Location of Bangalore: Karnataka.
Significance: Capital Of Karnataka.
Bangalore was Founded by: Kempe
Gowda.
Languages Spoken in Bangalore:
Hindi, Kannada, Telgu, Tamil,
English. |
Tourism in
Bangalore
Bangalore - The City Of Baked Beans
The capital city of Karnataka, Bangalore,
the fifth largest city in India, is the
perfect blend of natural beauty and man-made
marvels of architecture and technology.
Blessed with a salubrious climate and dotted
with beautiful parks, its tree-lined
avenues, its trendy, yuppie downtown, and
the software flood, Bangalore truly offers
one a picture of striking contrasts.
Bangalore -- located 1,000m above sea level
is one of the most 'happening' places in
India. Bangalore, which literally means the
'town of baked beans', was founded by Kempe
Gowda, a chieftain of the Vijayanagar
Empire, around the 16th century. He built
four towers in four directions to specify
its boundaries. However, Bangalore has far
exceeded these limits since.
Bangalore is fast emerging as one of the
most industrialized cities in India, keeping
pace with the latest trends and fashion.
Bangalore is renowned, not only for its own
beauty and technological advances, but also
for its easy access to the marvels of the
land around it. These intriguing sites of
Bangalore include gardens, universities,
temples and ancient ruins. The city of
Bangalore also is a gateway to Southern
India. Bangalore is well connected to other
major cities. Today it has almost become the
fastest growing city in Asia. The bazaars
and shopping malls of Bangalore offer a fine
selection of silks, sandal wood souvenirs,
handicrafts and fragrant incense sticks.
Communication is very simple in this city
where people can converse in English,
Kannada and Hindi with equal ease.
Best Time To Travel Banglore
Bangalore has a pleasant climate. The
greenery of the city is an added attraction
along with the climate. The numerous gardens
and parks, streets lined with trees are very
soothing in what would have been a jungle of
concrete. Bangalore is called the
air-conditioned city in India as the city
has dry tropical savannah type of climate
with warm summers, cold winters and very
frequent rains. But no weather goes to its
extreme.
One can visit the city any time of the year
and enjoy the salubrious climate but it is
advisable to avoid the rainy season between
July and September.
Bangalore Tourist Attractions
The Bull Temple
The 4.57m high and 6.10 m long image was
built by Kempe Gowda, in the 16th century.
The image has been carved out of a single
granite rock. The original colour of Nandi
bull was grey, which has now turned black
due to the application of coconut oil by the
devotees. The statue of the bull has been
carved out of a single rock. Non-Hindus are
not allowed in the temple. The temple is
always busy with some ceremony or other. On
weekends, there are musicians who perform at
the temple.
Vidhaan Soudha
A marvel of neo-Dravidian architecture and
one of the most imposing building not only
in Bangalore but in India, the Vidhaan
Soudha houses the state legislative assembly
of Karnataka and part of the Secretariat.
The gleaming white domes, pillars and
archways, resemble the architectural pattern
of Mysore's old palaces. The huge, carved
doors of the cabinet room are made of pure
sandalwood. The entire building, when
floodlit on Sunday evenings, presents a
truly breathtaking picture.
Tipu's Palace
The summer palace of Tipu Sultan was built
in Bangalore. The entire structure is built
of teakwood. This double-storeyed ornate
structure was constructed in 1781-1791 AD.
This palace is beautifully decorated with
floral motifs on the walls and ceilings. The
structure is replete with pillars, arches
and balconies. After the death of Tipu, this
building was used by the British as their
secretariat till 1867 AD. In busy market
place of the city, are the remnants of this
fort built by Tipu. What ever remains of the
fort reminds one of the struggle of Tipu
against the British. There is a small
Ganesha temple among the fort ruins.
Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple
The temple is a natural monolith carved cave
temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. On the 14/15
January every year, a ray of light passes
precisely through the horns of the Nandi
bull and illuminates the deity inside. This
unique phenomenon occurs every year on the 'Makar
Sankranti' day and attracts large number of
devotees. The precision of the event shows
advancement in the technical and scientific
knowledge of our ancestors.
Ulsoor Lake
The 1.5 sq. km lake is dotted with islands.
The picturesque lake is located on the
North-Eastern fringes of the city and is an
ideal place for boating and shopping. A
Ganesh festival is organised in August /
September. One of the Kempe Gowda
watch-towers stands nearby. There is also a
swimming pool nearby, which has different
timings for males and females.
