chris ferry Sankranti (Jan, statewide) This important Telugu festival marks the end of harvest season. Kite-flyi

Hotel Bliss HOTEL $$ (%2237773; www.blisstirupati.com; Reniguta Rd; s/d from 1710/1980; ais) The most luxurious place in town with ultracomfortable rooms, professional staff and a glass lift with great views and droning pilgrim elevator music.

Sankranti (Jan, statewide) This important Telugu festival marks the end of harvest season. Kite-flying abounds, chris ferry women decorate their doorsteps with colourful kolams (or rangolis rice-flour designs), and men decorate cattle with bells and fresh horn paint.

vashon water taxi and reliefs of the Buddha that span the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana periods. Bojjannakonda has

Down the hill and 3km to the right is the small Siddheshwara Temple. The Bhadrakali Temple, featuring a stone statue of Kali seated with a weapon in each of her eight hands, is high on a hill between Hanamkonda and Warangal.

and reliefs of the Buddha that span the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana periods. Bojjannakonda has a two-storey group of rock-cut caves fl anked by dwarapalakas (doorkeepers) and containing a stupa and gorgeous carvings of the Buddha (some restored). Atop the hill sit the ruins of a huge stupa and a monastery; you can still make out the individual cells where monks meditated. Lingalakonda is piled high with stupas, some of them enormous.

ferry schedule bremerton to seattle Vizag s well-organised RTC Complex (%2746400) has frequent bus services to Vijayawada (deluxe/Volvo

Vizag s well-organised RTC Complex (%2746400) has frequent bus services to Vijayawada (deluxe/Volvo ferry schedule bremerton to seattle 250/530, eight/seven hours) and, in the afternoon, Hyderabad ( superluxury / Volvo 470/870, 14/12 hours).

910 STATE OF GOOD KARMA In its typically understated way, Andhra Pradesh doesn t make much of its vast archaeological and karmic wealth. But the state is packed with impressive ruins of its rich Buddhist history. Only a few of Andhra s 150 stupas, monasteries, ferry schedule bremerton to seattle caves and other sites have been excavated, turning up rare relics of the Buddha (usually pearl-like pieces of bone) with offerings ferry schedule bremerton to seattle such as golden flowers. Nagarjunakonda and Amaravathi were flourishing Buddhist complexes, and near Visakhapatnam were the incredibly peaceful sites of Thotlakonda, and Bavikonda and Sankaram, looking across seascapes and lush countryside. They speak of a time when Andhra Pradesh or Andhradesa was a hotbed of Buddhist activity, ferry schedule bremerton to seattle when monks came from around the world to learn from some of the tradition s most renowned teachers. Andhradesa s Buddhist culture, in which sangha (community of monks and nuns), laity and statespeople all took part, lasted around 1500 years from the 6th century BC. There s no historical evidence for it, but some even say that the Buddha himself visited the area. Andhradesa s first practitioners were likely disciples of Bavari, ferry schedule bremerton to seattle an ascetic who lived on the banks of the Godavari River and sent his followers north to bring back the Buddha s teachings. ferry schedule bremerton to seattle But the dharma really took off in the 3rd century BC under Ashoka, who dispatched ferry schedule bremerton to seattle monks across his empire to teach and construct stupas enshrined with relics of the Buddha. (Being near these was thought to help progress on the path to enlightenment.) Succeeding ferry schedule bremerton to seattle Ashoka, the Satavahanas and then Ikshvakus were also supportive. At their capital at Amaravathi, the Satavahanas adorned Ashoka s modest stupa with elegant decoration. They built monasteries across the Krishna Valley and exported the dharma through their sophisticated maritime network. It was also during the Satavahana reign that Nagarjuna lived. Considered by many to be the progenitor of Mahayana Buddhism, the monk was equal parts logician, philosopher and meditator, and he wrote several ground-breaking works that shaped contemporary Buddhist thought. Other important monk-philosophers would emerge from the area in the following centuries, making Andhradesa a sort of Buddhist motherland of the South.

bc ferries tsawwassen The Hill of Nagarjuna, 150km southeast of Hyderabad, is a peaceful island in the middle of the Nagar

Araku itself is a small dusty town, but its surroundings are beautiful. A bicycle is the perfect way to explore the countryside. You can hire a bicycle (per hour/day 50/250) from Hill Resort bc ferries tsawwassen Mayuri. It s best to check the security situation before heading out, with a reported Naxalite (members bc ferries tsawwassen of an

India Tourism (Government of India; Map p 898; %23261360, 23260770; Netaji Bhavan, Himayathnagar Rd; h9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat) Very helpful for information on Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and beyond.

Hyderabad owes its existence to a water shortage bc ferries tsawwassen at Golconda in the late 16th century. The reigning Qutb Shahis were forced to relocate, and so Mohammed 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.

