South of India · Deccan Plateau

TELANGANA.com

Bathukamma to biotech.

Capital city of Hyderabad — a global hub for IT and pharmaceuticals. A young, fast-rising state powered by software and life sciences, broad farmlands of rice and cotton, and the coalfields of the Godavari valley — with the craft of the Kakatiya temple-builders never far away.

In brief

A new state on ancient ground

Formed in 2014, Telangana is one of India's youngest and most dynamic states. Its capital, Hyderabad, is a leading centre for software, pharmaceuticals and research, while across the wider state farming and energy power the Deccan. Yet all of it rests on ancient ground — from the Satavahanas and Chalukyas of the early Deccan to the temple cities of the Kakatiya kings, the walled splendour of Golconda, and the courtly culture of the Nizams of Hyderabad.

Fast facts

Telangana at a glance

Capital

Hyderabad

Formed

2 June 201429th state of India

Region

South of IndiaDeccan Plateau

Official languages

Telugu · Urdu

Largest city

Hyderabad

Area

≈112,077 km²43,273 sq mi

Borders

Andhra Pradesh · KarnatakaMaharashtra · Chhattisgarh

Major rivers

Godavari · Krishna

Time zone

IST (UTC +5:30)

Currency

Indian Rupee (₹)

Hyderabad dialling

+91 40

Name origin

"Telugu" landlinked to Trilinga Desa

Key industries

IT · Pharma · Agriculture · Coal & powerSoftware & life sciences, rice & cotton, and the Singareni coalfields

Official emblems

State symbols

Chosen to reflect Telangana's culture and history — several tied to the festivals of Bathukamma and Dasara.

Bird

Palapitta

Indian Roller

Animal

Jinka

Deer

Tree

Jammi Chettu

Prosopis cineraria

Flower

Tangedu

Tanner's Cassia

Sport

Kabaddi

State game

Emblem

Kakatiya Thoranam

with the Charminar

What defines it

Four faces of Telangana

Technology

Hyderabad — nicknamed "Cyberabad" — anchors HITEC City and the T-Hub incubator, and hosts the regional campuses of the world's largest technology companies.

Heritage & tourism

From ancient Satavahana-era Buddhist sites and Kakatiya temple craft to Qutb Shahi and Nizami monuments, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Ramappa Temple.

Economy

A services-led economy with deep strengths in pharmaceuticals and life sciences — Hyderabad is a major global pharmaceutical hub.

Culture & diaspora

The Telugu language, the flower festival of Bathukamma, Pochampally Ikat weaving, and a global Telugu community that stretches well beyond the state.

Where to look

Iconic landmarks

A short list of the places most associated with the state.

Charminar

Hyderabad

The four-minaret monument built in 1591, the enduring symbol of the old city and its bustling bazaars.

Golconda Fort

Hyderabad

A hilltop citadel famed for its acoustic engineering and its history at the centre of the world's diamond trade.

Ramappa Temple

Palampet

A 13th-century Kakatiya masterpiece in carved stone — inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.UNESCO World Heritage

Hussain Sagar

Hyderabad

A heart-shaped lake from 1563, with a monolithic Buddha statue rising from a platform at its centre.

Thousand Pillar Temple

Warangal

A star-shaped Kakatiya temple celebrated for its intricately carved pillars and rock-cut detail.

Warangal Fort

Warangal

The former Kakatiya capital, whose surviving stone gateways inspired the emblem of the state itself.

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

Nalgonda

One of the world's tallest masonry dams, holding back the Krishna to form a vast reservoir — a landmark of mid-century engineering.

Faith & pilgrimage

Temples & pilgrimage circuit

A circuit of living shrines draws pilgrims from across the Telugu country — the hilltop Yadadri temple, riverside shrines, folk deities and an ancient Shakti Peetha.

Yadadri

Yadadri Bhuvanagiri

A hilltop temple to Lord Narasimha at Yadagirigutta, rebuilt on a grand scale in carved black granite — among Telangana's most-visited pilgrimage sites.

