List of 20 Ancient Temples in and Around Hyderabad, Telangana

Hyderabad, the city of pearls and the city of Biryani is quite unique in many ways. On one part of the city, you can find hi-tech infrastructures like flyovers, metros and top IT hubs. On the other side you can find heritage monuments and ancient temples which stand as muted spectators of the bygone era. Talking of temples, Hyderabad boasts of some of the oldest temples in the country, which exist even today in pristine conditions. Despite being ruled by Nizams for many decades, the 'Hindu' emotion in the city has not faded one bit.

If you are someone who loves to combine history with religion, then we highly recommend you to visit these 20 Oldest Temples in Hyderabad which are located in different parts of the city.

Read along to find out detailed information about each of these sites.

20 Oldest Temples in Hyderabad with Pictures and Details:

Here are 20 must-visit temples in Hyderabad if you love exploring ancient architecture along with worshipping your favorite deities:

1. Ammapalli Temple, Shamshabad:

Ammapalli Sita Ramachandra swamy Devasthanam is one of the oldest and most popular temples in Hyderabad. It is located about 5 kilometres from RGI airport, Shamshabad and is built by Vengi Kings in 13th Century. Ammapalli temple is extensively featured in many Indian movies and serials as it the main gopuram and the architecture serves as an excellent backdrop on the screen. The unique aspect about this temple is that it is one of the very few Ram mandirs with no Hanuman idol seen in the inner sanctum. The reason is that the single 1000-year-oldstone idol features only Sita, Ram and Lakshman who are in their 14 years of exile and Hanuman hasn't joined them yet.

2. Sitaram Bagh Temple, Mangalghat:

Sitaram Bagh temple, also called Dattatreya Temple is one of the oldest and biggest temples in Hyderabad, which is spread over 25 acres. The temple was constructed around 200 years ago by Seth Puranmal Ganeriwala and features a combination of North and South Indian style of construction. A huge entrance welcomes you inside the campus which hosts many smaller temples, courtyards, goshala, step-well, bathing area and living quarters. It is listed as a Heritage site by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.

3. Chitragupta Temple, Uppuguda:

Chitragupta Maha Devalayam in Uppuguda, Hyderabad is an old and rare temple which is dedicated to Chitragupta, the Chief Accountant of Yama (God of Death). According to Hindu beliefs, Chitragupta is the main person who counts all our good and bad deeds to decide our time on earth. The temple is located near Uppuguda Railway Station in Old City is said to have been built in the 18th Century by Kayasths. Along with the idols of Chitragupta and his two consorts, there are idols of his 12 sons too.

4. Kishan Bagh Temple, Sharriff Nagar:

Kishan Bagh temple is an old Krishna temple located in the Kishanbagh area, a place in Hyderabad named after the temple. Kishanbagh is also known as the Murali Manohar temple as it is dedicated to Lord Krishna, the flute player. It was constructed around 200 years back by a Raja Raghu Ram Bahadur who dreamt of a garden (Bagh) with a Krishna idol buried five feet inside the ground. After searching the site, he found the 'swayambhu' Krishna idol at the exact spot and was installed inside a small temple. Kishan Bagh temple features exquisite detailing on the Gopuram with a tank inside.

5. Kashi Bugga Temple, Kishan Bagh:

Kashi Bugga is an old Shiva temple in Hyderabad which is located in Kishan Bagh area. It was built in 1822 by Shri Raghav Ram ji whose family members are now taking care of the maintenance. Kashi Bugga is also known as 'Hyderabad Kashi,' and the main idol is seen in the form of Lingakara. The unique part of this linga is that it is placed slightly below the ground level, where there is a continuous flow of water from underneath. However, the source of water remains a mystery after all these years. Hence, the linga is also called 'Nitya Jalabhishekam' and the water is believed to have powerful healing properties.

6. Chilkur Balaji Temple, Chilkur:

Chilkur Balaji Temple is one of the oldest and most famous temples in Hyderabad. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, also known as 'Visa Balaji' in this place. It is located on the banks of Osman Sagar and built during the time of Akkanna Madanna. Most people who visit this temple have visa-related wishes who come back to thank the Lord for fulfilling them by circumambulating the main sanctum 108 times. Chilkur temple has no Hundi and doesn't accept money from devotees. It is also one of the only two temples in India which is out of government control and offers no special privileges to VIP's.

