01The Devi of the Kakatiyas
The murti of Bhadrakali, carved in the rock, is seated, with eight arms and a fierce face, wearing a crown. The temple’s tradition and local accounts say it was first raised by the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II around 625 CE to mark his conquest of the Vengi country. The Kakatiya kings, whose capital Orugallu is today’s Warangal, held the Devi in great honour. After the fall of the Kakatiyas in 1323 the shrine declined and stood neglected for centuries.
02Revival
In 1950 the temple was restored and regular worship resumed, and since then it has grown into the chief Devi shrine of the Warangal region. Sharad Navaratri and the Shakambari festival in Ashadha, when the Devi is dressed in vegetables and greens, are its great days. Below the hill lies the Bhadrakali lake, and the Thousand Pillar Temple and Warangal Fort are a short drive away.
The life of this place
- c. 625 CE (tradition)Pulakeshin II raises the shrine after conquering Vengi.
- 1323The Kakatiya kingdom falls; the shrine declines.
- 1950The temple is restored and full worship resumes.
Between Hanamkonda and Warangal, about 5 km from Warangal station.
