Thursday, November 29, 2012

alaskacam Everything about Sai Baba was big: the Afro hairdo, the big-name devotees, and the big controversies





Most people stay at the ashram alaskacam (%287390; www.srisathyasai.org.in), alaskacam a small village with all amenities. Lodging is cheap but basic. alaskacam Advance bookings aren t taken; visitors under 25 must be in a family or group.

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.

909MAJOR BUS ROUTES FROM HYDERABAD & SECUNDERABAD BUS NO ROUTE 65G/66G Charminar Golconda, via Abids 87 Charminar Nampally alaskacam 2/2V, 8A/8U Charminar Secunderabad station 20D Jubilee alaskacam station Nampally 142K Koti Golconda 119OR, alaskacam 142M Nampally Golconda 1P/25 Secunderabad station Jubilee alaskacam station 1K, 1B, 3SS, 40 Secunderabad station alaskacam Koti 20P, 20V, 49, 49P Secunderabad station Nampally 909MAJOR BUS ROUTES FROM HYDERABAD & SECUNDERABAD BUS NO ROUTE 65G/66G Charminar Golconda, via Abids 87 Charminar Nampally 2/2V, 8A/8U Charminar Secunderabad alaskacam station 20D Jubilee alaskacam station Nampally 142K Koti Golconda alaskacam 119OR, 142M Nampally Golconda 1P/25 Secunderabad station Jubilee station 1K, 1B, 3SS, 40 Secunderabad station Koti 20P, 20V, 49, 49P Secunderabad station Nampally

grand ferry park Survival within the fort was also attributable to water and sound. A series of concealed glazed eart





Survival within the fort was also attributable to water and sound. A series of concealed grand ferry park glazed earthen pipes ensured a reliable water supply, while the ingenious design of the diamond-shaped ceiling Grand Portico creates an acoustic system that carries even the smallest echo across the fort complex up to the highest point of the fort used as a security system. Guides can also demonstrate the equally impressive acoustics in the royal palace where one s whisper into

Golden Glory Guesthouse HOTEL $ (Map p902; %23554765; www.goldengloryguest house.com; Rd No 3, Banjara Hills; s/d incl breakfast from 650/900, s incl breakfast without bathroom 290; aW) Nestled among the mansions of ritzy Banjara Hills, this gem of a hotel scores big on location. Tucked down a quiet residential street, it s the perfect place to escape the madness of Hyderabad. First impressions are grand with sparkling lobby and spiral staircase, and while the cheaper rooms are boxy, they re very clean and good value (and include a simple breakfast). Pricier rooms are more spacious with balconies and bathtubs.

weather in alaska in july Hyderabad owes its existence to a water shortage at Golconda in the late 16th century. The reigning





Taj Mahal Hotel HOTEL $$ (Map p898; %24758250; tajmahal_abid@rediffmail. com; cnr Abids & King Kothi Rds; s/d with AC from 1200/1650; a) This rambling 1924 heritage building has a magnificent exterior, plants peppered about and decent, though ultimately overpriced rooms. Each is different so ask to see a few: the better ones have boudoirs, crystal-knobbed armoires and wood-beam ceilings.

The monasteries flourished during the Theravada period (Bavikonda, from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD, and Thotlakonda, weather in alaska in july from the 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD) and had votive stupas, congregation halls, chaitya-grihas, viharas and refectories. Today only the ruins of these massive monastic compounds remain, but they re impressive weather in alaska in july nonetheless, with a placid, almost magical, air and sea views to meditate on. Bavikonda and Thotlakonda are 14km and 16km, respectively, from Vizag on Bheemli Beach Rd. Vizag s autorickshaw drivers charge around 400 return to see both.

Hyderabad owes its existence to a water shortage 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.

staten island ferry schedule 2011 907BUSES FROM HYDERABAD DESTINATION FARE ( ) DURATION (HR) FREQUENCY (DAILY) Bengaluru 480-775 12-10





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 staten island ferry schedule 2011 14 12 Warangal 77 3 half-hourly and Kacheguda, which is convenient for Abids. staten island ferry schedule 2011 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 staten island ferry schedule 2011 counter. For general enquiries, phone %139; for reservation status, %135.

