Nalgonda ( pronunciation ) is a town and a municipality in Nalgonda district in the Indian state of Telangana. Its name is derived from two Telugu words: nalla ("black") and konda ("hill"). Nalgonda in the past was referred to as Nilagiri. During the period of the Bahamani kingdom, it was renamed as Nallagonda. Later in Nizam rule, during the later kings rule, the name was transformed into Nalgonda (for official uses).