The architecture of Telangana dates back over two thousand years. The Indian state of

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...

is in the

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in South India, southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bou ...

plateau, bordering the coastal plain of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. It has produced regional variants of wider styles of

Indian architecture Indian architecture is rooted in its history, culture and religion. Among a number of architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple architecture, Indo-Islamic architecture, especially Mughal ...

, both in

Hindu temple architecture Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many varieties of style, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''garbha griha'' or womb-chamber, where ...

and

Indo-Islamic architecture Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establ ...

Buddhist architecture

The

Nelakondapalli Nelakondapally, also referred to as Nelakondapalli or Nela Kondapalli, is a town and headquarters of a mandal in Khammam district, Telangana, India. It is also an archaeological site important to early Buddhism and Hinduism, where excavations ha ...

stupa belongs to the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

period. It is located on the edge of the coastal plain. ASI excavations in recent decades have found remains of a typical monastic complex, and a few works of art. The site seems to have remained active until the 6th century AD.

Hindu temple architecture

Chalukya

The 7th-century Navabrahma Temples at Alampur were built by the Badami Chalukayas.

Kakatiya

The

Warangal Fort Warangal Fort is located in Warangal District, Telangana, India. It was the capital city of Kakatiya dynasty and Musunuri Nayakas. It appears to have existed since at least the 12th century when it was the capital of the Kakatiyas. The fort has ...

Ramappa Temple Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreshwara temple, is a Kakatiya style Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva, located in Telangana, India. It is from Mulugu, from Warangal, from Hyderabad. An inscription in the temple says it was cons ...

Kota Gullu Ghanpur temples, popularly known as Kota Gullu, are a group of 12th century stone temples that are located in Ghanpur near Warangal in Telangana, India. They are located 9 km northwest of the more famous Ramappa Temple in Palampet. Histo ...

and

Thousand Pillar Temple The Thousand Pillar Temple or Rudreswara Swamy Temple వేయి స్తంభాల గుడి''is a historic Hindu temple located in the town of Hanamakonda, Telangana State, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. Thou ...

are the best examples of

Kakatiya The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was an Indian dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region comprising present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and parts of eastern Karnataka and southern Odisha between 12th and 14th centuries. Th ...

architecture.

Indo-Islamic architecture

Golconda Sultanate

The architecture of the

Golconda Sultanate The Qutb Shahi dynasty also called as Golconda Sultanate (Persian: ''Qutb Shāhiyān'' or ''Sultanat-e Golkonde'') was a Persianate Shia Islam dynasty of Turkoman origin that ruled the sultanate of Golkonda in southern India. After the coll ...

is very similar to that of other

Deccan Sultanates The Deccan sultanates were five Islamic late-medieval Indian kingdoms—on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range—that were ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. Th ...

. This Indo-Islamic style is unique to the states of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

and

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

. The ruins of the

Golconda Fort Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparud ...

is the earliest example. They built elaborate tombs and mosques out of mortared stone. The 16th-century

Charminar The Charminar () is a mosque and monument located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Constructed in 1591, the landmark is a symbol of Hyderabad and officially incorporated in the emblem of Telangana The Charminar's long history includes the existe ...

, a centerpiece of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

, is a mosque with four minarets at four corners, elaborately decorated with stucco work. It stands at the confluence of four roads. It overlooks the

Mecca Masjid Makkah Masjid or Mecca Masjid, is a congregational mosque in Hyderabad, India. It is one of the largest mosques in India with a capacity of 10,000 people. The mosque was built during the 17th century, and is a state-protected monument. It se ...

, one of the largest mosques in India. The

Qutb Shahi tombs The Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct), close to the famous Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, India. They contain the tombs and mosques built by the various kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The galleries of the smal ...

at Hyderabad contain the tombs of the sultans, other royals and important noblemen. Other examples include the Toli Mosque,

Khairtabad Mosque Khairtabad Mosque is in Khairatabad. Today Khairtabad is a well-known locality built around the mosque. The area had become a major business and IT hub of Hyderabad, India. History Khairtabad Mosque was built by Khairunisa Begum in 1626 AD, al ...

and

Taramati Baradari Taramati Baradari is a historical Caravanserai, sarai as part of Ibrahim Bagh, a Persian style garden built during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah, the fourth Golkonda, Sultan of Golconda. History The Baradari (building), Baradari was const ...

