Thousand Pillar Temple

Built in 1163 under Rudra Deva, the temple at Hanamkonda is laid out on a star-shaped plan with three shrines, to Shiva, Vishnu and Surya, opening off a common hall, a triple arrangement the Kakatiyas favoured. Its pillars are polished black basalt, carved and finished to a reflective surface, and a monolithic Nandi sits in the courtyard. The kalyana mandapa, the pillared hall in front, had subsided over centuries and was dismantled completely in 2004 and rebuilt using the original stones with sand-box technique, a project that took around a decade and reopened in 2022.

What you actually see

• The triple shrine - three sanctums opening off one hall on a star plan.
• The polished basalt pillars - carved black stone finished to a shine.
• The monolithic Nandi - the bull cut from a single block in the courtyard.
• The rebuilt hall - the mandapa dismantled and reassembled over a decade.

When to go

October to March; Telangana summers are severe. The temple is in worship and closes in the middle of the day. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

Despite the name there are nowhere near a thousand pillars. Photography inside the shrines is restricted. The temple sits on a busy road with limited parking.

Nearby

Warangal fort lies southeast; Ramappa is northeast.