Chowmohalla Palace
This Place intriguing 18th-century array of dwellings in the heart of the old city, now, unfortunately, under renovation and closed to the public.

Purani Haveli
Near Chatta Bazaar, was built as a royal residence in the 19th century: it is now a well-stocked museum.

Hyderabad Public School
Begumpet, was established as a school for nobility in the early 20th century.

Paigah Tombs
The Paigah Tombs at Santoshnagar house the mortal remains of the Paigahs, Hyderabad's most significant oblemen: among other things, they were allowed to keep their own private armies.

Badhahi Ashurkhana
The Badhahi Ashurkhana is a 16th century imambara in Afzalganj in the Old city.

Musheerabad Masjid
One of the biggest and most elaborate mosques of Hyderabad.

Hayatnagar Masjid
Built by Hayat Bakshi Begaum, once housed a centre of Urdu learning.

Warangal

West Godavari district 140 km (87 miles) Southwest of Hyderadad. A major dhurrie - weaving centre today, Warangal was dascribed by the 13th-century Venetian traveller, Macro Polo, as one of the principal cities of South India. It was the capital of the Hindu Kakatiya kings, who dominated this region until the beginning of the 14th century.

An ancient fort at the edge of the modern town is all that remains of this once grand city. Built during the regin of the Kakatiya queen Rudrama devi, its striking circular plan, with three concentric rings of walls, is still intact. The outer two rings, both of mud, define a circle 1.2 km (1 miles) in diameter. The innermost ring is made of stone, with four massive gateways at the cardinal points. At its geometric centre, four ornate toranas (gateways), making the sacred precinct, are the only remains of a great Shiva temple that once stood here. The toranas themselves are remarkable for their size and beauty.

A short distance to the west is the Khush Mahal, an auidience hall that was built by Muslim invaders in the 14th century. Massive angled walls with silt windows define a lofty interior with vaulted arches, though the roof is quite damaged. It is remarlably similar to the Hindola Mahal in Mandu.

Palampet

It is situated at 70 km (44 miles) Southwest of Hyderabad. This village is dominated by the Ramappa Temple, the best preserved example of Kakatiya architecture. Dedicated to Shiva, it was built in 1234 by Recherla Rudra, a generals place here.

Peddapuram, famous for its fine handwoven silk and cotton, is 30 km (19 miles) northeast of Rajahmundry, on the road to Visakhapatnam.
of the ruler Ganapatideva. Like the temple at Hanamkonda, it too has a spacious mandapa with beautifully sculpted black basalt columns. This mandapa, cruciform in with balcony seats on three sides. The eaves sheltering the peripheral columns are supported by angled struts, many of which are fashioned as three - dimensional maidens with graceful bodies in dancing poses. Other similar but smaller relief figures, as well as scenes from the epics, are seen in the central ceiling panel within the mandapa.

The exterior of the sanctuary, in contrast, is devoid of any carvings. The restrained ornamentation and simple modelling are typical of the elegance of Kakatiya art. A stone pavilion sheltering a Nandi, smaller in size than the one at Hanamkonda, but as exquistely carved, South of the Ramappa Temple is Ramappa Cheruvu, a vast artificial lake created by Recherla Rudra, and surrounded by picturesque hills.

East Godavari District

It is situated at 380 km (236 miles) East from Hyderabad to Rajahmundry. The Godavari, one of the South Indian's most sacred rivers, swells to a wide torrent (at places 6 km/4 miles across), just north of Rajahmundry town. Lush paddy fields and sugarcane plantations characterize the countryside.

Rajahmundry, the largest town in East Godavari district, is best known for the many Chalukya temples in its vicinity, and for the 2,743-m (8,999 ft) long bridge that spans the river. The lookout points on Dowleshvaram Dam (bult 1848-52), 10 km (6 miles) downstrem, offer spectacular views of the river. Every 12 years, the Dakshina Pushkaram festival - the Kumbh Mela of the South - take
Annavaram, 70 km (44 Rajahmundry, is the site of Satyanarayana Temple, on Ratnagiri Hill, renowned for its 4-m (13 ft) high statue of the Hindu Trinity, and its ancient sundial.