Museum of Habitat (admission 10; h10am1pm & 2-5pm) staten island ferry schedule 2011 with exhibits on indigenous life. APTDC runs tours ( 500) from Vizag, which take in a performance of Dhimsa, a tribal dance, staten island ferry schedule 2011 and the million-year-old limestone Borra Caves (admission 40, camera 100; h10am-1pm & 2-5pm), 30km from Araku.

juneau ferry Taj Mahal Hotel HOTEL $$ (Map p898; %24758250; tajmahal_abid@rediffmail. com; cnr Abids & King Kothi





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.

The Kirandol passenger train ( 20, five hours) leaves Vizag at 6.50am and Araku at 3pm. It s a slow, spectacular ride; sit on the right-hand side coming juneau ferry out of Vizag for best views. For Jungle Bells, get off at Tyda station, 500m from the resort. Frequent buses ( 58, 4 hours) leave from Araku to Vizag every hour until 7pm.

Taj Mahal Hotel HOTEL $$ (Map p898; %24758250; tajmahal_abid@rediffmail. com; cnr Abids & King Kothi Rds; s/d with AC from 1200/1650; juneau ferry a) This rambling 1924 heritage building has a magnificent exterior, plants peppered about and decent, though ultimately overpriced rooms. Each is different so ask to see a few: the better ones have boudoirs, crystal-knobbed armoires and wood-beam ceilings.

Laad Bazaar MARKET (Map p900) West of the Charminar, the crowded Laad Bazaar is the perfect place to get lost. It has everything from fi ne perfumes, fabrics and jewels to musical instruments, secondhand saris and kitchen implements. Artisans are tucked away creating jewellery and scented oils, large pots and burkas. The lanes around the Charminar also form the centre of India s pearl trade. Some great deals can be had if you know your stuff.

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





If you re travelling around Andhra Pradesh ferry schedules during Ramadan (known locally as Ramzan), ferry schedules 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 ferry schedules business of eating begins. The taste is worth the wait. In September 2010, this love of the dish was taken a step further, being patented as Hyderabadi haleem ; prohibited to be served under that name unless it meets the strict quality guidelines.

Excess Club BAR (%23542422; Novotel, Madhavpur; ferry schedules h7pm-2am Tue-Sun) ferry schedules Set over a huge space, Excess was the current most happening place; open the latest, the best DJs, but the furthest away past Hitech City.

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 of bone) with offerings ferry schedules 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. ferry schedules 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 ferry schedules 1500 years from the 6th century BC. There s no historical evidence for it, but some even say that the Buddha ferry schedules 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, ferry schedules 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 ferry schedules monk-philosophers would emerge from the area in the following centuries, making Andhradesa a sort of Buddhist motherland of the South.

Around 36km east of Tirupathi, Sri Kalahasti is known for its important Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple and for being, along with Machilipatnam near Vijayawada, a centre for the ancient art of kalamkari. These paintings are made with natural ingredients: the cotton is primed with myrabalam (resin) and cow s milk; figures ferry schedules are drawn with a pointed bamboo stick dipped in fermented jaggery and water; and the dyes are made from cow dung, ground seeds, plants and flowers. You can see the artists at work in the Agraharam ferry schedules neighbourhood, 2.5km from the bus stand. Sri Vijayalakshmi Fine Kalamkari Arts (%9441138380; door No 15890) is an old family business with 40 artists.

sayville bike works trophobic metal cages ringing the temple. Quick darshan tickets ( 300) are recommended, and will get





trophobic metal cages ringing the temple. sayville bike works Quick darshan tickets ( 300) are recommended, and will get you through the queue faster, though you ll still have to brave the gauntlet of the cage, which is part of the fun, kind of Upon entry you ll also have to sign a form declaring your support of Lord Vishnu.

Haritha Hotel HOTEL $$ (%2562333; Beach Rd, Appughar; r incl breakfast from 900; a) This APTDC hotel, formerly Punnami, is near Kailasagiri Hill and right across from the beach. The lowest-priced rooms (with no views) are only so-so; bump yourself up if you can. Checkout is 10am.

Nowhere suits the term fit for royalty better than at the Falaknuma Palace, the former residence of the sixth nizam. Taking over a decade sayville bike works to restore, the Taj Group s latest luxury hotel has most certainly been worth the wait. The cheapest rooms have Italian sayville bike works marble floors, colonial furniture and great city views, while the Presidential Suite (an astounding 500,000 per night) was