Telangana (Tel)
Tel: తెలంగాణ telaṅgāṇa
‘(People or Land of the) South‘.
From Gon: telangadh/telnar, ‘southern (people or language)’ [Pdr/Tam: teṉ, ‘south’, ‘southern region’; Tel: tenugu/telugu, ‘people/language (of the south)’].
The name of the language and people, Telugu, is related to the land, Telangana. Both Gondi and Telugu show an ‘n’ -> ‘l’ sound shift from an proto-Dravidian root, *ten. The Gond use dates back 2,000 years and 14th-16thC inscriptions record early uses of the name Tilang(ani) or Tulingana.
Also suggested is: ‘(Country of the) Three Lingas’. From Skt: tri, ‘three’; and Skt: linga, ‘phallic image/idol’ [referring to Shaivite shrines at Kaleshwaram, Srisailam and Draksharama].
Telangana was a part of the former princely state of the Nizam of Hyderabad. The name differentiated the Telugu-speaking region of the state from its Marathi-speaking neighbours.
Following Independence the state became part of India. When Andhra Pradesh separated from Madras in 1953 the two Telugu-speaking states, despite their social and economic differences, were merged on the understanding that the interests of Telangana would be safeguarded. A prolonged struggle suggested that these promises had not been kept and Telangana broke away in 2014.
Telangana is a land-locked state surrounded by five other states (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha).

Khammam (Tel)
Tel: ఖమ్మం khammaṁ ‘Pillar Rock’ [Stambhadri, Kambhadri, Kambham mettu]...
Adilabad (Tel)
Tel: అదిలాబాదు adilābādu ‘Cattle Town’ [Eddulapuram, Edlabad] City/District,...
Golconda/Golconda Fort (Tel)
Tel: గోల్కొండ కోట gōlkoṇḍa kōṭa ‘Shepherd’s Hill’ [Golkonda, Qila...
Hyderabad (Tel)
Tel: హైదరాబాద్ haidarābād ‘Lion City’ [Bhagyanagar, Baghnagar]...
Jagityala/Jagtial (Tel)
Tel: జగ్తిఅల్ jagtial ‘Jack and Tal Fort’ City/District, Telangana Jagtial...
Karimnagar (Tel)
Tel: కరీంనగర్ karīnnagar ‘City of Karimuddin’ [Elagandula, Sabbinadu]...