Golden Glory Guesthouse HOTEL $ (Map p902; %23554765; www.goldengloryguest ludington gus macker 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 ludington gus macker 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.
910 STATE OF GOOD KARMA In its typically understated way, Andhra Pradesh doesn t make much of its vast archaeological and karmic wealth. ludington gus macker 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 such as golden flowers. Nagarjunakonda and Amaravathi ludington gus macker 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 ludington gus macker 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 ludington gus macker 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 ludington gus macker and exported the dharma through ludington gus macker their sophisticated maritime network. It was also during the Satavahana reign that Nagarjuna ludington gus macker lived. Considered by many to be the progenitor of Mahayana Buddhism, the monk was equal parts logician, ludington gus macker 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 ludington gus macker centuries, making Andhradesa a sort of Buddhist motherland of the South.
FPaigah Tombs TOMBS (off Map p894; Phisalbanda, Santoshnagar; h10am5pm Sat-Thu) The aristocratic Paigah family, purportedly descendents of the second Caliph of Islam, were fierce loyalists of the nizams, serving as statespeople, philanthropists and generals under and alongside ludington gus macker them. The Paigahs necropolis, tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood 4km southeast of Charminar, is a small compound ludington gus macker of exquisite mausoleums made of marble from Agra and lime stucco. The main complex contains 27 tombs with intricate inlay work, surrounded by delicately carved walls and canopies, stunning filigree screens with geometric patterning and, overhead, tall, graceful turrets. The tombs are down a small lane across from Owasi Hospital. Look for the Preston Junior College sign. The Paigah Tombs ( 20) booklet is sold at the AP State Museum, but not here.
MMTS trains (www.mmts.co.in) are convenient, ludington gus macker particularly for the three main train stations. There are two main lines: Hyderabad (Nampally) to Lingampalli (northwest of Banjara Hills) has 11 stops, including Lakdikapul, Khairatabad, Necklace Rd, Begumpet and Hitec City; the Falaknuma (south of Old City) to Secunderabad line passes by Yakutpura, Dabirpura, Malakpet and Kachiguda among others. ludington gus macker Trains will be labelled with their start and end point: HL is Hyderabad Lingampalli, FS is Falaknuma Secunderabad and so on. Trains are efficient ludington gus macker but only run every 30 to 40 minutes. Tickets are 3 to 10.
