Mahbubnagar: Witness to History

The town of Mahbubnagar is the headquarters of the eponymously named district, the largest amongst all the districts of Telangana. Formerly known as Palamooru, the town’s name was changed to Mahbubnagar in 1890 in honour of Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Asaf Jah, the sixth Nizam of the princely state of Hyderabad. The district is a part of the region that was once known as Cholawadi or the land of the Cholas.

Orientation

The Mahbubnagar bus stand and railway station are located about 1.5km apart. The bus stand is located on the Hyderabad road, as are most hotels. The Pillalamarri Tourism Complex is 5km north of the bus stand. You can hire an autorickshaw to Pillalamarri and back to the city.

Things to See & Do

Pillalamarri Tourism Complex

The complex was developed by the state tourism department around a 700-year-old banyan tree. Close to the entrance, there is a canteen serving basic snacks and an office of the tourism department that is mostly shut.

Next to the canteen, there is the Sri Rajarajeshwara Temple, which was transplanted here from Erladine village on the left bank of the Krishna river. As the village was about to be submerged during the construction of the Srisailam reservoir, the state archaeology department dismantled it and moved it to the Pillalamarri complex in 1981. In 1983, the temple was reconstructed on a modern foundation. It was originally built in the 16th century CE in an architectural style distinct to the Vijayanagara dynasty, which ruled the area.

Further ahead, on the right, a landscaped park has been laid out around the Pillalamarri (pillalu – children, marri – tree) banyan tree that extends over an area of 3 acres. The tree is considered holy and there is the dargah of a Muslim saint under it. Some claim that the name of the tree is a corruption of Peerullah (‘peer’ means Muslim saint) marri. When viewed from a distance, the tree seems like a hillock covered with vegetation. From underneath, the gnarled and twisting branches of the tree are quite a magnificent sight to behold. You can walk around the branches – or climb it to take photographs as many tourists tend to do. There is a separate entrance to the dargah from the back of the park. Many devotees cook food and picnic next to the shrine.

Opposite the park, there is an archaeological museum. The museum has two rooms – one has a collection of sculptures and other has coins, tools, pottery and other such items unearthed during the several excavations that were conducted in this region. The museum also has a backyard where statues of Hindu gods are arranged around a walkway.

Further ahead, there is a small zoo park, which has a few birds and snakes and a deer park.

During monsoons, boating facility is available in the complex.

Complex entry Adults ₹3; Children Free Timings 9.00am–6.00pm Closed Monday Photography ₹10 Videography ₹25 Parking Cars ₹20; Motorcycle ₹10; Bicycle ₹5

Museum entry Adults ₹5; Children ₹3 Timings 10:30am–4:30pm Closed Monday, Friday and all government Holidays

Zoo entry Adults ₹5; Children Free Timings 9:30am–5:00pm Closed Monday

Koilkonda Fort

Syed Saad Ahmed

Science Museum

Just before the entrance of the Pillalamarri Tourism Complex, there is a small science museum. Mostly groups of school children visit the museum, but if you have spare time, you could drop by. The passionate guides at the museum show you various ‘magic tricks’ and explain the science behind them.

Museum entry ₹5 Timings 10.00am–5.00pm

Where to Stay & Eat

There are no high-end options to stay in Mahbubnagar. The Grand Sindhu Hotel (Tel: 08542-241293, 222224; Tariff: ₹1,750–2,650) behind Head Post Office is equipped with 45 rooms, a restaurant, bar and Internet. Credit cards are accepted here. Avanthi Hotel (Tel: 242953; Tariff: ₹600–1,000) in Kamala Nehru Nagar offers 25 rooms, a restaurant and Internet. Geetha Hotel (Tel: 244541; Tariff: ₹600) is situated close to the Government Hospital and has 14 rooms and a restaurant.

There are many restaurants in the town, mostly in the Bus Stand area. You can try Shilpi, Avanthi, Habeeb Darbar, Amritha, Sindhu or Panchavati. All the restaurants offer similar food.

AROUND MAHBUBNAGAR

Koilkonda Fort (28km)

There is no dearth of forts in Telangana, but no matter how many you have seen, nothing prepares you for the grandeur of Koilkonda. Situated atop rocky hillocks reminiscent of Hampi (in Karnataka), the fort is thought to have been one of the outposts of the Qutub Shahis. A path through a series of gateways leads to the top, where there is a pile of large boulders. Along the way, there are many temples, chambers, a large reservoir, a dargah and various other ruins.

The rocks at the summit might seem formidable, but there is a trail to reach the pinnacle – follow the steps and punch marks carved in the stone. From the zenith, the views of the Koilsagar Dam and surrounding hillocks are heavenly. If you visit around sunset, you can see the sky and the lake awash in a riot of colours.

TIP Stock up on food and water before scaling the fort

Koil Sagar Dam (39km)

The Koil Sagar reservoir in Mahbubnagar District was constructed between two mountains by damming the Peddavugu river, a tributary of the Krishna. Its foundation stone was laid in 1947 and its construction was completed in 1954 at a cost of 80 crores. Set amidst rock formations, the reservoir is a picturesque spot.

Wanaparthy (60km)

One of the samasthanams of the Nizams, Wanaparthy was the centre of a confederation of 124 villages. The palace bears the influence of Colonial architecture and is in an excellent state of preservation. These days, the Krishnadevaraya Government Polytechinic functions from the premises of the palace.