Lakshmi Narasimha

Vemulawada

Rajanna Sircilla

The Raja Rajeswara Swamy temple — known as Dakshina Kashi — a major Shaivite pilgrimage town dating to the Vemulawada Chalukyas.

Rajarajeswara

Bhadrachalam

Bhadradri Kothagudem

The famed Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy temple on the Godavari — the heart of Telangana's Rama worship and its grand Sri Rama Navami kalyanam.

Sri Rama

Basara

Nirmal

One of only a few Saraswati temples in India, on the banks of the Godavari — where families bring children for aksharabhyasam, the ritual first lesson.

Gnana Saraswati

Kaleshwaram

Jayashankar Bhupalpally

The Kaleshwara Mukteswara Swamy temple where the Godavari meets the Pranahita, with a rare twin lingam — one of the Trilinga shrines that name the Telugu land.

Shiva

Komuravelli

Siddipet

A hilltop temple to Komuravelli Mallanna, a beloved folk form of Shiva — drawing vast Sunday crowds and Oggu katha bardic worship through the cool months.

Mallanna

Kondagattu

Jagtial

An Anjaneya (Hanuman) temple in a forested valley, where devotees keep 40-day deeksha vows — among the most revered Hanuman shrines in the state.

Anjaneya

Alampur

Jogulamba Gadwal

The Jogulamba temple — one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas — beside the Tungabhadra, set among the 7th-century Navabrahma stone temples of the Badami Chalukyas.

Shakti Peetha

Plan your trip

Visiting Telangana

Practical, evergreen pointers for first-time visitors — when to come, how to arrive, and how to see the highlights.

When to go

October to February is the most comfortable season — cooler, drier and ideal for sightseeing. It also overlaps the Bathukamma and Bonalu festival calendar.

Summers (March–June) are hot on the Deccan; the southwest monsoon brings rain from roughly June to September.

Getting there

Most visitors arrive at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, a major hub with direct international and domestic flights.

Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Kacheguda are the main railway junctions, and national highways link the state to its neighbours.

Getting around

Hyderabad has a modern Metro Rail network plus app-based cabs and autos. Intercity buses and trains connect Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and beyond.

Hiring a car with a driver is a common, flexible way to reach heritage sites outside the city.

The heritage circuit

Pair the capital with the old Kakatiya country: Charminar, Golconda and Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, then Warangal Fort, the Thousand Pillar Temple and the UNESCO-listed Ramappa Temple to the north-east.

Speak a little Telugu

A traveller's phrasebook

A handful of everyday Telugu phrases, with simple pronunciation, to help you greet, ask and get around. Telugu is the state's official language; English and Hindi are widely understood in the cities.

Greetings & courtesy

Hello / greetingsnamaskaaram
నమస్కారం
How are you?meeru elaa unnaaru?
మీరు ఎలా ఉన్నారు?
Thank youdhanyavaadaalu
ధన్యవాదాలు
Yes / Noavunu / kaadu
అవును / కాదు
Pleasedayachesi
దయచేసి
Excuse me / sorrykshaminchandi
క్షమించండి

Getting around

Where is …?… ekkada undi?
… ఎక్కడ ఉంది?
How far is it?enta dooram?
ఎంత దూరం?
Stop hereikkada aapandi
ఇక్కడ ఆపండి
Left / Rightedama / kudi
ఎడమ / కుడి
What is the fare?charjee enta?
చార్జీ ఎంత?