7. Kala Hanuman Temple, Attapur:

Kala Hanuman is an old Hanuman temple located in Attapur, Hyderabad. The temple is believed to be around 1100 years old and the main idol is made ofjet-black stone, hence the name "Kaala Hanuman" (Black Hanuman). Another unique aspect is that the head and body of the idol face South instead of the usual arrangement of the head facing east and body towards South. The temple premises also houses another temple of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy, a Swayambu idol. Many newer temples of Sri Venkateshwara and Maha Lakshmi are added now. The compound also has a beautiful Koneru or bathing pond which contains many tortoises and fish.

Kharmanghat is one of the oldest temples in Hyderabad which is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The main idol is present inside a huge compound which also houses other small temples of Lord Shiva. Durga Ma, Saraswathi Ma etc. The temple is built in 12 Century A.D by a Kakatiya king called Prola II. It is also known that during the Mughal empire Aurangzeb tried to break open the temple main door with a crow bar and heard a loud thunder with a divine voice saying "Mandir Thodna Hai to Karo Man Ghat". Since then, the temple is known as Kharmanghat.

9. Jagadamba Temple, Golconda Fort:

Jagadamba temple is a historic shrine located atop the Golconda fort. It is one of the oldest temples in Hyderabad dedicated to Mata Jagadamba, a form of Goddess Shakti. The temple was constructed during the Kakatiya period and is about 900-1000 years old. Most tourists who visit Golconda fort make it a point to visit this shrine which is located in a small cave halfway with steps leading to it. Bonalu, an important festival of Telangana state startson the first Sunday of Ashadam month at this temple with the Goddess decked up in finest clothes and jewellery.

Kesari Hanuman Temple is a small but powerful temple of Lord Hanuman. This old and famous temple of Hyderabadis located in Jiyaguda of Karwan area, on the banks of the River Musi. It was built by a Maharashtrian saint and guru of Shivaji Maharaj called Samarth Ramdas Swami of the 17th Century. Legend also has it that during the Ramayana period, Hanuman did his bath in the Musi river while searching for Sitadevi and did his daily prayers at the place where the temple sits now. Kesari Hanuman is quite popular who the locals who believe in the miracles of the Lord.

11. Ranganatha swamy Temple, Jiyaguda:

Sri Ranganatha swamy temple is one of the ancient temples in Hyderabad dedicated to Ranganatha Swamy, a form of Lord Vishnu. The temple is around 400 years old and is located in Jiyaguda, near the banks of Musi river. The main idol is seen in a reclining posture, resting on Adi Sesha, the mighty serpent snake which resides in the Ocean of Milk. This posture of Vishnu indicated that the Lord is listening to the problems and wishes of his devotees. There is also a tale that a group of saints passing through a forest heard a voice to take out the idol which is lying in a snake's nest and later installed it in a place called Gandhichevrvu Gutta, the present Jiyaguda.

12. Sri Subramanyeswara Aalayam, Skandagiri:

Sri Subramanyeswara Temple is a famous temple in Hyderabad which is located on a small hillock called Skandagiri in Secunderabad. The temple was built in 1965 by Sri Subramanya Swamy Aadi Karthigai Laksharchana Committee and is now run by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. It is constructed as a dual storied building with the presiding deity Subramanyeswara Swamy's idol on the top floor. The premises also holds a smaller temple of Sri Sridevi Bhoodevi along with Varadarajaswamy. Devotees must follow a strict dress code of traditional clothing with sarees and salwars for women and kurtas, trousers and dhotis for men.

13. Akkanna Madanna Temple, Shalibanda:

Akkanna Madanna Temple is another old temple in Moghulpura area of Hyderabad. The temple is said to have been built in the 17th Century by two brothers, Akkanna and Madanna. They served in the court of Tana Shah, the emperor at Golconda fort as Commander-in-chief and Prime Minister respectively. Akkanna and Madanna were ardent devotees of Goddess Mahankali and this temple to worship her every day before leaving to work. However, the temple got shut down after they were killed by the Moghul invaders. It was revived 67 years before by locals and since then functions as a main shrine during Bonalu season.

