ferry from vancouver to seattle Once the Andhran capital and a significant Buddhist centre, Amaravathi is India s biggest stupa (Ind

Once the Andhran capital and a significant Buddhist centre, Amaravathi is India s biggest stupa (Indian/foreigner 5/100; h8am6pm), measuring 27m high and constructed in the 3rd century BC, when Emperor Ashoka sent monks south to spread the Buddha s teaching. Located 60km west of Vijayawada, all that remains ferry from vancouver to seattle are a mound and some stones, but the nearby museum ferry from vancouver to seattle (admission 5; h8am-5pm) has a small replica of the stupa, with its intricately carved pillars, marble- surfaced dome and carvings of scenes from the Buddha s life (no photography allowed in the museum). In the courtyard is a reconstruction of part of the surrounding gateway, which gives you an idea of the stupa s massive scale. It s worth the trip, but many of Amaravathi s best sculptures ferry from vancouver to seattle are in London s British Museum and Chennai s Government Museum in Tamil Nadu.

Andhra plays hard to get: its charms are subtle. But if you look closely, you ll find a long, fascinating history ferry from vancouver to seattle of arts, culture, spiritual scholarship and religious harmony. In Hyderabad s Old City, Islamic monuments, Persian-inspired architecture and the call of the muezzin speak of the city s unique heritage.

Mughal empire. In the 18th century the post-Mughal rulers in Hyderabad, known as nizams, retained relative control as the British and French vied for trade, though their power gradually weakened. The region became ferry from vancouver to seattle part of independent India in 1947, and in 1956 the state of Andhra Pradesh, an amalgamation of Telugu-speaking areas plus the predominantly Urdu-speaking capital, was created.

Hotel Harsha HOTEL $$ (Map p898; %23201188; www.hotelharsha.net; Public Gardens Rd; s/d incl breakfast from 1600/1800; aW) Rooms don t have tonnes of character, ferry from vancouver to seattle and can be noisy (ask for a rear facing room) but they re bright, have fridges, the furniture is in good taste and the art is a step up from the usual schlock. The overall effect is polished but comfy. The lobby smells like success, with lots of glass and marble. One of the city s best deals.