The Godavari Gorge begins 80 km (50 miles) north of Rajahmundry. A drive or boat ride along the gorge, which cuts through the hilly Eastern Ghats, offers views of spectacular scenery, with a series of beautiful lakes that many visitors have found remini cent of Italy and Scotland.

Ryali, 24 km (15 miles) south of Rajahmundry, has a Chalukya temple dedicated to Vishnu. It houses a stone image of the Goddess Ganga, from which flows a continous trickle of water.

Draksharamam, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Rajahmundry, is famed for its 10th-century Bhimesvara Temple, which combines the Chalukya and Chola styles of architecture, and houses a 5-m (16-ft) high linga. The Godavari is said to have been split into seven streams by the Saptarishis (seven great sages) of Hindu mythology and three of these streams are believed to have gone underground here. Close to the town is an old Dutch cemetery, locally known as Ollandu Dibba ("Holland Mound"), with gravestones dated between 1675 and 1728, some with very elaborate designs.

Antarvedi, on the banks of the Vashishta river, a branch of the Godavari, is 112 km (70 miles) south of Rajahmundry. It is best reached by boat from Narsapur on the south bank. The Lakshminarayana Temple (built in 1823), with its brightly painted tower stands on the river bank, and is usually thronged with pilgrims who come for a dip in the holy river.

Machilipatnam

This is situated Krishna district 340 km (211 miles) East of Hyderabad. One of the first European settlements on India's eastern coast, Machilipatnam ("City of Fish") was a thriving port and textile centre in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was also the headquaters of the English East India company on the Coromandel Coast. The French and the Dutch briefly established themselves here as well. The Dutch cemetery, with its ornate tombstones, are all that remain from that period .

Manchilpatnam was hit by a gaint tidal wave in 1864, which drowned more than 30,000 people. It was caused by a volcanic eruption at Mount Krakatoa, 5,000 km (3,107 miles) away. After that it lost its importance as a port, but it remains famous for its kalamkari textiles.

Vijayawada

Krishna district 267 km (166 miles) Southeast of Hyderabad. The third largest city in the state, Vijayawada is a busy commercial town with one of the largest railway junctions in the country. In a picturesque spot on the northern bank of the Krishna river, it is bounded on three sides by the Indrakiladri Hills. The area around the river banks is a pleasant contrast to the noisty, crowded town.

Within the city limits, on a low hill to the east, is the Kanakadurga Temple, dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi. The Victoria Jubilee Museum, on Bunder Road, houses a fine collection of Buddhist and Hindu relics from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Especially impressive are the white limestone Standing Buddha from the nearby Buddhist site of Alluru (3rd or 4th century), and the powerful depiction of Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahisa (2nd century).

On the outskirts of town is the 1-km (0.6-mile) long Prakasam Barrage, first built in 1855 and extensively reconstructed in 1955. It irrigates nearly 1.2 million ha (3 million acres) of land, turning the Krishna Delta into the richest granary in Andhra Pradesh. Bhavani Island, a scenic picnic spot, is just upstream, reached by launch from the river bank.

Pochampalli

Nalgonda district 50 km (32 miles) East of Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh's ikat belt, where intricate tie-and-dye textiles are woven, borders Hyderabad. Pochampalli, the name by which most of the state's ikat fabric is known, is the largest centre for this craft. The technique in its present form was first introduced in the 19th century in Chirala, in Guntur district, from where the fabric was exported to Africa.

Pochampalli's main street is lined with busy workshops where the various stages of production take place. Ikat weavers first tie the yarn according to the pattern and then dye them in great vats. A special oil-based technique is used to restrict the dye to those parts of the yarn that need to be coloured. The dyed yarn is then dried in the sun and finally woven on large hand-operated looms, to produce a cloth called telia rumal. The state cooperative warehouses, as well as several shops, sell a wide range of beautiful silk saris and fabrics.