Jogulamba Gadwal is a district in the southern part of the Indian state of Telangana. It was created on 11 October 2016 as part of the reorganisation of districts in Telangana, when several new districts were carved out of the existing ones to bring administration closer to the people. The district takes its name from the goddess Jogulamba, whose temple at Alampur is one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas, and from Gadwal, the historic town that serves as the district headquarters.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| State | Telangana |
| Headquarters | Gadwal |
| Formed | 11 October 2016 |
| Parent district | Mahbubnagar |
| Region | Telangana (southern) |
| Named after | Goddess Jogulamba; town of Gadwal |
The district lies in the southern fringe of Telangana, bordering the state of Andhra Pradesh across the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. The Tungabhadra forms part of its southern boundary and joins the Krishna near Alampur, a confluence locally known as Sangameswaram. The terrain consists largely of plains and low hills, and the area is part of the Rayalaseema-adjoining drought-prone tract that the Krishna basin irrigates through projects such as the Jurala dam in the neighbouring Wanaparthy region.
The district headquarters is at Gadwal. Administratively, it is divided into revenue divisions and mandals, with Gadwal and Alampur among the principal towns. The district is part of the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha constituency for parliamentary elections, while the Gadwal and Alampur assembly constituencies fall within its area.
Before October 2016, the area formed the southern portion of Mahbubnagar district in undivided Andhra Pradesh and later Telangana. Gadwal itself has a long political history as the seat of the Gadwal Samsthanam, a prominent feudatory estate (samsthanam) under the Nizam of Hyderabad. The samsthanam was known for its patronage of literature, music and the production of the distinctive Gadwal handloom saree. The Alampur temple complex, dedicated to Jogulamba and Brahma (the Nava Brahma temples), dates to the Badami Chalukya period (7th–8th centuries CE) and remains a significant heritage site.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the district economy, with paddy, cotton, groundnut, and pulses among the principal crops. Handloom weaving, particularly the Gadwal saree, which carries a Geographical Indication tag, is an important traditional industry. The town of Gadwal serves as a regional trading and market centre.
Jogulamba Gadwal is significant as a religious and cultural district, anchored by the Shakti Peetha at Alampur and the heritage of the Gadwal Samsthanam. Its creation in 2016 was intended to improve administrative accessibility for residents of southern Mahbubnagar, an area historically affected by drought and migration.