Kamareddy is a district in northern Telangana. It was carved out of the erstwhile Nizamabad district on 11 October 2016, with three revenue divisions (Kamareddy, Banswada and Yellareddy) and 22 mandals. Kamareddy town is the headquarters. The district borders Nizamabad to the north, Rajanna Sircilla and Siddipet to the east, and Medak to the south. To the west lie Nanded district in Maharashtra and Bidar district in Karnataka. The main river is the Manjira, which is dammed at Nizamsagar.
The district takes its name from Chinna Kamireddy, ruler of Domakonda Fort, who governed the area between AD 1600 and 1640. The old name of the town was Koduru; the village stood where the Kishtamma Gudi stands today. In the Harijanwada area there was a temple called Koduru Hanmandla Gudi, said to be the oldest in Kamareddy’s history. Elsewhere in the district, Lingampet village is named after Raja Venkata Narasimha Reddy and Queen Lingayamma, and Durki is linked to the sage Durvasa. Most of the places below are temples. The district also has two forts, a stepwell and two old Nizam-era dams.
Places to visit in Kamareddy district
Domakonda Fort
Domakonda Fort, in Domakonda village and mandal, has granite walls around a two-storey mahal known as the Addhala Meda (glass house). Its ground floor has arched pillars with Mughal-influenced stucco work, and the upper floor has round pillars in a Western style. The royal family of Domakonda still manages the fort. Within the premises is a Kakatiya-period Shiva temple, restored in 2006 with help from the state Department of Archaeology, where villagers celebrate Shivaratri every year.
Koulas Fort, Jukkal mandal
Koulas (Kowlas) Fort in Jukkal mandal has 52 bastions, temples, mosques, wells, granaries, a Rani Mahal and an elephant well. It also holds a large cannon, the Jagdamba Bhawani or Navgarji tope, which Raja Gopal Singh had made in 1728. The fort temple and dargah are protected monuments. Visitors walk about 250 m to reach the fort, and the district website advises taking a villager from Koulas as a guide. It also warns that the stream around the fort can make it unreachable during the monsoon.
Jaksani Naganna Bavi, Lingampet
This stepwell in Lingampet village was built during the reign of Raja Venkata Narasimha Reddy, who also built fort walls, lakes and wells for the village. The district website connects the area’s history with Rani Shankaramma of the Pappanapet Samasthanam.
Sri Bugga Rama Lingeswara Temple, Maddikunta
This temple stands in forest about 2.5 km from Maddikunta village in Machareddy mandal, near the old border with Karimnagar district. Transport is available from nearby villages and from Kamareddy’s old bus stand.
Chukkapur Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple
This forest temple is about 3 km from Chukkapur village in Machareddy mandal, on the road from Kamareddy to Sircilla. The Narasimha Swamy kalyanotsavam is held every year in Vaishakha masam and draws people from across north Telangana.
Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple, Banda Rameshwarpalle
Also known as the Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy or Banda Rameshwara Swamy temple, this temple in Machareddy mandal dates from the Kakatiya period. Its temple and pillars are carved into a large rock. The district history notes that the temple holds evidence of Kakatiya-era rule over the area. It is crowded during Shivaratri.
Sree Kalabhairava Swamy Temple,Isannapally
This temple is in Isannapally village of Ramareddy mandal, about 15 km from Kamareddy. Ramareddy bus stand is about 750 m away. The district website describes it as the only Kalabhairava temple in South India after Kashi. The Kalabhairava Jayanthi on Karthika Bahula Ashtami draws devotees from across Telangana.
Sri Siddharameshwara Swamy Temple-Bhiknoor
This old Shiva temple in Bhiknoor mandal is known for the unusual reverse position of the Shiva lingam in its sanctum. It has a carved mukhamandapa and a rajagopuram with seven kalasas. Mahashivaratri is its biggest festival.
