interstate 57 Nowhere suits the term fit for royalty better than at the Falaknuma Palace, the former residence of

Nowhere suits the term fit for royalty better than at the Falaknuma Palace, the former residence of the sixth nizam. Taking over a decade to restore, the Taj Group s latest luxury hotel has most certainly been worth the wait. The cheapest rooms have Italian marble interstate 57 floors, colonial furniture and great city views, while the Presidential Suite (an astounding 500,000 per night) was

About 75km from Puttaparthi is Lepakshi, site of the Veerbhadra Temple (admission free). The town gets its name from the Ramayana: when demon Ravana kidnapped Rama s wife, Sita, the bird Jatayu fought him and fell, injured, at the temple site. Rama then called him to get up; Lepakshi derives from the Sanskrit for Get up, bird.

Indian Airlines (%2283992; Tirumala Bypass Rd; h9.30am-5.30pm), 2km from town, has daily flights to Delhi via Hyderabad. Kingfisher Red (%9849677008) plies the same route, including Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam. Book with Mitta Travels (%2225981; Prakasam Rd; h9am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-12.30pm interstate 57 Sun), next to Manasa Fast Foods, 2km from the train station.