Monday, August 27, 2012

united states map blank 910 STATE OF GOOD KARMA In its typically understated way, Andhra Pradesh doesn t make much of its va





1 Sights & Activities united states map blank Beaches BEACH The long beaches united states map blank of Waltair overlook the Bay of Bengal, with its mammoth ships and brightly painted fishing boats. Its coastal Beach Rd, lined with parks and weird sculptures, is great for long walks.

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 of bone) with offerings united states map blank 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 united states map blank 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 evidence for it, but some even say that the Buddha himself visited united states map blank 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.) united states map blank Succeeding Ashoka, the Satavahanas and then Ikshvakus were also supportive. At their capital at Amaravathi, the Satavahanas adorned Ashoka s modest stupa with elegant united states map blank decoration. They built monasteries across the Krishna Valley united states map blank and exported the dharma united states map blank through their sophisticated maritime network. It was also during the Satavahana reign that Nagarjuna lived. Considered by many to be the progenitor of Mahayana Buddhism, united states map blank the monk was equal parts logician, philosopher and meditator, and he wrote several ground-breaking works that shaped contemporary Buddhist thought. united states map blank Other important monk-philosophers would emerge from the area in the following centuries, making Andhradesa a sort of Buddhist motherland of the South.

Vizag s train station is on the western edge of town, near the port. Visakhapatnam Junction station is on the Kolkata-Chennai line. The overnight Coromandel Express (sleeper/3AC/2AC 333/881/1199, 13 hours) is the fastest of the five daily trains running to Kolkata. Heading south, it goes to Chennai (sleeper/3AC/2AC 310/817/1112, 14 hours). Frequent trains head to Vijayawada including united states map blank 2717, the Ratnachalam Express (2nd-class/chair 108/477).

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

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