Tirupati
The Chandragiri Fort, 11 kilometres from Tirupati, was the last stronghold of the Vijayanagara Empire and the palace from which the rulers granted land to the British East India Company for the construction of Madras (Chennai). The 11th-century fort complex has a museum, a sound and light show at night, and a beautifully preserved Raja Mahal and Rani Mahal whose interiors are among the finest examples of late Vijayanagara architecture.
The evening sound and light show at 6:30 PM is worth staying for — it narrates the history of the Vijayanagara dynasty dramatically across the fort's illuminated ramparts.