 
Umamaheswaram
This is an ancient temple located close by Achampet in Mahabubnagar District. The temple is situated on tall hills of Nallamala forests and dates back to 2nd century AD. One has to pass through steep and dangerous curves of around 5 mile in length from botoom of the hill to reach the temple. The temple has excellent architecture and houses around 15 temples, each having Shivalingas. There are various pillars around the mandapas here and beautifully carved sculptures depicting 24 aspects of Lord Vishnu can be witnessed all around the walls. Shivarathri & Karthika Purnima are celebrated here every year with much fervor.
 
KoilKonda Fort and Koilsagar Dam
Koilkonda Fort is situated at Koilkonda in Mahabubnagar district, around 25 KM from Mahabubnagar. The fort used to be the outpost of the Qutub Shahi dynasty and situated on a hilltop. To reach the top, one needs to hike across a deep gorge on the west or a series of streams if coming through east before reaching a plight of steps that leads to the fort. To enter the Koilkonda Fort, seven gates have to be crossed. The first one spots an inscription of Ibrahim Qutab Shah that belongs to 1550 AD. Fourth gate leads to a dilapidated palace. There is also a mosque, an Idgah and a pond here. The Fort also has a ashurkhana dedicated to Bibi Fatima and is revered by both Hindus and Muslims.
 
The Koilsagar Dam was constructed in the period of Nizams during 1945-48 and is a medium sized irrigation project. This is a beautiful spot on the west surrounded by high hills.
 
There are a few other tourist destinations in Mahabubnagar district that can be planned on one's travel here. Some famous places of tourist interest in the district include Ghanpur Fort, Wanaparhy Palace, Pangal Fort, Chandraghad Fort, Jama Masjid, Medina Masjid, Mecca Masjid, Jurala Dam, Gadwal Fort and Kollapur. Visiting these is a way to experience the rich cultural heritage of Nizams in the area.