On June 2nd, 2014, Telangana became the 29th and youngest state of India. The ‘land of Telugus’ already made headlines in the past few years, here are 10 interesting facts about the state.

1. Sania Mirza is the brand ambassador of Telangana

Despite being born in Mumbai, Professional tennis player Sania Mirza calls Hyderabad home and as a result, was appointed brand ambassador of Telangana in 2014. The tennis star has 41 doubles titles to her name and is also the first female player in India to win a doubles Grand Slam award.

2. Telangana has some of India’s oldest cannons.

Jagtyal Fort (named after two European engineers Jack and Tal) of Karimanagar district of Telangana, is known for being the only star-shaped fort in Telangana as well as the house of one India’s oldest cannons. The massive cannons were built by General Mohammad Khasim.

3. Telangana has about a lakh tonne of the nuclear resource.

The state of Telangana is rich in uranium, and the two states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) account for 25% of India’s uranium reserve. The state is also the 6th largest producer of coal in the country.

4. A university where teachers also teach in Urdu

Founded in 1918, Osmania University in Hyderabad is the first Indian university to have Urdu as a medium of instruction. It is also the third oldest university in southern India.

5. Before 1948, Urdu was the official language of Telangana

As part of the princely state of Hyderabad, Telangana once spoke Hyderabadi Urdu. However, after the independence of India the people of Telangana renounced Urdu and took up Telugu instead. In 2015, the state government of Telangana accorded Urdu as the state’s first language, making it at par with Telugu.  Now the state has two first languages.

6. The Telangana rebellion is actually 60 years old

While Telangana was officially declared a state in 2014, the Telangana rebellion originated as a peasant revolt as early as 1948 and was later on backed by communists. Osmania University was the focal point of the movement at the beginning.

7. Student martyrs

The fight for Telangana to be a separate state was paved with horrific violence and countless deaths. In 2010, it was reported that 73 students committed suicide while 1,812 students attempted to kill themselves.

8. Thousand Pillar Temple

The state houses the ‘Thousand Pillar Temple’ Rudreshwara Swamy Temple. The temple is dedicated to the gods Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. This temple has also made it to the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

9. Well-known faces 

Telangana is the home of India’s first Muslim President, Zakir Husain, and one of India’s most beloved politicians and PM, P.V. Narasimha Rao. Other famous people associated with Telangana were born in Hyderabad, which include actors Dia Mirza and Shabana Azmi, cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, and Olympic medallist tennis player P.V. Sindhu.

10. The ‘Gateway of South India’

After years of not being considered a district, the district of Adilabad in Telangana earned the state the title of the ‘Gateway of South India’. Alidabad is one of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and holds 8 constituencies within the legislative assembly.