i 75 florida exits So come, but only if you re prepared to dig for the jewels to be found here. Keep your eyes open and

Bheemunipatnam, 25km north of Vizag, a former Dutch settlement and the oldest municipality i 75 florida exits in mainland India, is worth a visit. Here you ll find more bizarre sculptures, a lighthouse dating from 1861, an interesting Dutch cemetery and Bheemli Beach, where local grommets surf on crude homemade boards. To get here catch bus 999 ( 19), or otherwise a shared i 75 florida exits autorickshaw

So come, but only if you re prepared to dig for the jewels to be found here. Keep your eyes open and your curiosity i 75 florida exits sharp and you re bound to find something that even Andhrans, in their modesty, hadn t thought to mention.

Once the Andhran i 75 florida exits capital and a significant i 75 florida exits Buddhist centre, Amaravathi is India s biggest stupa (Indian/foreigner 5/100; h8am6pm), measuring 27m high and constructed i 75 florida exits in the 3rd century BC, when Emperor Ashoka sent monks south to spread the Buddha s teaching. Located 60km west of Vijayawada, all that remains are a mound and some stones, but the nearby museum (admission 5; h8am-5pm) has a small replica of the stupa, with its intricately carved pillars, marble- surfaced dome and carvings of scenes from the Buddha s life (no photography allowed in the museum). In the courtyard is a reconstruction of part of the surrounding gateway, which gives you an idea of the stupa s massive i 75 florida exits scale. It s worth the trip, but many of Amaravathi s best sculptures are in London s British Museum and Chennai s Government Museum in Tamil Nadu.

considered amalgamation with Pakistan and then opted for sovereignty. Tensions between Muslims and Hindus increased, however, and military intervention saw Hyderabad join the Indian union in 1948. Sights Charminar MONUMENT (Four Towers; Map p900; Indian/foreigner 5/100; h9am-5.30pm) Hyderabad s principal landmark was built by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate the founding of Hyderabad and the end of epidemics caused by Golconda s water shortage. The dramatic four-column, 56m high and 30m wide structure has four arches facing the cardinal points. Minarets sit atop each column. The 2nd floor, home to Hyderabad s oldest mosque, and upper columns are not usually open to the public, but you can try your luck with the man with the key. The structure is illuminated from 7pm to 9pm.