blank map of states AP State Museum MUSEUM (Map p898; Public Gardens Rd, Nampally; admission 10, camera/video 100/500; h

Legends about the hill itself and the surrounding area appear in the Puranas, and the temple s history may date back 2000 years. The main temple is an atmospheric place, though you ll be pressed blank map of states between hundreds of devotees when you see it. The inner sanctum itself is dark and magical; it smells of incense, resonates with chanting and may make you religious. There, Venkateshwara sits gloriously on his throne, inspiring bliss and love among his visitors. You ll have a moment to make a wish and then you ll be shoved out again. Don t forget to collect your delicious ladoo (sweet made of fl our, sugar, raisins and nuts) from the counter.

kateshwara here, at his home. It s one of India s most visited pilgrimage centres: on average, 40,000 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; blank map of states www.tirumala.org) brilliantly administers the crowds. As a result, although blank map of states 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.

AP State Museum MUSEUM (Map p898; Public Gardens Rd, Nampally; admission 10, camera/video 100/500; h10.30am5pm Sat-Thu) The continually renovated State Museum hosts a rather dusty collection of important archaeological finds from the area, as well as a Buddhist sculpture gallery, with some relics of the Buddha and an exhibit on Andhra s Buddhist history. There are also Jain and bronze sculpture galleries, a decorative-arts gallery and a 4500-year-old Egyptian mummy. The museum, like the gorgeous Legislative Assembly building (Map p 898 ) down the road (both commissioned by the seventh nizam), is floodlit at night.

MAIN POINTS OF ENTRY Hyderabad s new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is the main arrival point. The main train stations are Nampally and Secunderabad in Hyderabad; Imlibun is the interstate bus station. Visakhaptnam has monthly ferries leaving to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. Fast Facts