BANGALORE

HISTORY

In the year 1120 AD, the Chola King, Veera Ballalla ruled the Deccan plateau or the South of India. On a hunting trip in the forest he lost his way. After a long search he met an old lady in the forest who offered him shelter for the night and served him baked beans for dinner. To show his gratitude to this lady for having saved his life, the King constructed a town and named it as Benda Kalooru which means Baked Beans. Later in 1537, a local chieftain, Kempe Gowda helped design this town and give it its modern shape. From Benda Kalooru it later on came to be called as Bengaluru. It was during the British rule that Bengaluru became Bangalore due to accent of the English people & their inability to pronounce the word. Bangalore is the great visionary, the respected Kempegowda's dream city. It was he who designed and built Bangalore.  Another great visionary was Kengal Hanumanthaiya who has planned & constructed a great building like Vidhana Soudha

Today Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka ranks as one of the fastest growing cities in Asia. Bangalore has a very cool, pleasant climate throughout the year. So it is also called as 'The Air-Conditioned city'. This factor along with the mild, balanced, affectionate, hospitable people of Bangalore called the 'Kannadigas' has attracted people from all over the country as well as the world. So a peaceful city also called as a 'Pensioners paradise' in the 50's is fast transforming into the 'Silicon Valley of India' with almost all Computer related multinationals setting up their Indian head office at Bangalore. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister termed this as "India's city of the future". Besides there are lot of beautiful and comfortable hotels in the city that will make you at home by providing utmost hospitality and food that will instill ever-lasting memories in you.

PLACES

Parks

                                                                                                                                  

Lal Bagh Botanical Garden- It is said to be the one of the most beautiful botanical gardens of India. One of the major attractions in the garden is The Glass House. The Glass House is designed in view with the London Crystal Palace.

Cubbon Park-  The Cubbon Park is spread over an area of around 300 acres and was laid by Sir Mark Cubbon in 1864, the then Viceroy of India.

Wonderla (amusement park) – India’s largest amusement park that offers thrill rides, water slides, musical fountains, virtual reality theatre, and restaurants.

Innovative Film City- an entertainment park with attractions like Ripley's Believe it or not museum, Wax Museum, Miniature City, Aqua Kingdom, Funplex etc it has something for everyone. 

                                                                                                                                                      

Other Places of Interest

Bangalore Palace – This palace is said to be inspired by The Windsor Castle of England.  It is smeared with Lawns, Towers and Arches. One would also come across windows designed in Gothic Style, Painting and rich Wooden Carvings. Today the place is used for concerts, exhibitions and also weddings.

Tipu Sultan Fort-Inside the fort there is Tipu Sultan Palace. It is mainly made wood and reflects great work of artistry. It was the summer retreat of Tipu Sultan.

Vidhan Soudha - The Vidhan Soudha is the State Legislature and The Secretariat of Karnataka.

Ulsoor Lake – The largest lake in Bangalore is located close to M. G. Road and offers rowing facilities. Bannerghatta National Park - Some of the major attractions of Bannerghatta National Park is the Tiger and Lion Safari, Crocodile Farm and Butterfly Park. The park is home to a wide variety of animals like royal Bengal tiger, hyenas, bison, and black buck, leopard, barking deer, elephant and wild boar.

                                                       
                                                                   

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Bengaluru has become a melting pot for many cultures transforming it into a rich cosmopolitan character. The city has something to offer for everyone. Recreation areas, pubs, vibrant nightlife, big shopping malls, thriving arts and entertainment are guaranteed to charm one. It has now become the style capital of the country. Bangalore's rich cultural heritage is a combination of its technological and industrial achievements. Truly, Bangalore has become one of India's most happening cities.

Truly, Bengaluru is the face of contemporary India. The city bustles with young, elite techies, skilled executives and students from across the globe making it one of the top cities to live in India. These young minds with their liberal mindset and proper exposure have given a facelift to this city once known as the 'sleeping city' and went on to bag the title of the Silicon Valley of India.

Bengaluru is purely cosmopolitan in nature because of the coalition of diverse cultures from various parts of India and also abroad. The fusion of various cultures has made it a true mirror of modern India where people have stopped feeding to prejudices and radical views. Bangaloreans are fairly liberal in their social attitudes and the lifestyle is modeled after cosmopolitan cities like Mumbai and New York City, rather than the other cities in the State. The city also boasts of the largest number of pubs in the country and rightly called the 'Pub capital of India'.

When it comes to language or communication, one can get by with English.  Although it is helpful to know Hindi and/or Kannada (the main language of the people of Karnataka), most of the locals either speak or understand English, and this makes getting around the city fairly easy.  

The other beauty of Bengaluru is that one can choose to live a typical Indian lifestyle or a contemporary western one, and be fine with either one. It is a city where one can walk down a street and find a Domino’s Pizza and a dosa or biryani place side by side.  As far as shopping is concerned, there are a number of malls to choose from and world class stores on Brigade Road, MG Road, Church Street and Commercial Street.

Although the city has a good number of public transportation, the best mode of transport for the newcomer or tourist is the auto rickshaw which is available in plenty.  Unlike other Indian cities where one can count on arguing with taxi or rickshaw drivers, people of Bangalore including rickshaw drivers are fairly honest and don’t cheat customers.  The locals are gracious and peaceful and this is another great factor, which makes Bengaluru a great place to live.