Trilinga Rameshwara Temple
This all-stone Shiva temple at Tandur village in Nagireddypet mandal has three lingas, known as Rama, Bheema and Soma. The district website says the Chalukyas began it and the Kakatiyas completed it, and the Manjira river flows opposite. Special poojas are held on Mahashivaratri and Karthika Pournami.
Santhana Venugopala Swamy Temple
This temple is in Chinoor village of Nagireddypet mandal. Local tradition says the Venugopala Swamy idol, with Rukmini and Satyabhama, was found in a pond at the edge of the village after a ruler’s dream. Devotees come here to pray for children.
Sri Somalingeswara Swamy Temple, Durki
This stone temple on the outskirts of Durki village in Nasrullabad mandal is dated by historians to the Kalyani Chalukya period. Unusually, its entrance faces west. Shivaratri draws devotees from Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, and the temple is busy on Mondays in Karthika and Magha.
Kowlas Yellamma Temple, Jukkal mandal
The district website describes this as a very old and well-known temple in Jagannathapalle village, Jukkal mandal. It is busiest on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and devotees come from Maharashtra and Karnataka as well.
Mirzapur Hanuman Temple
This temple is in Mirzapur village, about 2.8 km from Madnoor, close to the Maharashtra border. A three-day jathara is held here on Hanuman Jayanthi.
Ayyappa Swamy Temple, Bichkunda
Located in Bichkunda village and mandal, this is described by the district website as one of the largest pilgrimage temples in the district, with devotees visiting every day.
Sri Sai Baba Temple, Nemli
Known as “Mini Shirdi”, this temple is in Nemli village of Birkoor mandal, on the Banswada-Bodhan road. Its 2.5-acre complex has gardens and a 23-foot Sai Baba statue.
Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Thimmapur
Our temple guide describes this temple on the outskirts of Thimmapur village in Birkoor mandal, popularly called the “Telangana Tirumala”. It has a kalyanakatta for hair offerings, and a nearby pond has been developed as a boating point.
Nizam Sagar Dam
The Nizam Sagar reservoir on the Manjira river lies between Achampet and Banjapalle villages in Nizamsagar mandal. The Nizam’s government built it between 1923 and 1931 to irrigate the old Nizamabad district. The reservoir is a source of drinking water for Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and Telangana Tourism notes that it is at its best when monsoon inflows fill the reservoir.
Pocharam Project and Sanctuary
The Pocharam dam near Pocharam village, Nagireddypet mandal, was built by the Nizam’s government and completed in 1922, with a guest house nearby. It is about 36 km from Kamareddy town. The district website says the project and the neighbouring Pocharam Sanctuary, home to many birds and animals, draw visitors from Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Getting there
- By train: trains from Secunderabad and Kacheguda stop at Kamareddy (KMR). Trains also run from Nizamabad.
- By road: TSRTC runs buses between Kamareddy and Secunderabad (JBS) and Hyderabad (MGBS). Several temples, including Bhiknoor and Banda Rameshwarpalle, are along NH-44.
- By air: Kamareddy has no airport. The nearest is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. For the western mandals near Bichkunda, Jukkal and Madnoor, the district website also mentions Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport at Nanded.
Plan your visit
- Shivaratri is the main festival at Domakonda, Bhiknoor, Durki, Banda Rameshwarpalle and Tandur. Kalabhairava Jayanthi at Isannapally falls on Karthika Bahula Ashtami.
- Koulas Fort can be cut off in the monsoon, so plan it for the dry months and go with a local guide.
- The temples near Machareddy (Maddikunta, Chukkapur and Banda Rameshwarpalle) are close to one another and to Kamareddy town. Bichkunda, Jukkal, Madnoor and Birkoor are on the far western side of the district, nearer to Banswada.
- Temple timings are not given on the district website for most temples. Confirm them locally before you travel.
Source: Kamareddy District official tourism page (also the district’s about, history, places-of-interest and how-to-reach pages).
Also read about places to visit in Telangana.
