As one drives to the right after crossing Mulug, eight km into the thick forest, there lies this marvellous lake and picturesque hills around it with thick carpet like green cover.

Suspension bridge
Recently, the Department of Tourism constructed a suspension bridge across the lake joining the island which is an added attraction for tourists visiting this beautiful lake. The district administration had embarked on massive plans to convert it into a tourism spot and one could see personnel busy trimming the hills to lay roads around the lake. “This suspension bridge is first of its kind in State. In the next phase, it will be extended to join other islands in the lake. This is good spot which should be popularised,” Joint Collector K. Srinivasa Raju said.

The lake was the discovery of ancient Kakatiya rulers. They spotted this excellent place amidst trees and green hills lined up around to hold the rainwater. The Kakatiya rulers only built a small sluice gate turning the place into a spacious lake which now feeds thousands of acres of agricultural land every year.

Of late, the district administration decided to convert it into a tourist spot but lack of coordination between the agencies hindered the progress of work. There is no approach road once after taking a turn from Mulugu and Govindaraopet road.

Donthu Ramesh, a visitor said he was enthralled by the serene atmosphere the Laknavaram lake offered. “I did not know that such a beautiful place existed in our district,” he said.

G. Vijaya Kumar, who came from the district headquarters, said he was amazed at the natural environs of the lake.

“There is boat which is seen in Kerala and Kashmir. We friends enjoyed very much here. We will make another trip soon after the ongoing works are complete,” he said.

This is the biggest lake in the warangal dist Andhra pradesh India. constructed by kakatiyas. It gives the water about 50,000 acers of paddy crop.

I have recently visited this place with my family and friends and we all were amazed to see such beautiful and natural sceneries which is just in 2 hours drive from Warangal city. We have been to many beach resorts in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia but this beautiful lake is fantastic with its own green colored water and beautiful hill tops gave us entirely different excitement. State tourism board has to still develop a lot to make it as one of the favorite picnic spots in AP.

People who are planning to go to Ramappa can also plan to visit this place as it is very nearby. From Warangal city, it is good plan to visit Laknavaram lake first and then visit Ramappa in your return journey.

Thousand Pillar TempleIf you want to know more about the richness of the heritage of India, make sure to visit the famous Thousand Pillar Temple – Hanamkonda. Located in Hanamkonda part of the Warangal City, Thousand Pillar Temple is a popular pilgrimage center, where thousands of devotees of all faith come here to pay their homage. The temple has an old and long history and dates back to the Chalukyan era.

Constructed in the 1163 AD by Rudra Deva, Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda is one of the finest specimens of Kakatiya architecture and sculpture. The temple depicts the typical Chalukyan style of architecture. The temple has three shrines, which are dedicated to three deities. The three presiding deities are Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. Thousand Pillar Temple – Hanamkonda is really a true architectural splendor.

The temple is a star shaped architecture, which is an example of the expertise of the craftsmen of the period. The temple is supported by the richly carved out pillars. The screens and the beautiful sculptures which adorn the walls of the temple add to the magnificence of the structure. You can also find a huge monolith Nandi, which is made up of black basalt. It has a wonderful polished finish, which adds to its grandeur.

The temple stands on a platform of 1 meter, which slopes towards the Hanumakonda hill. The garden surrounding the temple is simply beautiful. Small lingam shrines adorn the garden. The garden is well maintained and has serenity around it. The chirping of the birds mingled with the ringing of the temple bells creates an aura around the Thousand Pillar Temple – Hanamkonda. Counted as one of the principal monuments in India, this temple is the biggest draw at Hanamkonda.

You can reach Thousand Pillar Temple – Warangal very easily. It is connected by almost all modes of transport. The airport at Hyderabad is the nearest airport to this temple. You can access the Warangal railway station to reach to this city from other parts of the country. Regular buses ply on the roads from Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Karimnagar, Khammam and other districts of Andhra Pradesh.