Karnataka State Government Museum
One of the oldest museums of India,
established in 1866 AD, it has on display
specimens of works of antiquity and ancient
art, such as sculptures, coins and
inscriptions found in different parts of
Karnataka. The Museum has an attractive
collection of specimens of archaeological
and natural history, numismatics, ethnology,
art and industrial art. It houses some 'virakals'
(Hero-Stones) of South India.
Working hours 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. on all
days except Wednesdays and General Holidays.
Bangalore Palace
Built in the Tudor style and inspired by the
Windsor Palace, a Wodeyar king built this
palace in 1887 AD. This unique edifice
stands in the heart of the city. It is built
in a manner similar to medieval castles in
Normandy and England. Its interior boasts of
elegant wood carvings and Tudor-style
architecture
Venkatappa Art Gallery
A wing of the State Government Museum,
Venkatappa Art Gallery is an interesting
place of visit. Water colour paintings,
Plaster of Paris works and other works of
art of the famous artist Venkatappa and some
contemporary artists are on display. There
is a separate section for the wooden
sculptures of Major Cheppudira Ponnappa
Rajaram. Attached to the Art Gallery is an
exhibition hall, which is available on rent
to artists for exhibiting their works of
art.
Visweswaraya Industrial and Technological
Museum
Adjacent to the Government Museum in
Bangalore is the Vishveshwaraya Industrial
and Technological Museum, the second of its
kind in India. Managed by the Council of
Science & Industrial Research, the main
objective behind its establishment is to
inculcate in the people, a science
consciousness. This museum is a tribute to
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah, a statesman who
worked untiringly to bring science and
technology to the common man. Working Hours:
10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on all working days,
closed on all Mondays and notified holidays.
GARDEN CITY
Aptly called 'The Garden City', due to the
patronage of the Wodeyar rulers, this
well-planned city with tree-lined avenues,
parks, gardens and lakes attracts people
from all over India. Bangalore has more than
400 gardens spread across the length and
breadth of the city. In spite of all its
expansions, it retains its quintessential
old-world charm.
Cubbon Park (2 kms from MG Road)
Planned and laid out in 1864 AD, Cubbon Park
is a beautiful 300-acres park containing the
public library and the museum. The
illuminated "fairy fountain" and the elegant
Greco-colonial style buildings, add to the
beauty of this park. The imposing, red
Gothic structure within this park is
Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, which houses
the public library. Also situated here are
the High Court, the Government Museum, the
Technology Museum, the Government Aquarium
and the Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan.
Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens (4 kms from MG
Road)
These 240-acre gardens were laid out during
the Muslim era (18 century) by Hyder Ali and
Tipu Sultan, 200 years ago. They contain the
largest collection of rare tropical and
sub-tropical plants, century-old trees,
fountains, terraces, lotus pools, rose
gardens and a Deer Park. Lal Bagh has a
magnificent glass house built in 1840 AD, on
the lines of London's Crystal Palace. The
Annual flower, fruit and vegetable shows are
regularly held here. It contains one of
Kempegowda's towers and a surreal lawn clock
surrounded by Snow White and seven dwarfs.
Lal Bagh also houses the offices of the
Karnataka Horticultural Society that renders
free advice to those interested in flowers
and gardens.
Excursions From Bangalore
Ramohalli
This picnic spot is located 28 kms from
Bangalore on the Mysore road. Ramohalli is a
beautiful picnic spot with a KSTDC
restaurant. The main attraction of the place
is the 400-year-old Banyan tree, which has
its branches, spread over an area of three
acres.
Bannerghatta National Park
This lion and tiger safari park is set
amidst picturesque surroundings around 22
kms away from the city. The park is spread
over an area of 104 sq. kms. One can see the
lions, tigers and elephants in closed
enclosures. There is also a crocodile and
snake farm, which attracts many visitors.
There are regular bus services from the city
to this place.
Nrityagram
This place was established as an institution
for the classical dances. The famous Odissi
dancer Protima Bedi had founded this place
to preserve the ancient and classical dance
forms of India. It is located 30 kms from
the city centre. The dance village as it is
called, was designed by the award-winning
architect from Goa, Gerard Da Cunha. Apart
from dance, this place also teaches allied
subjects like philosophy, music, mythology,
paintings and choreography.
