i290 902 ANDHRA PRADESH chicken or pineapple mutton, let us know how it goes). Packed with Old City famil

Warangal is a major rail junction. Trains go regularly to Hyderabad (2nd class/chair 67/229, three hours), Vijayawada (2nd class/ chair 79/278, four hours) i290 and Chennai (sleeper/3AC/2AC 277/723/979, 11 hours). Many trains go to Delhi daily.

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, turning up rare relics of the Buddha (usually pearl-like pieces i290 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, looking across seascapes and lush countryside. They speak of a time when Andhra Pradesh 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 i290 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 of the Buddha. (Being near these was thought to help progress on the path to enlightenment.) i290 Succeeding Ashoka, the Satavahanas and then Ikshvakus were also supportive. i290 At their capital at Amaravathi, the Satavahanas adorned Ashoka s modest stupa with elegant decoration. They built monasteries across the Krishna i290 Valley and exported the dharma through their sophisticated maritime network. It was also during the Satavahana reign that Nagarjuna lived. i290 Considered by many to be the progenitor of Mahayana Buddhism, the monk was equal parts logician, philosopher and meditator, and he wrote several ground-breaking works that shaped contemporary Buddhist i290 thought. Other important monk-philosophers would emerge from the area in the following centuries, making Andhradesa a sort of Buddhist motherland of the South.

902 ANDHRA PRADESH chicken or pineapple mutton, let us know how it goes). Packed with Old City families and good vibes. Kamat Hotel INDIAN $ (Map p 896 ; SD Rd, Secunderabad; mains 45-75; h7am-10pm) How much do we love Kamat Hotel? Words can t say. Each Kamat is slightly diff erent, but they re all cheap and good. There are two branches on SD Rd; the others are in Saifabad and on Nampally Station Rd (Map p 898 ). Meals (from 36) are reliably delish. Kamat Andhra Meals INDIAN $ (Map p 898 ; Troop Bazaar; meals from 45; hnoon- 4pm & 7-11pm) i290 Excellent authentic Andhra meals on banana leaves, topped up till you almost faint with pleasure, and fi nished off with a banana. Its sister restaurants in the same compound Kamat Jowar Bhakri (Maharashtran), Kamat Restaurant with air-con (North and South Indian) and Kamat Coffee i290 Shop are likewise i290 friendly family joints full of happy diners. i290 No relation to Kamat Hotel. Also recommended: Paradise Persis Restaurant INDIAN $$ (Map p 896 ; cnr SD & MG Rds, Secunderabad; mains 125-245; h11.30am-11pm) Ask any Hyderabadi about biryani, and they ll mention Paradise. Mozamjahi Market MARKET $ (Map p 900 ; cnr Mukarramjahi & Jawaharlal Nehru Rds; h6am-6pm) A great place to buy fruit and vegies (or ice cream), while enjoying the alluring architecture of the stone building, commissioned by the seventh nizam and named after his son. Sagar Papaji Ka Dhaba INDIAN $ (Map p 898 ; Hanuman Tekdi Rd; mains 45-110; hnoon-4pm & 7-11pm) Always i290 busy, Papaji s has profoundly delicious veg and non-veg biryanis, curries and tikkas. Watch the : : : : : : : : 6 6 1