Medak
Medak is a city and a municipality in Medak District in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 100km to the north of Hyderabad.
Temples
Medak district is adorned by many temples depicting fine architectural splendours. They are located in the Bonthapally (Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, located at 25 km to the north of Hyderabad), Ismailkhanpet near to Sangareddy (Sapta Prakarauta Bhavani Mata Temple, located at 35 km to the Hyderabad), Zarasangam, Edupailu (Kanakadurga Temple, 8 km from Medak town, on the banks of Manjira river), Nachagiri temples (Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, 55 km from Hyderabad), Siddipet (Koti Ligeshwara Swamy Temple)and Chegunta Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Swami Devasthaanam, Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari Ammavari Devalayam, Swayam Bhoo Mahakali Devasthaanam, Anjaneya Swami devalayam to name a few.sri sri chamundeshwari ammawari temple at chitkula village of andhole mandal,nearer to the jogipeta town. on the banks of manjira is also a famous shakti temple which is founded by sri ramanayya garu.The joginatha temple at jogipet & surya devalayam at dakur village are also equally important places in the district.
Culture
Medak district has typical Telangana culture.
Medak Church Built in 1914 by Charles Walker Pasnet is coined as the biggest church in the South India. It has taken 10 years of uninterrupted construction time for completion of the structure.
One of the main town in Medak district is Jogipet. It is famous for Joginath temple and Indian Freedom fighting Movement. Jagadama and Seva lal maharaj temple located 30 km away from Sangareddy headquarters. It is tribal temple and it is constructed during Laxmi Bai sarpanch period. Chamundeswari Temple on the banks of manjeera(godavari) is second biggest temple of chamundeswari goddess. Sri Ramalingeswara swamy devaliyam is constructed on the top of the hill and is 3 km from the Chamundeswari Temple.
Forests
Narsapur Forest, located 35 km from Hyderabad, is spread between Gummadidala and Narsapur. This forest covers 30 km². This has variety of trees, many lakes and supports wildlife. Lately, this has become a hotspot for Telugu film shootings.
Manjira Forest, located 75 km from Medak and 5 km from Sangareddy, is spread over 20 km². The average width of the sanctuary is 500 to 800 m. Nestling between Manjeera and Singoor barrages, the Manjira wild life sanctuary comprises nine small islands which are home to a number of resident and migratory birds in addition to marsh crocodiles and muggar.
Mandals at Medak District
There are 45 mandals in Medak district.[1] 1. Manoor 16. Siddipet 31. Kohir 2. Kangti 17. Chinna Kodur 32. Munpalle 3. Kalher 18. Nanganur 33. Pulkal 4. Narayankhed 19. Kondapak 34. Sadasivpet 5. Regode 20. Jagadevpur 35. Kondapur 6. Shankarampet 21. Gajwel 36. Sangareddy 7. Alladurg 22. Doultabad 37. Patancheru 8. Tekmal 23. Chegunta 38. Ramachandrapuram 9. Papannapet 24. Yeldurthy 39. Jinnaram 10. Kulcharam 25. Kowdipalle 40. Hathnoora 11. Medak 26. Andole 41. Narsapur 12. Shankarampet 27. Raikode 42. Shivampet 13. Ramayampet 28. Nyalkal 43. Tupran 14. Dubbak 29. Jharasangam 44. Wargal 15. Mirdoddi 30. Zahirabad 45. Mulug
History of Medak District
Medak, a historic town originally called Siddapur, later it known as Gulshanabad also, reached its pinnacle during the Kakatiya dynasty reign. Medak has a citadel dating back to the Kakatiyas. It was built during the reign of Kakatiya emperor Pratapa Rudra. Strategically built on a hillock, it was called the Methukudurgam (and Methukuseema), from the Telugu word Methuku - meaning cooked rice grain. The main entrance proudly displays the double-headed bird "Gandabherundam" of the Kakatiyas. The Medak fort stands as an epitome of architectural excellence of the Kakatiya dynasty. The water to the fort was served through a pipeline from a well inside the fort. It has three main entrances, the "Prathama Dwaram", the "Simha Dwaram" or Lions Entrance that has two snarling lions at the top of the entrance and the "Gaja Dwaram" or Elephant's Entrance that has a sculpture of two elephants interlocked on both sides of the entrance. At the fort one can see a 17th century cannon that is 3.2 meters long. The cannon has a trident etched on it. This fortress uses the natural topography to the maximum advantage with the rocky face offering it natural defenses.
Culture
Medak Cathedral
The Anglican Medak Cathedral, which belongs to the single largest diocese in Asia, is a priceless heritage. It was built by the British Wesleyan Methodists and is now under the Church of South India - Diocese of Medak.
This church was built during a famine that struck Medak during World War I. Reverend Charles Walker Posnett was posted as Reverend in Medak during that time. Moved by the plight of the people due to the unprecedented famine that lasted for three years, he proposed to build a great church at Medak in the year 1914. It took ten continuous years to complete this monumental piece of architecture. With its massive dimensions, 100 ft width and 200 ft. length, the church can accommodate as many as 5000 people at a time.
When the Nizam of Hyderabad came to know that the height of this Cathedral was far exceeding that of the Charminar, he unsuccessfully ordered that its height be brought down. The Right Reverend B. P. Sugandhar is the present Bishop in Medak.
Historical
The excavations at Kondapur, located 15 km from Sangareddy and 60 km from Medak, have brought to light the remains of Satavahana dynasty and a few Buddhist structures. The Kondapur Museum is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. The Kondapur Museum contains about 8,100 antiquities at present. It houses the coins of the Satavahana kings which led some scholars to come to the conclusion that Kondapur was one of the thirty walled towns of the Satavahanas. There are the remains of Chaityas and Stupas indicating that Kondapur was once a great Buddhist center. Other things which were excavated and are on display include gold coin of the Roman Emperor Augustus (37 BC -14 AD), a few silver coins, bead pieces of terra cotta bangles, shell, ivory, copper and glass embossed with designs.
Natural features
Pocharam Forest & Wildlife Sanctuary, located 15 km from Medak and 115 km from Hyderabad, was the favourite hunting ground of the Nizam and was declared a wild life sanctuary in the early part of 20th century. Named after the Pocharam lake formed from bunding of the Allair in the years 1916 - 1922, it is spread over 9.12 km². Surrounded by lush green forest, it is rich in flora and fauna and attracts a lot of winged visitors, like the bar-headed goose, Brahminy ducks and open billed stork. There is a center for Eco-Tourism where visitors can see five species of antelopes and deer. Summer temperatures go up to 46 °C & in winter it drops to 6 °C. The sanctuary is home to animals like leopard, forest cat, wild dog, wolf, jackal, sloth bear, sambar, nilgai, chinkara, chital, and four-horned antelope.