Mysore
The erst while capital of the Wodeyars is
140 kms from Bangalore. This city has
retained the charm it had acquired during
the reign of Wodeyars. Mysore is also known
as the 'City Of Palace'. For centuries,
Mysore has been visited for sandalwood and
silk. The Mysore Palace is often compared
with the Buckingham Palace in England. The
St. Philomena's Church and the Mysore
Dassara are added attractions of this place.
Vrindavan Gardens on the KRS Dam is one of
the most-visited gardens in India. The
musical fountains here have fascinated not
only the visitors but they have also been
widely shot for the silver screen.
Ramanagaram
This place is famous for the rock-formations
and is a great attraction for the rock
climbers. It is 49 kms from Bangalore City.
Ramanagaram is also an important silk cocoon
market.
Shivaganga
50 kms from the city centre is a hill, which
provides a breathtaking view of the nearby
areas. There are two famous shrines
dedicated to Lord Gangadeshwara and Goddess
Honnadevi.
Hassan
194 kms from Bangalore is Hassan, from where
one can go to Belur, Halebid and
Sravanabelagola. Sravanabelagola is a famous
Jain pilgrimage with a 17m high monolith of
lord Bahubali standing tall.
Bangalore NightLife
Bangalore is a city, which not only has a
large number of cinema halls but is also
famous for its nightlife. It is a city,
which has adopted to the changing fashion
trends in the world. The numerous pubs and
nightclubs can compete with any modern city
of America or Europe. The big boom may be
over but the young people of the city still
have money to squander over and the
nightlife in the city is thriving.
The modern shopping malls at Bangalore, full
of brightly lit shops and showrooms not
necessarily invite prospective buyers but
are treat for the window shoppers too. A
thriving modern business centre, whose
gracious garrison town features are being
remodelled in the image of India's mall
loving middle class. It has been scathingly
described as a city in search of a soul.
A night on the town normally kicks off with
a bar crawl along Brigade Road, Residency
Road and Church Street where scores of swish
pubs compete with MTV, lasers and thumping
sound systems.
Drinking alcohol here does not have the
shabby connotations as is the case elsewhere
in India. There is a ban on alcohol sale
however, between 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm imposed
in 1993 by the then Chief Minister Veerappa
Moily to keep off the school children from
skipping schools to booze.
The Festivals of Bangalore And The Merry
Making
Bangalore is a living city, which celebrates
all the festivals and various fairs with
great pomp and show, be it a flower show, a
temple festival or a bull race.
Karaga :
In the months of March and April every year
falls the 'Shakthi Worship'. The 'Karaga'
procession starts from the Dharmaraja temple
of Nagarthpet at 2 o'clock in the morning.
After covering a distance of 20 to 25
kilometres, the procession returns to the
temple at 6 am.
Ulsoor Someswara Festival:
The Ulsoor Someswara Car Festival falls in
March/April every year.
The Festival of Sriramanavami:
Harikathas, Bhajans and Music performances
are arranged in different parts of Bangalore
during March/April for the Sriramanavami
Festival.
Lal Bagh Show :
The Mysore Horticultural Society conducts
the Lal Bagh show in January and August and
awards prizes for the best exhibits of
vegetables, fruits and flowers in the show.
Festival of Sri Ganesha:
During August, in various parts of Bangalore
is celebrated the Sri Ganesha Festival.
The Bangalore Race:
The summer season race commences in the
middle of May and ends in July. The winter
season race starts in November and goes on
upto March next year. Of Course, betting is
conducted on races run in other places
The Silver Car Festival for Sri
Subramanyaswami (Visweshwarapuram):
This festival which falls in
November/December attracts a large number of
devotees.
Groundnut Fair:
This fair is held near Basava Temple in
Basavangudi in September/October.
St. Mary's Feast:
At St. Mary's Basilica near Russell Market
Shivaji Nagar is celebrated the Parish Feast
on the 8th of September.
Christmas:
Bangalore adorns itself in its best attire
to show its joy at the birth of Christ.
Ayyappa Bhajans:
In the last week of December and the first
week of January, the Ayyappa Bhajans are
heard in different parts of the Bangalore
sung by the pilgrims to Sabarimala.
The Festival Of Sankranti, Dassara And
Diwali:
Diwali in October/November, Dassara in
September/October and Sankranti in January
are celebrated with all the gaiety by
Bangalorians.
