james dalton highway In 1724 the Hyderabad viceroy, Asaf Jah, took advantage of waning Mughal power and declared Hyderaba

Vijayawada is a busy, rapidly growing city and an important port at the head of the delta of the mighty Krishna River. It s bustling, but it s also intersected by canals, lined with ghats and ringed by fields of rice and palm. The surrounding area is intensely lush and green.

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.

In 1724 the Hyderabad viceroy, Asaf Jah, took advantage of waning Mughal power and declared Hyderabad an independent state with himself as leader. The dynasty of the nizams of Hyderabad began, and the traditions of Islam flourished. james dalton highway Hyderabad became a focus for the arts, culture and learning, and the centre of Islamic India. Its abundance of rare gems and minerals the world-famous Kohinoor diamond is from here furnished the nizams with enormous wealth. (William Dalrymple s White Mughals is a fascinating portrait of the city at this time.)