The Thousand Pillar Temple or Rudreshwara Swamy Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the town of Hanamakonda, Telangana State, India.It is dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Surya.Thousand Pillar Temple, along with “Warangal Fort” and “Ramappa Temple” are added to the tentative list of World Heritage sites recognised by UNESCO.
Shrine’s History
Many Hindu temples were developed under the patronage of Ganapati Deva, Rudrama Devi and Prataparudra of Kakatiya dynasty. The Thousand Pillar Temple was believed to be constructed during the period between 1175?1324 CE by order of the king, Rudra Deva. It stands out to be a masterpiece and achieved major heights in terms of architectural skills by the ancient Kakatiya vishwakarma sthapathis.
Architectural Relevance of This Shrine
The Thousand Pillar Temple with its ruins lies near the Hanamkonda-Warangal Highway in Telangana State, about 150 kilometres from the city of Hyderabad. The temple is star-shaped with several shrines and lingams. There are three shrines inside the temple called the Trikutalayam, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya. There are 1,000 pillars in the structure, but no pillar obstructs a person in any point of the temple to see the God. The temple is surrounded by a big garden in which many small lingam shrines can be seen. There is a carving of a Nandi bull in the form of a highly polished black basalt monolith. The Thousand Pillar Temple is constructed on a platform that is raised to a height of 1 metre from ground level. Rock-cut elephants and perforated screens in the temple are characteristic of the then prevailing dynasty. The temple was renovated in 2004 by the Government of India. Archaeological Survey of India and modern engineers have been working on the temple’s further renovation.
Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There
By Road
The nearest bus stop is Warangal
By Rail
The nearest railway station is Warangal railway station, which is 3 km away from the temple.
By Air
The nearest airport is Shamshabad international airport Hyderabad.
Shrine Timings
6:00 am ? 8:00 pm.
Extra Information About this Shrine
Best time to visit The best time to visit the Thousand Pillar Temple is during the winter months of October to March when the weather is pleasant in Warangal
