The first glance at the Google search “Places to visit in Warangal”, might disappoint you. It will mostly show you temples and some faraway lakes. Well, this is what I believed as well for the first three years of my engineering at NIT Warangal. But when it was about time to leave college, my friend and I set out to explore all that Warangal had to offer and during these explorations, we happened to have found some underrated gems of Warangal. And to enrich your stay at Warangal from the very beginning, we thought why not write a blog. So here we go:
Jain Sites: As of the time we are writing this blog, this place isn’t inaugurated yet. If you do plan to go, you’ll be trespassing on private property. So be careful. There is a long flight of stairs that take you up, followed by a tiny cave and even more stairs and all the while you enjoy the city from the height. The effort is all the worth for the view from the top. The construction work is still going on and we believe that the place will be even more beautiful once it’s done.
Mettu Gutta: This was the last place we visited before leaving Warangal and so glad we did. Situated on top of a huge rock, this small temple is just unique in its own simplistic and humble nature. The wide expanse of rock around is just magnificent and if you are a fan of trains, then the view of trains passing by from that height will surely delight you. There is the iconic cliff that we tried climbing but one of us was too scared to, so we couldn’t. But you do try. We aren’t sure if there is a clear path up to climb, so that’s on you.
Govinda Rajula Gutta: If you do plan to go here, we would suggest you go in the evening so that you can see the ‘stars on the ground’ view. Though there are a lot of stairs to climb, it is beautiful when you reach up there. The picture may not do justice to the view we saw from there.
Padmakshi Temple: Situated on top of a rock, this temple stands in solitude proudly and holds with it a rich history from the time of the Kakatiya Dynasty. After praying, you can explore the area nearby and the view from there. And then sit on the temple wall and see the sunset.
Warangal Fort and Ekashila Park: To call Warangal fort a fort would be disrespectful to other esteem forts, but nevertheless you are definitely up for some ‘fort remains’, all arranged beautifully in an organized manner, sorted by shape and size. But what captured my eye was the green space beside the fort. Walking on the grass under the shade of trees while sun rays make their way through the leaves was a sight so calming.
Near the fort is Ekashila park. While it is more or less like a normal park, with rides and swings for kids, it does have a lake and a pretty old temple on a big rock. While the sun sets, the shimmering water looks like silver leaves, from the rock above.
This place is also famous for Goli-Soda. Though we happened to have missed it, you should definitely try it out.
Madikonda: This should come as no surprise by now that Warangal has only rocks and temples to offer. But how these simple things can be so beautiful will only depend on how you look at them. Madikonda is yet another not-so-steep rock and also has a lake adjoining. There is a small rock near the lake that acts as a perfect bench to see the sunset show. This area is between the fields so the evening drive to it is really beautiful provided the weather is with you.
Dharmasagar: This is a lake about 13km from our college. There is a big water treatment plant near it so while you drive till there the air changes a little. You will smell water (if that is something you can say). Near the lake, there is a rock. On top of the rock is a big statue of Christ. As you go up, you start seeing the scenery opposite the lake. Lush green fields, coconut and palm trees, narrow lanes. The view is so in contrast to the lake and hills on the other side. And because of the lake, there is always a gentle breeze flowing, caressing your hair. So while you are waiting for the sunset to happen enjoy the paddy fields and then turn towards the lake and see the sun setting.
Kala Bhairav Temple: Well, we couldn’t explore this place because of time constraints but it was definitely on our list and something you can try going to once. Do let us know how it turns out to be.
Waddepally Lake: This is no fancy place but a place very close to our hearts. It has a simple mud walking track running alongside the lake, an open gym with ample equipment for you to work out, a lovely nursery and a lotus pond. We would recommend you to go here for your early morning walks.
Kakatiya Zoological Park: There is ‘Park’ in its name for a reason. If you have already been to a zoo, then this place might disappoint you. It does have some magnificent animals like Cheetah, Ostrich, Bear, White Peacock. But the maintenance and ambience are a little poor. You can turn this into a fun place if you have the right friends with you. And maybe end up making some interesting theories. Like the one we came up with — ‘Hunter Road got its name because of the hunting of the animals of the zoo’.
K-Street: This is the place with the iconic ‘Love Warangal’ sign. This is Waragal’s first drive-in and we hope more will follow suit. The best time to visit K-Street would be at night and if there is some cricket tournament going on, it will be like icing on the cake. With live screening, gaming zone and ample food choices, you should definitely check this place out with your friends.
Sher-e-Punjab, Jas-Punjab, Ursu Pond: Sher-e-Punjab and Jas-Punjab are the only two authentic Punjabi Dhabas that we could find in Warangal. Relish the butter naan and butter chicken (they also serve veg, don’t worry). There is also a small pond nearby them. It’s called Ursu Pond and makes up for a cute walking place at night, especially when you have overeaten at the Dhaba. Walk alongside the pond, under the stars.
Narshampet and Pakhal Lake: We had the opportunity to go to both of these places as a part of some event organized by the Forest Department. Narshampet is an absolutely fun and adventurous trekking site. Lucky us, we had forest department folks with us who guided us throughout. There is also a pretty old temple at the top. Apparently, it is the second oldest Narasimha Swamy temple in India.
By the time we reached Pakhal Lake, we were super tired. So though Pakhal boasts of rich flora and fauna, all we could manage to see was the vast stretch of water around. But there was one spot where we had a lot of fun. Near the butterfly garden, there is a bridge, under which flows a rather strong stream of water. We happened to have loads of fun there, playing with water while some slipped into the water.
Laknavaram Lake: The famous yellow bridge you see in most Warangal Tourism videos is from here. We believe that the lake has more to offer than just the bridges, the water and the motor ride. But the thing with Laknavaram is that it so far away that by the time you reach, you are drained out of energy to explore more than what meets the eye. Apparently, there is bird watching and camping among the many activities that it boasts of. So we suggest you plan properly before going so that you make the most of it.
TV Tower: If you are near Kazipet, you cannot miss the TV Tower. Situated behind the railway station, this was the only place we knew of for some trekking vibes in our first year. Do get up early someday and watch the sunrise from there. It is really serene. Make sure you don’t disturb the people living nearby else things can get very serious (very).
This was all from us. We hope you have as much fun exploring these places as we had and maybe more. And if you happen to find a new place, do add them to the list. Keep exploring!
Note: Please reach out to aniketh vishwanath for more photo stock:)
