fter Hyderabad, now Telangana government wants to promote Warangal as a heritage site fit for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) approval.
Warangal will enter the race for Unesco’s world heritage site tag in 2016, Minister for Tourism Ajmeera Chandulal said on Monday.
Hyderabad with its Qutb Shahi tombs, Charminar, Badshahi Ashurkhana and other heritage sites had battled for the World Heritage Site tag for over three years. With Warangal attracting more tourists than the capital city of Telangana, the Tourism Department is all set to prepare the district and its heritage sites to fit the Unesco bill. “Warangal has the potential for further development and the TRS government has been working towards promoting tourism in the district ever since the formation of Telangana State,” Mr. Chandulal told The Hindu .
In Warangal, a variety of sites ranging from Mughal architecture to Kakatiya single stone structures can be showcased, said tourism officials on the sidelines of national conference on strategic development opportunities in tourism and hospitality industry held at National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM).
The district, with its archeologically relevant historic sites, including temples, forts and caves had a tourist footfall of 1.3 crore during the last two years as against 1.1 crore tourist footfall in Hyderabad during the same period. The erstwhile Shaivaite kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty from AD 12 to 14 century, will showcase its majestic Thousand Pillar temple and Warangal fort in the Unesco dossier, an official said.
Other heritage attractions in Warangal, include Pandavalu Gutta and Mailaram caves.
Districts, including Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar and Karimnagar too will be promoted by the Tourism Department in the future, officials said. Eco-tourism, spiritual tourism and heritage tourism will be given a fillip in the coming years, the Minister stressed.
Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) is currently in the process of setting up cottages near Laknavaram lake and also developing Ramappa lake.
TRS government has been working towards promoting tourism in Warangal ever since the formation of Telangana State
Ajmeera Chandulal
Minister for Tourism