Shopping & money

How much is this?idi enta?
ఇది ఎంత?
That's too muchchaalaa ekkuva
చాలా ఎక్కువ
Lower it a littlekoncham tagginchandi
కొంచెం తగ్గించండి
I'll take thisidi teesukuntaanu
ఇది తీసుకుంటాను

Food & dining

I'm vegetariannenu shaakaahaarini
నేను శాకాహారిని
Not too spicykaaram takkuva
కారం తక్కువ
Waterneellu
నీళ్లు
It's tastyruchigaa undi
రుచిగా ఉంది
The bill, pleasebillu ivvandi
బిల్లు ఇవ్వండి

Help & essentials

Help!sahaayam!
సహాయం!
I don't understandnaaku artham kaaledu
నాకు అర్థం కాలేదు
Do you speak English?meeku english vacchaa?
మీకు ఇంగ్లీష్ వచ్చా?
Hospital / Policeaasupatri / polees
ఆసుపత్రి / పోలీస్

Numbers

One / Two / Threeokati / rendu / mooDu
ఒకటి / రెండు / మూడు
Four / Fivenaalugu / aidu
నాలుగు / ఐదు
Ten / Hundredpadi / vanda
పది / వంద

Taste of the Deccan

Food & cuisine

Telangana's table runs from the royal Mughlai kitchens of Hyderabad to the millet-and-chilli cooking of the countryside.

Signature

Hyderabadi Biryani

Long-grain rice and marinated meat slow-cooked together dum-style, served with mirchi ka salan and dahi chutney — the dish the city is famous for worldwide.

Sarva pindi rice-flour griddle cakes and jonna rotte sorghum flatbread with chutneys, Telangana country food

Country kitchen

Sarva Pindi & Jonna Rotte

Rustic Telangana staples — a savoury rice-flour griddle cake studded with chillies and peanuts, and hearty sorghum-millet flatbreads.

Everyday thali

Telangana Thali

A fiery, tangy spread built on red-chilli and tamarind flavours — pappu (dal), vegetable curries, pickles and ghee with rice.

Ramzan classic

Haleem

A rich, slow-pounded stew of wheat, lentils and meat, traditional to the holy month of Ramzan and a Hyderabad institution.

Irani chai with a plate of Osmania biscuits at a Hyderabad café

Café culture

Irani Chai & Osmania Biscuits

Milky, lightly spiced tea served in the city's old Irani cafés, paired with the famous slightly-sweet, slightly-salty Osmania biscuit.

Dessert

Qubani ka Meetha

A Hyderabadi dessert of stewed dried apricots, served with cream or ice cream — a staple at weddings and feasts.

Festive snack

Sakinalu

Crisp, deep-fried spirals of rice flour seasoned with sesame and ajwain (vaamu) — the crunchy snack every household makes for the Sankranti season.

Festive sweet

Garijelu

Crescent dumplings stuffed with a sweet coconut-and-jaggery filling and fried crisp — the Telangana festive sweet (akin to kajjikayalu), made for weddings and celebrations.

Summer staple

Pachi Pulusu

A no-cook, tangy tamarind broth tempered with raw onion, green chilli and a touch of jaggery — cooling country comfort food for the hot months, eaten with rice.

The year in colour

Festivals & traditions

Telangana's calendar blends Telugu, Deccani and Islamic traditions — several of them unique to the state.

Bathukamma

Autumn

The state's signature flower festival, when women build and float towering, conical arrangements of seasonal blooms over nine days around Dasara.Unique to Telangana

Bonalu

Monsoon

A folk festival honouring the goddess Mahankali, with decorated pots of offerings, processions and traditional Pothuraju dance through Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Ugadi

Spring

The Telugu New Year, marked with the bittersweet ugadi pachadi — a symbolic taste of life's six flavours — and fresh-start rituals.

Dasara

Autumn

The celebration of good over evil — observed in Telangana alongside Bathukamma, and marked on Vijayadashami by the exchange of jammi (shami) leaves.

Sankranti

Mid-January

The harvest festival, with kite-flying, rangoli, and rural traditions marking the turn of the agricultural year.

Ramzan & Eid

Hyderabad

The old city comes alive after dusk during Ramzan, famous for its haleem stalls, before the celebrations of Eid.

Made by hand

Arts & crafts

Centuries-old handicraft traditions still worked across Telangana — several carrying a Geographical Indication (GI) tag that protects where and how they are made.

