Khammam (Tel)

Tel: ఖమ్మం khammaṁ ‘Pillar Rock’ [Stambhadri, Kambhadri, Kambham mettu] City/District, Telangana From Tel: stambhamu/kambamu, ‘pillar’ The name is derived from the vertical rock under the Narasimha Swamy hill-top temple. The Khammam fort was built in the 13thC by the...

Adilabad (Tel)

Tel: అదిలాబాదు adilābādu ‘Cattle Town’ [Eddulapuram, Edlabad] City/District, Telangana. From Tel: eddu(lu), ‘bullock(s)’, ‘ox(en)’; and Skt: puram, ‘fort’, ‘city’; Urd:  ābād, ‘city’, ‘town’. Some suggest that Adilabad is named after Yusuf Adil Shah, 15-16thC founder...

Golconda/Golconda Fort (Tel)

Tel: గోల్కొండ కోట gōlkoṇḍa kōṭa ‘Shepherd’s Hill’ [Golkonda, Qila Muhammadnagar]  Fort/Historic City, Telangana  From Tel: golla, ‘herdsman’,  ‘shepherd’; or Tel/Urd: gōḷ/gol, ’round; and konḍa, ‘hill’, ‘mountain’. Golconda was a fort and (initially) a capital...

Hyderabad (Tel)

Tel: హైదరాబాద్ haidarābād  ‘Lion City’ [Bhagyanagar, Baghnagar] City/Capital/District, Telangana From: Ara: h(a)ydar/hyder, ‘lion’; and Urd: ābād, ‘city’, ‘village’. There are two different sets of derivations. The first revolves around Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib,...

Jagityala/Jagtial (Tel)

Tel: జగ్తిఅల్ jagtial ‘Jack and Tal Fort’ City/District, Telangana Jagtial Fort was designed and built in the 17thC using the expertise of two French engineers, Jack and Tal. In those days the French were world leaders in military architecture and the fort has many...

Karimnagar (Tel)

Tel: కరీంనగర్ karīnnagar  ‘City of Karimuddin’ [Elagandula, Sabbinadu] City/District, Telangana The city was founded in 1905 by Syed Karimuddin at a time when the Elgandal fort, 10km away, was still the seat of government. Syed Karimuddinwas the Quildar or Fort...