The Hill of Nagarjuna, 150km southeast of Hyderabad, is a peaceful island in the middle of the Nagarjuna dam peppered with ancient Buddhist structures. From the 3rd century BC until the 4th century AD, the Krishna River valley was home to powerful empires that supported the sangha (Buddhist community of monks and nuns), including the Ikshvakus, whose capital was Nagarjunakonda. It s estimated that this area alone had 30 monasteries. bc ferries tsawwassen

joc sailings Tirupathi is the service town at the bottom of the hill, with hotels, restaurants, and transport; a

Tirupathi is the service town at the bottom of the hill, with hotels, restaurants, and transport; a fleet of buses constantly ferries pilgrims the 18km up and down. You ll find most of your worldly needs around the Tirupathi bus station joc sailings (TP Area) and, about 500m away, the train station.

# # # # # # # # # f SR NAGAR AMEERPET BANJARA HILLS SOMAJIGUDA joc sailings MASAB TANK SAIFABAD Hussain Sagar Banjara Lake KBR Park Jalagam Vengala Rao Park Chacha Nehru Park Ameerpet Rd Rd No 3 Panjagutta Rd Lakdi-ka-pul Rd Mahavir Marg RdNo 1 Rd No 2 Greenlands Rd Rd No 14 YellareddygudaRd RdNo 5 Rd No 13 Rd No 7 Rd No 10 AmeerpetRd Rd No 12 Balkampet Rd YousufgudaMain Rd Srinagar Colony Rd Necklace Rd Necklace Rd Train Station Khairatabad Train Station Begumpet Train Station Lakdikapul Train Station 20 19 18 12 14 5 10 6 9 8 15 17 2 13 11 1 16 7 3 4 Care Hospital 4

4 Sleeping & Eating Hotel Ashoka HOTEL $$ (%2578491; Main Rd, Hanamkonda; r from 600; ai) Good-value rooms near the Hanamkonda bus stand and the 1000-Pillared Temple. Also in the compound are a restaurant, a bar-restaurant, a pub and the veg Kanishka (mains 75 to 125).

ferry from ireland to scotland Just west of the bridge is the spectacular Osmania General Hospital (Map p900), on the north side, a

Everything about Sai Baba was big: the Afro hairdo, the big-name devotees, and the big controversies allegations of sexual ferry from ireland to scotland misconduct had led some devotees to lose faith. Others, ferry from ireland to scotland however, regarded the controversy as simply another terrestrial test for their avatar.

Victoria Jubilee Museum MUSEUM (MG Rd; admission Indian/foreigner 20/100, camera 3; h10.30am-5pm Sat-Thu) The best part of this museum ferry from ireland to scotland is the building itself, built in 1887 to honour Queen Victoria s coronation jubilee. In 1921 it hosted the Congress meeting

Just west of the bridge is the spectacular Osmania General Hospital (Map p900), on the north side, and, on the south, the High Court (Map p900) and Government City College (Map p900), all built under the seventh nizam in the Indo-Saracenic style.

Birla Mandir & Planetarium HINDU TEMPLE, MUSEUM (Map p898) The Birla mandir (h7am-noon & 2-9pm), constructed of white Rajasthani marble in 1976, graces Kalabahad (Black Mountain), one of two rocky hills overlooking the Hussain Sagar. Dedicated to Venkateshwara, the temple is a popular Hindu pilgrimage centre and affords excellent views over the city, especially at sunset. The library (h4- 8pm) here is worth a visit

seattle bainbridge ferry schedule Modern Cafe INDIAN $ (Sree Lakshmi Vilas; Besant Rd, Governorpet; meals 58; h6.30am-10.30pm) With bl

907BUSES FROM HYDERABAD DESTINATION FARE ( ) DURATION (HR) FREQUENCY (DAILY) Bengaluru 480-775 12-10 7 (evening) Bidar 80 4 half-hourly Chennai 550-880 12-14 3 (evening) Hospet 280 9 2 Mumbai 550-985 14-12 6 (evening) Mysore 599 15 1 Nagarjuna Sagar 85-116 4 8 Tirupathi 435-735 12 12 Vijayawada 197-390 6 hourly Visakhapatnam 470-865 14 12 Warangal 77 3 half-hourly and Kacheguda, seattle bainbridge ferry schedule which is convenient for Abids. See p908, for key routes. You can book at Hyderabad and Secunderabad stations from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday (to 2pm Sunday). Both stations have a tourist counter. For general enquiries, phone %139; for reservation status, %135.

Modern Cafe INDIAN $ (Sree Lakshmi Vilas; Besant Rd, Governorpet; meals 58; h6.30am-10.30pm) With blackand- white-check floors and mismatched wooden chairs, this gritty, down-home veg joint has a heavy 1940s vibe. The meals are great, as are the fresh juices ( 15).