west side highway exits The monasteries flourished during the Theravada period (Bavikonda, from the 3rd century BC to the 3r

# # # # # # # # # f SR NAGAR AMEERPET BANJARA HILLS SOMAJIGUDA MASAB TANK SAIFABAD Hussain Sagar Banjara Lake KBR Park Jalagam Vengala Rao Park Chacha Nehru Park Ameerpet Rd Rd No 3 Panjagutta Rd Lakdi-ka-pul Rd Mahavir Marg RdNo 1 Rd No 2 Greenlands Rd Rd No 14 YellareddygudaRd RdNo 5 Rd No 13 Rd No 7 Rd No 10 AmeerpetRd Rd No 12 Balkampet west side highway exits Rd YousufgudaMain Rd Srinagar Colony Rd Necklace west side highway exits Rd Necklace Rd Train Station Khairatabad Train Station Begumpet Train Station Lakdikapul Train Station 20 19 18 12 14 5 10 6 9 8 15 17 2 13 11 1 16 7 3 4 Care Hospital 4

Nand International HOTEL $ (%24657511; www.nandhotels.com; Kacheguda Station Rd; s/d/tr from 535/635/735; a) The Nand is a pleasant surprise near Kacheguda Station. It has a roof garden with potted geraniums (and chai on order), sitting areas, water coolers, and well-looked-after peach-coloured rooms hung with weird mixed-media art.

The monasteries flourished during the Theravada period (Bavikonda, from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD, and Thotlakonda, from the 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD) and had votive stupas, congregation halls, chaitya-grihas, viharas and refectories. Today only the ruins of these massive monastic compounds remain, but they re impressive nonetheless, with a placid, almost magical, air and sea views to meditate on. Bavikonda and Thotlakonda are 14km and 16km, respectively, from Vizag on Bheemli Beach Rd. Vizag s autorickshaw drivers charge around 400 return to see both.