route 287 traffic The bus station has a train reservation booth (h8am-noon & 5-7pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun). For Hyderaba

In the last decade, with the rise of Hyderabad s west side our aged princess s sexy and popular granddaughter a new decadence has emerged. Cyberabad , with Bengaluru route 287 traffic (Bangalore) and Pune, is the seat of India s mighty software dynasty and generates

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, route 287 traffic 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, route 287 traffic looking across seascapes and lush countryside. They speak of a time when Andhra Pradesh route 287 traffic 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 route 287 traffic of the Buddha. (Being near these was thought to help progress on the path to enlightenment.) route 287 traffic Succeeding Ashoka, the Satavahanas and then Ikshvakus were also supportive. At their capital at Amaravathi, the Satavahanas adorned route 287 traffic Ashoka s modest stupa with elegant route 287 traffic decoration. They built monasteries across the Krishna Valley and exported the dharma through their sophisticated maritime network. It was also during the Satavahana route 287 traffic reign that Nagarjuna lived. Considered by many to be the progenitor of Mahayana Buddhism, the monk was equal parts logician, philosopher and meditator, route 287 traffic and he wrote several ground-breaking works that shaped contemporary route 287 traffic Buddhist thought. Other important route 287 traffic monk-philosophers would emerge from the area in the following centuries, making Andhradesa a sort of Buddhist motherland of the South.

Look for the 9m-long monolithic Nandi India s largest at the town s entrance. From here, you can see the temple s Naga-lingam (a phallic representation of Shiva) crowned with a seven-headed cobra. The temple is known for its unfinished Kalyana Mandapam (Marriage Hall), depicting the wedding of Parvati and Shiva, and its Natyamandapa (Dance Hall), with carvings of dancing gods. The temple s most stunning features, though, are the Natyamandapa s ceiling frescoes.

The bus station has a train reservation booth (h8am-noon & 5-7pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun). For Hyderabad, an overnight train goes daily to Kacheguda (7604; sleeper/3AC/2AC route 287 traffic 240/650/870, 10 hours). Overnight train 8564 runs to Visakhapatnam (sleeper/3AC/2AC 340/940/1300, 20 hours), stopping at Vijayawada. The daily Udyan Express (6530) heads to Mumbai (sleeper/3AC/2AC 350/950/1300, 21 hours).