blank states map Just west of the bridge is the spectacular Osmania General Hospital (Map p900), on the north side, a

Only a couple of buildings remain from this 15th-century fort (Indian/foreigner 10/100; h8am-5pm), 14km west of Tirupathi. Both the Rani Mahal and the Raja Mahal, which houses a small museum (h10am-5pm Sat-Thu), were constructed under Vijayanagar rule and resemble structures in Hampi s Royal Centre. There s a nightly sound-and-light blank states map show (admission 35; h8pm Mar-Oct, 7.30pm Nov-Feb), narrated by Bollywood great Amitabh Bachchan. Buses for Chandragiri ( 10) leave Tirupathi bus station every half-hour. An autorickshaw is 200 return.

Mughal empire. blank states map In the 18th century the post-Mughal rulers in Hyderabad, known as nizams, retained relative control as the British and French vied for trade, though their power gradually weakened. The region became part of independent India in 1947, and in 1956 the state of Andhra Pradesh, an amalgamation of Telugu-speaking areas plus the predominantly Urdu-speaking capital, was created. blank states map

Just west of the bridge is the spectacular Osmania General Hospital (Map p900), on the north side, and, on the south, the High Court (Map p900) and Government City College (Map p900), all built under the seventh nizam in the Indo-Saracenic style.