One of the fastest growing cities in Asia, Bangalore is rapidly becoming a ‘must see’ place when touring India. With its charming and picturesque parks, ancient temples, stunning old palaces and beautiful lakes, this city is indeed a treat to visit. A modern metropolitan city Bangalore is also the IT hub of the country, with a large number of Information Technology institutions based companies having set up their offices here.
One of India’s most well planned cities, Bangalore is also known as the “Garden City” for its lush greenery and quaint tree-lined avenues. A bustling metropolis Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state which is located in the south of the country. This major industrial and commercial center is literally the gateway to Southern India. One of the most well connected cities with extensive land, rail and air ports, Bangalore is a very ‘happening’ place with its old world charm and modern appeal that combines to make it an exciting city to be in.
Located some 950 meters above sea level atop a ridge on the Karnataka plateau, Bangalore is India’s seventh largest city. Founded in the early 16th century by Kempe Gowda, this city became a strategic location during the Moghul and British rule over the Indian Subcontinent.
An important city and fortress under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, two of the subcontinent’s most famous Muslim rulers, the remnants of this period can still be found at Lal Bagh, Tipu’s Summer Palace and the Gavi Gangadhareswar Temple.
Bangalore Map
Bangalore is probably one of the organized cities in India. By organized we mean that the city’s infrastructure has been well built and is not chaotic like the cities of Mumbai or Delhi. The reason behind this is because when Bangalore was under the British influence, this city was a major cantonment area for the military. In the center of the city lies one of Bangalore’s most famous tourist attractions the Vidhana Soudha, which serves as the State Legislature. Located in Cubbon Park, the largest park in the city, this building is architecturally quite stunning and is beautiful at night when it is illuminated.
Cubbon Park which is in the heart of Bangalore is itself quite beautiful with its sprawling lush green landscape dotted by a variety of flora and fauna. Built in as a tribute to the city’s longest serving commissioner Lord Cubbon, this park also contains the State Central Library, the Government Museum, the Visveswaraiah Technological & Industrial Museum and the Attara Kacheri or High Court. A number of other important institutions situated here are the Cheshire Dyer Memorial Hall, the Press Club and the Ottawa Chatter. Additionally there is a children’s amusement park, a doll museum, a theatre complex and a toy train ride for kids as well.
Another famous park in the city is Lal Bagh, which means Red Garden. This 18th century garden is situated in the south of the city on Lal Bagh Fort Road. This park contains the largest collection of rare tropical and sub-tropical plants in the country along with a deer park. Located near by close to the City Market on Avenue Road are the remains of a fort from the era of Haider Ali as well as Tipu’s well preserved Summer Palace. Within the palace is a museum which has on display many artifacts from Tipu’s and Haider Ali’s lifetime. A short distance away are the Bangalore Race Course and the Bangalore Golf Course both of which are located close to each other on Palace Road.
Bangalore also boasts a number of old and beautiful temples. Next to Tipu's Summer Palace is the 300 year old Venkataramanaswamy Temple which is still in good condition. South of the city in Basavangudi is the Bull Temple built by Kempe Gowda. Another striking temple in the city is the Gavi Gangadhareswara cave temple.
The most famous roads in Bangalore are the M.G Road or Mahatma Gandhi Road, which lies east of Cubbon Park. This road is a popular commercial area with plenty of shopping malls and stores. Bangalore’s busiest commercial road is Commercial Street which is a shopping only zone. Brigade Road runs east of the city and is where most of the younger hip crowd hangs out. Here there are plenty of eateries and discos as well. Near by to Brigade Road is Residency Road which plays host to a number of state showrooms from Orissa, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. This road is also has a number of shopping malls and stores.
Quite a few of lakes can also be found in this beautiful and charming city. Three of the smaller lakes are the Sankey Tank, the Yediyur Tank and the Lal Bagh Lake. The most important lake in Bangalore is Ulsoor Lake which is located north east on Kensington Road. Near the lake on Old Madras Road is Trinity Church, one of the most important churches in the city.
