steilacoom ferry Vijay Vihar Complex HOTEL $$ (%277362; fax 276633; r with AC from 1800; as) Two kilometres up the hi

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.

Warangal was the capital of the Kakatiya kingdom, which covered the greater part of present-day Andhra Pradesh from the late 12th to early 14th centuries until it was conquered by the Tughlaqs of Delhi. The Hindu Kakatiyas were great builders and patrons of Telugu literature and arts, and during their reign the Chalukyan style of temple architecture reached its pinnacle.

Vijay Vihar Complex HOTEL $$ (%277362; fax 276633; r with AC from 1800; as) Two kilometres up the hill from the bus stand is the fancy government hotel overlooking the lake. Room balconies have excellent steilacoom ferry views.

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