14. Ujjaini Mahankali Temple, Secunderabad:

Ujjain Mahankali temple is an old and famous Kali temple in Secunderabad built in 1814. Talking about its history, a doli bearer called Suriti Appaiah prayed to Mahankali in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh that he will install her idol in the city if she eliminates Cholera that killed lakhs of people. Soon after the epidemic ended, he built this temple and installed a wooden idol of the Goddess. The shrine is visited by thousands of people each day during the festival of Bonalu.

15. Yellamma Temple, Balkampet:

Yellamma temple is one of the old temples in Hyderabad which is also called Balkampet Yellamma temple by the locals. The temple is dedicated to the worship of Yellamma, an incarnation of Goddess Kali who is revered as one of the significant deities in Telangana. The temple was originally constructed in the 15th Century A.D and later renovated in 1900's. The main idol of the Goddess lies 10 feet deep into the ground level. There is also a well inside the compound which supposedly has medicinal properties and cure many ailments.

16. Sri Ranganatha Temple, Hayathnagar:

Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple located in Gandicheruvu of Hayathnagar Mandal is another ancient and lesser-known temples in Hyderabad. It is believed to be around 500 years old and perched on a hillock that is surrounded by beautiful greenery. The main sanctum lies in a small cave that houses a 5 feet tall idol of Sri Ranganatha Swamy, along with his consort Godha Devi. This idol is believed to be self-manifested or Swayambhu. According to locals, a group of brahmins passing by that place overheard a strange "Om" chant and discovered the idol buried under an anthill.

17. Chennakesava Swamy Temple, Chandrayanagutta:

Chennakesava temple located in Keshavagiri of Chandrayanagutta is one of the oldest temples in Hyderabad which is believed to be around 1000 years old. The shrine is dedicated to the worship of Chennakesava swamy, a form of Lord Vishnu and the idol is known to be Swayambhu or self-manifested. The rituals and customs of this temple are as per the Vaikhanasa Agama Shastra. There are many small temples within the campus which are of Andal, Alwars, and Chatur-bhuja Hanuman. The temple is located just 1 KM from the

18. Venugopala Swamy Temple, Manchirevula (ORR):

Another old and lesser-known temples around Hyderabad is the Venu Gopala Swamy temple at Manchirevula. It was constructed around 600 years back by Akkanna and Madanna, the two ministers of the Golconda Emperor Tana Shah. The temple is located near TSPA junction of the Nehru ORR where you can see the 'Manchirevula' board on the highway. You will be surprised to see a neatly maintained campus with beautiful views of the surroundings. The main idol in the temple is a rock carving of Lord Krishna along with Rukmini and Satyabhama. When you cross this temple and go a little deep inside the area, you can also visit the Manchirevula Shivalayam.

19. Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Nanakramguda:

Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple is a 400-year-old temple of Sri Ranganatha, a form of Lord Vishnu. The temple is located in Nanakramguda, financial district and is also called Rangbagh. As per the inscriptions, the temple was built in 1600 A.D and later a Rajasthani merchant called Seth Shivlal Pitti purchased the entire land along with the temple. Until 1861, the temple operated as a private property and was later handed over in 1954 to a trust which is run by the Pitti family. The main idol is a single stone carving of Ranganatha Swamy along with two small idols of Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi

20. Yadadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple:

Yadadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple previousy known as Yadagiri gutta is one of the oldest temples around Hyderabad. The temple is perched on a hillock in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri District which is about 60km away from the city. The main deity is Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. While the old temple is around 1000 years old with the idols inside a cave, the new temple is being constructed in a massive scale by the Telangana Government. The current complex is spread over 14.5 acres and full-equipped with all modern facilities.

Those are the 20 Old temples in and around Hyderabad which are known for their divine atmosphere and ancient architecture. By visiting these places, you can go back in time and get a feel of the rich cultures and traditions we lost in the modern era. Do note that these temples hold a lot of religious and monumental value and hence, it's our duty to protect and respect them.