About Telangana: capital, state animal, bird, flower and state day

Telangana at a glance

Capital: Hyderabad
State day: 2 June (Telangana Day)
State animal: Spotted deer (Axis axis)
State bird: Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis)
State flower: Tanner's cassia (Senna auriculata)
State tree: Jammi (Prosopis cineraria)

Sources: Capitals: Government of India. State symbols and state days: Wikipedia (lists of Indian state animals, birds, flowers and trees, and List of Indian state days), retrieved October 2026.

Telangana is India's youngest state. It was formed on 2 June 2014 from the northwestern part of Andhra Pradesh, and its name is usually explained as "land of the Telugus". Hyderabad, one of India's largest cities and a major centre for information technology and pharmaceuticals, is its capital.

Capital: Hyderabad
Formed: 2 June 2014, from Andhra Pradesh
Area: about 112,000 km²
Population: about 3.5 crore (35 million, 2011 census)
Languages: Telugu; Urdu is the second official language
Districts: 33

History

The region was the heartland of the Kakatiya dynasty, which ruled from Warangal between the 12th and 14th centuries. Later the Qutb Shahi sultans built Golconda and founded Hyderabad in 1591, and from the 18th century the Asaf Jahi Nizams ruled Hyderabad State. It joined India in 1948 and its Telugu-speaking districts were merged with Andhra State in 1956 to form Andhra Pradesh. After a long movement for a separate state, Telangana was created in 2014. Hyderabad served as the shared capital of both states for ten years, until 2024.

Geography

Telangana lies on the Deccan Plateau in south-central India. The Godavari and Krishna rivers flow through the state, which borders Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Economy

Hyderabad is one of India's leading centres for information technology, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, and the hub of the state's economy. Outside the city, Telangana grows rice, cotton, maize, chillies and turmeric, watered by the Godavari and Krishna and by thousands of village tanks, many first built by the Kakatiyas. The Singareni collieries in the Godavari valley supply coal to power stations across south India.

Culture and festivals

Telangana's culture joins Telugu village traditions with the Deccani and Urdu culture of Hyderabad. Bathukamma, the flower festival of its women, and Bonalu, when pots of offerings are carried to the goddess Mahankali, are the state's own festivals, and the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara at Medaram is one of the largest tribal gatherings in the world. Pochampally ikat, Gadwal saris, Nirmal toys, Bidriware and Cheriyal scroll paintings are its best known crafts, and Hyderabadi biryani and haleem are famous across the world. See Culture, Festivals and Cuisine.

Places to visit

Hyderabad's Charminar, Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs and palaces; Warangal Fort and the Thousand Pillar Temple; the Ramappa Temple near Mulugu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021; the temples of Bhadrachalam, Yadagirigutta and Basar; Medak Cathedral; and the Kuntala and Bogatha waterfalls. See Tourist Attractions, Wildlife and Adventures.

Cities of Telangana

Maps of Telangana cities

Page added October 2026.

Specialties of Telangana

Turmeric

Nizamabad district is one of India's main turmeric-growing areas, and its market is a major turmeric trading centre. The National Turmeric Board, set up by the Government of India to promote the crop's growing, processing and exports, has its headquarters in Nizamabad.

Hyderabadi haleem

Haleem, a rich dish of wheat, lentils and meat slow-cooked for hours and pounded into a paste, is made in Hyderabad above all during Ramzan, when it is sold from hundreds of eateries across the city.

Sources

Specialties: Turmeric (One District One Product: Nizamabad); Hyderabadi haleem (Geographical Indication: Hyderabad Haleem).

Geographical Indications registered in India, state by state: Geographical Indications Registry, as on 31 December 2025 (PDF)
One District One Product: each district's chosen products