champlain ferries Masala INDIAN $$ (Signature Towers, 1st fl, Asilmetta; mains 60-180; h11.30am-3.30pm & 7-11pm) Near

To get here, take a Puttaparthi-Bengaluru bus and alight at Kodakonda Checkpost ( 40). From there, take a Hindupur-bound bus ( 14) or an autorickshaw ( 250 return) to Lepakshi. A private car from Puttaparthi is 1000. You can also go from Hindupur, champlain ferries a main stop on the Puttaparthi-Bengaluru train line, which has a few hotels. It s 11km from the temple.

Masala INDIAN $$ (Signature Towers, 1st fl, Asilmetta; mains 60-180; h11.30am-3.30pm & 7-11pm) Near Sampath Vinayaka Temple, Masala does out-of-this-world Andhra, tandoori and Chinese. Try the chepa pulusu (Andhrastyle fish; 130).

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 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 champlain ferries teachers. Andhradesa s Buddhist culture, champlain ferries in which sangha champlain ferries (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. champlain ferries But the dharma really took off in the 3rd century BC under Ashoka, champlain ferries who dispatched monks across his empire to teach and construct stupas enshrined with relics of the Buddha. (Being near these was thought champlain ferries 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 reign that Nagarjuna lived. Considered by many to be the progenitor champlain ferries of Mahayana champlain ferries Buddhism, the monk was equal parts logician, philosopher and meditator, and he wrote several ground-breaking works that shaped contemporary Buddhist thought. Other important monk-philosophers would emerge champlain ferries 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 circular strongholds surrounded by a moat. Four paths with decorative champlain ferries gateways, set according to the cardinal points, led to the Swayambhava, champlain ferries a huge Shiva temple. The gateways champlain ferries 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 Kush Mahal, a 16th century royal hall with artefacts on display.

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 he performed miracles. Coming for the program of darshan (here that meant seeing Baba though since poor health in 2005 his appearances were increasingly sporadic), they packed the ashram twice-daily champlain ferries 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.