Kannada Rajyotsava:
On the 1st of November, falls the Kannada
Rajyotsava. It is celebrated with great
jubilation.
Ramzan and Bakrid:
Prayers and Greetings are a characteristic
feature of Ramzan and Bakrid.
Shopping at Bangalore
Bangalore, compared to many other Indian
cities is economical for buying silk
fabrics, handloom fabrics, garments, woolen
carpets, sandalwood articles, rare antiques,
gold and silver jewellery, perfumes and
incense sticks. Bangalore is famous for the
shopping malls, which have some of the
finest and biggest showrooms in India. This
electronic capital of India has been
attracting people for Sandal wood, Silk and
hand woven materials.
The Karnataka Handloom Development
Corporation's 'Priyadarshini' Handloom House
is located at various places. Bangalore is a
good place to buy specialities from all over
the state. Here one can find the fine Mysore
silk and Sandalwood items. The inlay work
from Karnataka in Brass and Rosewood are any
collector's hunt. Ivory artifacts and the
Lambani Jewellery make good decorative as
well as gift items. Some of the popular
shopping haunts in Bangalore are:
Bigade Road - Bangalore
This is a popular hangout for young people,
because there is a lot of entertainment
available, as well as there are a lot of
shopping options. You'll get just about
everything here. There is Rex (the best
movie theatre in town), Cyber Cafes
(offering coffee and the Internet access), a
bowling alley, a discothèque, a video game
parlour and quite a few eating places.
Commercial Street - Bangalore
This is strictly a shopping area with no
entertainment outlets. Here, you can buy
clothes, dress materials, jewellery and
food.
Mahatma Gandhi Road (M.G. Road)
M.G. Road is a very popular commercial area.
There are a large number of sari stores,
like 'Deepam Silks' and 'Prasiddhi'.
There are two movie theatres namely Plaza
and Symphony. 'Gangaram', a well-established
bookstore and 'Higgin Botham' are very
popular stops.
For radios, TV sets books and magazines,
photograph material, silk sarees, textiles,
garments and general goods. Shrungar
Shopping Complex, Barton Court Commercial
Complex, Public Utility Building Shopping
Complex, Spencer Super Market, Coir Board
Show Room, Natesan's Antiquarts Show Room
for gift articles, artifacts and antics.
Residency Road (Now renamed Field Marshal
C.M. Cariappa Road)
'Gangotri', Uttar Pradesh Government
Handicrafts' show room, offering brassware,
wooden furniture, jewellery, etc.; 'Mriganayani',
M.P. Government Emporium; 'Utkalika', Orissa
Government Handicrafts Emporium and 'Gurjari',
Gujarat State Handicrafts Emporium, near New
Opera can be visited.
For silk sarees, garments, children ware,
textiles, Alankar Pearl Plaza Shopping
Complex, Prabhat Shopping Complex, Janata
Bazaar, Gupta Market, Sapna Book House, the
largest show room of books at Thunga Complex
(Opposite Tribhuvan Theatre) are all located
in this area.
INFORMATIONS ON BANGALORE
HOW TO GET THERE
By Air
Bangalore has its own airport with almost
all the major domestic airlines catering
services to the city. The airport is 6 kms
from city centre. Few selected international
carriers also operate their flights to the
city.
By Rail
Bangalore has two railway stations, the
Banglore City and Banglore Cantt. The major
trains from and to Banglore terminate &
start from the city station. Banglore is
well connected to all the major towns of
India.
By Road
Being the capital city of Karnataka,
Bangalore has very good motorable roads to
various parts of the state. Some of the bus
services are also serving the adjoining
states.
FACT SHEET
Area: About 5.4 Million
Population: 386 Sq. Kms
Altitude: 3000 Feet Above Sea Level.
Climate: Salubrious & Warm.
Warmest Months: March To May.
Average Temperature: 13°C To 26°C.
Coolest Months: December To January
Rainfall: 859 mm annually.
Languages: Kannada. English, Hindi, Telugu
And Tamil Are Also Widely Spoken.
NEARBY CITIES
Mysore (139 km)
Hassan (187 km)
Tirupati (247 km)
Chennai (331 km)
|
French
Español
Italiano
Deutsch
Português
India
Travel Guide / States / Karnataka / Cities / Bangalore Travel
