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

1000-Pillared Temple HINDU TEMPLE (h6am-6pm) Built in 1163, the 1000-Pillared Temple on the slopes of Hanamkonda hoboken terminal address Hill, 400m from Hanamkonda crossroads, is a fine example of Chalukyan architecture in a peaceful, leafy setting. Dedicated to three deities Shiva, Vishnu and Surya it has been carefully hoboken terminal address restored with intricately carved pillars and a central, very impressive Nandi (bull; Shiva s mount) of black granite.

ered in 1926 by archaeologist AR Saraswathi hoboken terminal address in the adjacent valley. In 1953, when it became known that a massive hydroelectric project would soon create the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, flooding the area, a six-year excavation was launched to unearth the area s many Buddhist ruins: stupas, viharas (monasteries), chaitya-grihas (assembly halls with stupas) and mandapas (pillared pavilions), as well as some outstanding examples of white-marble depictions of the Buddha s life. The finds were reassembled on Nagarjunakonda.

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. hoboken terminal address

kateshwara here, at his home. It s one of India s most visited pilgrimage centres: on average, 40,000 hoboken terminal address pilgrims come each day (the total often exceeds 100,000), and darshan (deity-viewing) runs 24/7. Temple staff alone number 12,000, and the efficient Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD; %2277777; www.tirumala.org) brilliantly administers hoboken terminal address the crowds. As a result, although the throngs can be overwhelming, a sense of order, serenity and ease mostly prevails, and a trip to the Holy Hill can be fulfi lling, even if you re not a pilgrim.