seattle to bainbridge ferry 910 STATE OF GOOD KARMA In its typically understated way, Andhra Pradesh doesn t make much of its va

New Andhra Hotel INDIAN $ (Sree Kanya Lodge, Bowdara Rd; mains 25-75; h11am-3.30pm & 7-10.30pm) An unassuming little place with really good, really hot Andhra dishes. Meals ( 50/130 seattle to bainbridge ferry for veg/ non-veg) and biryani seattle to bainbridge ferry are top-notch.

If you re travelling around Andhra Pradesh during seattle to bainbridge ferry Ramadan (known seattle to bainbridge ferry locally as Ramzan), look out for the clay ovens called bhattis. You ll probably hear them before you see them. Men gather around, taking turns to vigorously pound haleem inside purpose-built structures. Come nightfall, the serious business of eating begins. The taste is worth the wait. In September 2010, this love of the dish was taken a step further, seattle to bainbridge ferry being patented as Hyderabadi haleem ; prohibited to be served under that name unless it meets the strict quality seattle to bainbridge ferry guidelines.

When he was 14, Sai Baba declared himself to be the reincarnation of another Sai Baba, a saintly figure who died in 1918 (p 764 ). His millions of devotees regarded him as a true avatar and believed seattle to bainbridge ferry he performed miracles. Coming for the program of darshan (here that meant seeing Baba though since poor health in 2005 his appearances were increasingly seattle to bainbridge ferry sporadic), they packed the ashram twice-daily for chanting and prayer. The sight of clean, well-paved streets lined with internet cafes might come as a surprise here, as will the prevalence of robed foreign devotees.

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, caves and other sites have been excavated, turning up rare relics of the Buddha (usually pearl-like pieces seattle to bainbridge ferry of bone) with offerings 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, 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, an ascetic who lived on the banks of the Godavari River and sent his followers north to bring back the Buddha s teachings. But the dharma really took off in the 3rd century BC under Ashoka, who dispatched 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 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 seattle to bainbridge ferry reign that Nagarjuna lived. Considered by many to be the progenitor of Mahayana Buddhism, the monk was equal parts logician, philosopher seattle to bainbridge ferry 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. 1 Sights Fort FORT (Indian/foreigner 5/100; h9am-6.30pm) Warangal s fort was a massive construction with three distinct seattle to bainbridge ferry circular strongholds surrounded by a moat. Four paths with decorative gateways, set according to the cardinal points, seattle to bainbridge ferry led to the Swayambhava, a huge Shiva temple. The gateways are still obvious, but most of the fort is in ruins. It s easily reached from Warangal by bus or autorickshaw ( 200 return). Admission includes entry to nearby seattle to bainbridge ferry Kush Mahal, a 16th century royal hall with artefacts on display.