Yadadri Bhuvanagiri

Pochampally Ikat

Silk and cotton woven in the ikat technique, where the yarn is tie-dyed before weaving so the pattern emerges in the cloth itself — a GI-tagged handloom from Bhoodan Pochampally.

A vivid blue-faced Cheriyal mask, hand-painted in the Nakashi folk tradition of Telangana

Siddipet

Cheriyal Paintings

Bright narrative scrolls and masks painted in the Nakashi folk style, telling stories from the epics in bold colour — a GI-tagged art from the town of Cheriyal.

Nirmal

Nirmal Paintings & Toys

Soft poniki wood worked into lacquered toys and golden-toned paintings finished with a herbal varnish — a craft nurtured in the town of Nirmal for some four centuries.

Hyderabad

Bidriware

The Deccan art of inlaying fine silver into blackened zinc-alloy metalware — hookah bases, boxes and vases set with floral and trellis patterns — long worked by master artisans of Hyderabad.

Karimnagar

Silver Filigree

Threads of pure silver twisted and soldered into delicate, lace-like ornaments and figures — the signature fine-metal craft of Karimnagar.

A long memory

Heritage in time

c. 1 CE

By the turn of the millennium, the Satavahanas rule the Deccan; their early capital of Kotilingala lies in present-day Telangana.

5th–11th c.

The Vishnukundins, Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas hold the Deccan in turn, before the rise of the Kakatiyas.

12th–14th c.

The Kakatiya dynasty rules the region from Warangal, leaving a legacy of temples, forts and stepwells.

1591

The Qutb Shahi rulers found the city of Hyderabad and build the Charminar.

1724

The Asaf Jahi dynasty — the Nizams of Hyderabad — begins its long rule over the Deccan.

1948

Hyderabad State accedes to the Indian Union.

1956

The Telugu-speaking regions are merged into the state of Andhra Pradesh.

2014

After a long movement for self-rule, Telangana becomes India's 29th state on 2 June.

Around the state

Major cities

Hyderabad Capital Warangal Nizamabad Karimnagar Khammam Ramagundam Mahbubnagar Siddipet

Every corner

Districts

Telangana is organised into 33 districts. The state was redrawn in the 2016 reorganisation — and again in 2019 — splitting ten erstwhile districts into the present 33.

