Bangalore, known as the garden city of India, is the capital of Karnataka. The city spreads over an area of 2190Sq. Kms, is the main administrative, cultural, commercial and industrial centre of Karnataka. Today the city is Asia's fastest growing cosmopolitancity. Situated at an altitude of about 1,000 metres above sea level, the city enjoys pleasant climate through out the year. The climate of the city has been a major attraction to people from other parts of the country. The parks, gardens and other scenic spots add more charm to the city. Bangalore has evolved into a manufacturing hub for heavy industries like Aerospace,Electronics, Computers and Defence industries. It is home to more than 250high-tech companies that include famous Wipro and Infosys. Bangalore is now called as the 'Silicon Valley of India' and accounts for 35 per cent of India's software exports. Bangalore is also home to the popular Kannada film Industry.
People :
The city boasts of a rich cultural heritage and tradition and has several schools of classical music and dance (Western and Indian). The people of the city lead a life far away from demographic and religious lines. Deepawaliand Dussehra are the major festivals of the Hindus. Other festivals of the city are Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Sankranthi, Eid- Ul- Fitr and Christmansetc.
Food :
The cuisine of the city include a vast array of South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Western cuisines. Udupi restaurants are very famous andserve vegetarian, regional cuisine. Bangalore houses several clubs and bars,and the city is sometimes referred as the Pub Capital of India.
Attractions in and around Bangalore : :
» Bangalore Palace and Fort - The Bangalore Fortbuilt by Kempe Gowda was further expanded by Tippu Sultan. Built by Wodeyarking in 1887 the Bangalore Palace spreads over an area of 400 acres.The palace built in the Tudor style comprises of gothic windows, foiled windows,battlements and turrets. This summer palace constructed mostly of wood is famous for its beautiful carving and paintings. The major attraction of the palace is a gallery of around thousand historical photos of viceroys,maharajas and other famous personalities. The palace opens from 10.00 am to6 pm daily except Sundays and public holidays. The entry fees is Rs. 50 forChildren and Rs. 100 for Adult.
» Lal Bagh -
The famous garden laid out by Hyder Ali covers an area of 2,400 acres. It housesover 1,000 species of flora including rare collection of tropical plants,tress and herbs. The major attraction in the garden is the Glass House,where the Bi-annual flower shows are held.
» Government Museum - Built in 1886, the Government Museum is one of the oldest buildings in India. The museum has the collection of antiquities from Mohanjodaro period. The K. Venkatappa ArtGallery stands near the Museum, which houses the works of the great artist K.Venkatappa.
» ISKCON - The temple is located on Chora Road andit a must visit temple in Bangalore. The temple sponsors the famous Akshya Patra program.
» Bull Temple - The temple measuring 15 feet talland over 20 feet long was built by Kempe Gowda. The temple has the massive stone idol of the sacred bull, Nandi.
» Gangadhareshware Temple - The temple is famous for its four monolithic pillars and a rare staute of Agni, the God of fire.It was built by Kempe Gowda.
» Dargah Hazarath Tawakkal Mastan - Located atCottonpet, the Dargah of Sufi saint attracts both Muslim and non- Muslims.This tomb is associated with the Hindu Karaga festival too, during which the procession annually visits the Dargah.
» St. Mary's Church - The church was founded by a French missionary Abbe Dubois in 1811. It is the only church in Karnataka tobe elevated to the status of a minor Basilica.
» Gandhi Bhavan - The Bhavan houses a picturegallery and other exhibits of Mahatma Gandhi's life. The Bhavan opens daily10.30 am to 5.00 pm except Sundays.
» Ulsoor lake - The beautiful lake having many tree-shaded islands, is an ideal picnic spot. One can enjoy boating or swimming in the nearby swimming pool here.
» Vidhana Soudha - The magnificent Neo-Dravidian building is the home of the State Legislature and the Secretariat. Them assive sandalwood door of the Cabinet room is the unique feature of this building. It opens for visitors after 3 pm.
Excursions :
» Bannerghatta National Park - The park is located at a distance of 22 Kms from the city centre. Situated amidst the beautiful surroundings the park in major attraction for natural history lovers. The park has the collection of a wide variety of fauna including the crocodiles,lion's safari, picnic corner, serpentarium and pets corner etc.
» Tipu's Palace - The palace built in 1791 was one of the favorite summer retreats of Tipu Sultan. The two-storeyed beautiful wooden palace has nicely carved pillars, arches and balconies.
» Ramanagaram -
Ramanagram, 49 Kms southwest of Bangalore is a favorite destination forrock-climbers and adventure seekers. The silk cocoon marketing centre is another attraction of Ramanagaram.
» Nandi Hills - Nandi Hills is located 60 Kms north of Bangalore. One of favourite summer retreats of Tipu Sultan, Nandi hillsoffers breath taking getaway of the tourist. Tipu's Drop, a 600m high rock provides panoramic view of the beautiful surroundings.
Accessibility : Bangalore is easily accessible by Rail, Road and Rail link.
» By Air - The Airport in Bangalore is connected to the airports of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune , Ahmedabad,Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Goa and Mangalore etc. The international flights are also available for Singapore, Dubai, London, Oman, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia etc.
» By Rail - Bangalore rail head is connected toAhmedabad, Cochin, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad,Mangalore, Chennai, Mysore and Nagpur.
» By Road - The National highways and several other roads connetcs Bangalore with Mysore (140 Kms), Bandipur (220 Kms), Chennai(334 Kms), Mumbai (998 Kms), Cochin (526 Kms), Dandeli (481 Kms), Halebid(214 Kms), Jog Falls (377 Kms), Kodaikanal (430 Kms), Panaji (595 Kms) and Tirupati (250 Kms). The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)operates within the city,
Accommodation :
There are several hotels in Bangalore that provide the accommodation options ranging from the luxurious deluxe hotels to the budget hotels. Thehotels well-equipped with modern amenities offer many facilities including the recreation facilities.
Best time to visit :
Bangalore situated at about 1000 meters above sea level, is known for pleasant climate and the temperatures remain moderate through out the year.The maximum temperature in July is around 320C and the minimum around 220C.One can visit the city through out the year.
