washington ferry map Look for the 9m-long monolithic Nandi India s largest at the town s entrance. From here, you can see

Most buses and trains will stop en route at Bhongir, 60km from Hyderabad. It s worth jumping down for a couple of hours to climb the fantastical-looking 12th-century Chalukyan hill fort (admission 3; h9am6pm). Looking like a gargantuan stone egg, the hill is mostly ringed by stairs.

1 Sights & Activities Beaches BEACH The long beaches of Waltair overlook the Bay of Bengal, with its mammoth ships and brightly painted fishing boats. Its coastal Beach Rd, lined with parks and weird sculptures, is great for long walks.

Look for the 9m-long monolithic Nandi India s largest at the town s entrance. From here, you can see the temple s Naga-lingam (a phallic representation of Shiva) crowned with a seven-headed cobra. The temple is known for its unfinished Kalyana Mandapam (Marriage Hall), depicting the wedding of Parvati and Shiva, and its Natyamandapa (Dance washington ferry map Hall), with carvings of dancing gods. The temple s most stunning features, though, are the Natyamandapa s ceiling frescoes.

Hyderabad owes its existence to a water shortage at Golconda in the late 16th century. The reigning Qutb Shahis washington ferry map were forced to relocate, and so Mohammed washington ferry map Quli and the royal family abandoned Golconda Fort for the banks of the Musi River. The new city of Hyderabad was established, with the brand- new Charminar as its centrepiece.