The 33 districts of Telangana, with headquarters, origin and what each is known for
District	Headquarters	Formed	Formed from	Notable for
Adilabad	Adilabad	1948	Original district	Kawal Tiger Reserve, Gond culture
Bhadradri Kothagudem	Kothagudem	2016	Khammam	Bhadrachalam Rama temple, Singareni coal
Hanumakonda	Hanumakonda	2016	Warangal	Thousand Pillar Temple
Hyderabad	Hyderabad	1948	Original district	State capital; Charminar & HITEC City
Jagtial	Jagtial	2016	Karimnagar	Kotilingala & Dharmapuri
Jangaon	Jangaon	2016	Warangal	Pembarthi brass craft
Jayashankar Bhupalpally	Bhupalpally	2016	Warangal	Kaleshwaram project
Jogulamba Gadwal	Gadwal	2016	Mahabubnagar	Alampur temples, Gadwal sarees
Kamareddy	Kamareddy	2016	Nizamabad	Domakonda Fort
Karimnagar	Karimnagar	1948	Original district	Silver filigree craft
Khammam	Khammam	1953	Original district	Khammam Fort
Kumuram Bheem Asifabad	Asifabad	2016	Adilabad	Komaram Bheem legacy
Mahabubabad	Mahabubabad	2016	Warangal	Tribal heartland, Bayyaram
Mahabubnagar	Mahabubnagar	1948	Original district	Pillalamarri banyan tree
Mancherial	Mancherial	2016	Adilabad	Singareni coalfields
Medak	Medak	1948	Original district	Medak Cathedral & Fort
Medchal–Malkajgiri	Shamirpet	2016	Ranga Reddy	Northern Hyderabad suburbs
Mulugu	Mulugu	2019	Jayashankar Bhupalpally	Ramappa Temple, Medaram Jatara
Nagarkurnool	Nagarkurnool	2016	Mahabubnagar	Amrabad Tiger Reserve
Nalgonda	Nalgonda	1948	Original district	Nagarjuna Sagar, Nagarjunakonda
Narayanpet	Narayanpet	2019	Mahabubnagar	Narayanpet handloom sarees
Nirmal	Nirmal	2016	Adilabad	Nirmal toys & paintings
Nizamabad	Nizamabad	1948	Original district	Sri Ram Sagar dam, turmeric
Peddapalli	Peddapalli	2016	Karimnagar	Ramagundam power & coal
Rajanna Sircilla	Sircilla	2016	Karimnagar	Vemulawada temple, Sircilla textiles
Ranga Reddy	Shamshabad	1978	Original district	Hyderabad airport, Chilkur Balaji
Sangareddy	Sangareddy	2016	Medak	Patancheru pharma belt
Siddipet	Siddipet	2016	Medak	Komuravelli Mallanna temple
Suryapet	Suryapet	2016	Nalgonda	Phanigiri Buddhist site
Vikarabad	Vikarabad	2016	Ranga Reddy	Ananthagiri Hills
Wanaparthy	Wanaparthy	2016	Mahabubnagar	Wanaparthy palace (samsthanam)
Warangal	Warangal	1948	Original district	Kakatiya capital, Warangal Fort
Yadadri Bhuvanagiri	Bhuvanagiri	2016	Nalgonda	Yadadri temple, Bhongir Fort

“Original district” marks the ten districts that pre-date the 2016 reorganisation. Headquarters are the administrative seats; some district names share a town name.

Often confused

Telangana vs Andhra Pradesh

Until 2014, Telangana was part of a larger Andhra Pradesh. On 2 June 2014 it became India's 29th state, formed from the ten Telangana districts of the old state, with Hyderabad as its capital. The two shared Hyderabad as a joint capital until June 2024. They remain close cousins — the same Telugu language, the Godavari and Krishna rivers — but are now distinct states.

How the two Telugu states compare
Aspect	Telangana	Andhra Pradesh
Formed	2 June 2014 (India's 29th state)	1 November 1956; reorganised in 2014
Capital	Hyderabad	Amaravati
Districts	33	26
Largest city	Hyderabad	Visakhapatnam
Official language	Telugu (Urdu second official)	Telugu
Coastline	Landlocked	~975 km (Bay of Bengal)
Major rivers	Godavari, Krishna	Godavari, Krishna
High Court	at Hyderabad (since 2019)	at Amaravati
Known for	Hyderabad & IT, Charminar, Kakatiya heritage, biryani	Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, a long coastline

Why business looks here

An economy built on knowledge

Hyderabad has grown into one of India's principal hubs for technology, life sciences and startups — backed by deep talent and dedicated infrastructure.

Technology & "Cyberabad"

HITEC City and the Financial District host the campuses of many of the world's largest technology companies, giving the capital its "Cyberabad" nickname. Close to a third of India's software exports ship from here.

Life sciences

Genome Valley anchors a major pharmaceutical, vaccine and biotech cluster — one of the reasons Hyderabad is often called a vaccine capital of the world. The city makes around two-fifths of India's bulk drugs, earning it the name "Bulk Drug Capital of India".

Startups & innovation

State-backed institutions such as T-Hub and WE-Hub support founders, incubation and women-led enterprise across the ecosystem.

Talent & connectivity

A dense base of universities and research institutes — including IIT Hyderabad, the University of Hyderabad and the Indian School of Business — feeds the workforce, with RGIA providing global air links.

By the numbers

The shape of the economy

Services
~ two-thirds IT and finance, trade, tourism — the largest share of output.
Industry
~ one-fifth Pharma, manufacturing and construction.
Agriculture
~ one-sixth Rice, cotton and more — yet it still supports close to half of all working people.