Colonial architecture

During the

British colonial period The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

, Telangana was ruled by the

Nizams of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, M ...

. The seat of the Nizam was

Chowmahalla Palace Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat (from ''chār mahallāt'', in Dakhini Urdu) is the palace of the Nizams of Hyderabad State in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Niz ...

, which showcases a wide variety of Indian and European styles.

Neoclassical

The

British Residency The British Residency (), also known as the Government Guest House or Residency Bungalow, is a two-storeyed palace situated at Asramam in the city of Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies close to the site of the old Kollam Airport situa ...

and

Falaknuma Palace Falaknuma is a palace in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It originally belonged to the Paigah family, and was later owned by the Nizam of Hyderabad. It is on a hillock and covers a area in Falaknuma, from Charminar. It was built by Nawab Sir V ...

in Hyderabad built in the neoclassical style is another great example of this period.

Art Deco

Art deco buildings in Hyderabad include the

Monda Market Monda Market is a vegetable market located at Secunderabad. It is said to have been established more than 100 years ago to cater to resident British army units. The market is located approximately at from Secunderabad Railway Station. It was ...

and SBH Building.

Indo-Saracenic

The High Court, City College,

Osmania General Hospital Osmania General Hospital (OGH) is one of the oldest hospitals in India located at Afzal Gunj, Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. I ...

and

Kacheguda Railway Station Kacheguda railway station (station code: KCG) is one of the three Central Stations in Hyderabad City of Telangana in India. It is currently operated by the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. The station was first built during the per ...

were designed by British architect

Vincent Esch Vincent Jerome Esch, (20 July 1876 – 9 December 1950) was a British architect who worked in India. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Indo-Saracenic architecture, Indo-Sarcenic architectural style, which developed during the British rule in the ...

in the

Indo-Saracenic Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...

style of architecture. The

Moazzam Jahi market Moazzam Jahi Market is a fruit market in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Named after Moazzam Jah- the second son of Mir Osman Ali Khan History It was constructed in 1935 during the reign of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It was named after ...

, although not designed by him, is clearly inspired from Esch's designs.

Post-Independence

Building built in contemporary styles are common in the

HITEC City The Hyderabad Information Technology and Engineering Consultancy City, abbreviated as HITEC City, is an Indian information technology, engineering, health informatics, and bioinformatics, financial business district located in Hyderabad, Tel ...

and surrounding neighborhoods of Hyderabad.

IIT Hyderabad Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (abbreviated IIT Hyderabad or IITH) is a public technical research university located in Sangareddy district in the Indian state of Telanganaa. As with all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), IIT ...

is also designed in contemporary style by

Christopher Benninger Christopher Charles Benninger (born 1942) is one of India's highly decorated architects. His award-winning projects are, The Mahindra United World College of India, The Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies, The Suzlon One Earth world headquart ...

Gallery

File:Sangameshwar Temple at Alampur.JPG, One of the

Alampur Navabrahma Temples Alampur Navabrahma Temples are a group of nine early Badami Chalukyan Hindu temples dated between the 7th and 9th centuries that are located at Alampur in Telangana, India, near the meeting point of Tungabhadra River and Krishna River at the ...

built by

Chalukya Empire The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...

between the 7th and 10th centuries. File:Warangal Fort9.ae.jpg, A

mandapam Mandapam is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The famed Pamban Railway bridge and Vehicular bridge lie to the East of this Panchayat Town. Mandapam is Tamil Nadu’s largest refugee camp for Sri La ...

at the ruins of the

. The fort was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 File:Taramati Baradari.jpg,

, a

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

built by the

at Hyderabad File:Kachiguda Railway Station Hyderabad.jpg, The

Kachiguda Railway Station Kacheguda railway station (station code: KCG) is one of the three Central Stations in Hyderabad City of Telangana in India. It is currently operated by the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. The station was first built during the pe ...

was designed by

File:Khammam Khilla.jpg, Khammam Khilla

References

Bibliography

* * {{Telangana Culture of Telangana