Revanth’s Rudra Dev Push Raises Questions Over Warangal Airport Naming

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s invitation for public suggestions to name the proposed Mamnoor airport in Warangal has opened a fresh political debate over the state’s Kakatiya legacy, with names associated with the medieval dynasty dominating the discussion.

The debate has acquired an added dimension because of Reddy’s earlier stand on Kakatiya symbolism.

Names such as Kakatiya, Rani Rudrama Devi, Prataparudra and Orugallu have figured prominently in suggestions for the proposed airport. Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, a Warangal native, has publicly backed Rudrama International Airport or Kakatiya International Airport. Other proposals in circulation include Sammakka-Saralamma and former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.

Recent discussion has indicated that Rani Rudrama Devi is among the strongest names being considered, subject to the formal approval process. No final name has been officially announced.

The renewed focus on Kakatiya heritage comes two years after Reddy, while discussing the redesign of Telangana’s official emblem, said the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam would not be retained. Reddy had then described the Thoranam as a “symbol of anarchy” and said the state’s official identity should instead reflect the Telangana movement, its struggles and sacrifices.

The proposed airport naming exercise has therefore brought Reddy’s earlier position back into the political conversation, with the government now considering a major public institution in Warangal being associated with the Kakatiya period.

Warangal, historically known as Orugallu, served as the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty. Rulers including Rudra Deva, Ganapatideva, Rudrama Devi and Prataparudra are closely associated with the city’s history.

The name “Rudra Dev” has also added another layer to the discussion. Rudra Deva was a Kakatiya ruler, while Reddy has reportedly used “Rudra Dev” as a name for his grandson, whose reported official name is Reyansh.

There is no official indication that the government has proposed naming the airport after Reddy’s grandson. The reported proposal currently centres on Rani Rudrama Devi.

Nevertheless, the coincidence has become part of the wider discussion around the naming exercise, particularly as the Chief Minister himself had earlier sought to move away from Kakatiya imagery in the state’s official emblem.

The political debate over the Kakatiya legacy has continued since the emblem controversy. Reddy has subsequently maintained that his government respects the state’s historical symbols, while arguing that official symbols should reflect Telangana’s movement and the sacrifices associated with the separate-state struggle.

The airport issue has now brought the question into a different setting.

Unlike the state emblem, where the government was deciding what symbols should officially represent Telangana, the Mamnoor airport naming exercise is centred on how Warangal’s historical and cultural identity should be represented by a major public infrastructure project.

The proposed airport has itself been linked to the region’s heritage, with discussions around incorporating Kakatiya architectural and cultural motifs.

The choice of name is therefore likely to remain politically significant, particularly in Warangal, where the Kakatiya legacy remains an important part of the region’s cultural identity.

For now, the government has not formally announced the final name. But the debate has already put Reddy’s earlier comments on Kakatiya symbolism alongside his government’s current effort to draw on the same historical legacy for the proposed airport.

The runway may still be some distance away, but the politics over what the airport should represent has already begun.