Across the world

A global community

Telangana lies at the heart of the Telugu world — a community whose reach now extends from the Gulf and North America to Britain, Australia and historic settlements across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Gulf (GCC)

≈ 1.5 million

Telugu workers across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar & Bahrain. Northern Telangana — the state's “Gulf Corridor” — is among India's largest source regions.

United States

≈ 1.2 million

A large, fast-growing Telugu-speaking community, with the biggest concentrations in California, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois & Georgia.

United Kingdom

Established

A long-settled Telugu community concentrated around London and the Midlands.

Australia

Fast-growing

Among the country’s fastest-growing language communities, centred on Sydney and Melbourne.

Canada

Growing

A rapidly expanding community, largely in the Greater Toronto Area.

Southeast Asia

Since the 1800s

Long-standing Telugu communities in Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar.

Mauritius

Heritage

A Telugu community rooted in 19th-century settlement, with its own cultural institutions.

Fiji & the Pacific

Heritage

Telugu families descended from indentured migration of the colonial era.

Figures are approximate and reflect the broader Telugu-speaking diaspora, of which Telangana is a core homeland; origin-state breakdowns (Telangana vs. Andhra Pradesh) are not separately recorded in most census and migration data. Sources: U.S. Census / American Community Survey reporting, India's Ministry of External Affairs, and academic migration studies.

Common questions

Telangana FAQ

Quick answers to the questions people most often ask about the state.

What is the capital of Telangana?

Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of Telangana, in southern India.

Where is Telangana located?

Telangana is in southern India, on the Deccan Plateau. It borders Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, and its capital is Hyderabad.

When was Telangana formed?

Telangana was formed on 2 June 2014 as the 29th state of India, carved out of the former state of Andhra Pradesh after a long movement for statehood.

What is the difference between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?

Both were one state until 2 June 2014, when Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh as India's 29th state. Telangana's capital is Hyderabad; Andhra Pradesh's is Amaravati. Telangana has 33 districts and is landlocked, while Andhra Pradesh has 26 districts and a long Bay of Bengal coastline — see the full side-by-side comparison.

Is Hyderabad in Telangana?

Yes. Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and lies entirely within the state.

What language is spoken in Telangana?

Telugu is the principal and most widely spoken language. Urdu is also an official language, and English is widely used in business and education.

What is Telangana known for?

Telangana is known for Hyderabad's IT and pharmaceutical industries, the Charminar and Golconda Fort, the UNESCO-listed Ramappa Temple, Hyderabadi biryani, and festivals such as Bathukamma and Bonalu.

What food is Telangana famous for?

Hyderabadi biryani is the most famous dish, alongside haleem, Irani chai with Osmania biscuits, and rustic Telangana staples such as sarva pindi and jonna rotte.

What are the best places to visit in Telangana?

Top attractions include the Charminar and Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, the UNESCO-listed Ramappa Temple, the Thousand Pillar Temple and Warangal Fort, Hussain Sagar lake, the hilltop Yadadri temple, and the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.

What festivals are celebrated in Telangana?

Telangana's signature festivals are Bathukamma, a flower festival unique to the state, and Bonalu, along with Ugadi, Dasara, Sankranti and Eid.

What is the best time to visit Telangana?

October to February, the cooler and drier months, is the most comfortable time to visit. The Bathukamma and Bonalu festivals fall in this broader season and are a highlight.

How do you reach Telangana?

Most visitors arrive at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, which has direct international and domestic connections. The state is also served by major rail and highway routes.

What is Telangana's economy based on?

Services — led by Hyderabad's IT and finance sectors — make up roughly two-thirds of the economy, with industry about a fifth and agriculture about a sixth. Telangana is a national leader in software exports and pharmaceuticals, with Hyderabad producing a large share of India's bulk drugs, while farming still supports close to half of the workforce.

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