BANGALORE

Also known as the Garden City, Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, is 1,000m above sea level and attracts visitors for its moderate climate. It is one of India’s fast-growing cities with an increasing population of young professionals. It is an important IT hub, thereby attracting the attention of many international companies. Founded by Kempe Gowda, Bangalore is today a place to be for IT professionals and many others who have changed the image of the city into a happening place with pubs, coffee and resto bars sprouting all over the city.

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR
Bangalore is well connected by air to other cities of India. Daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Goa etc. connect Bangalore. Bangalore is also the stopover point for many international flights .

BY RAIL
Both metre and broad gauge trains connect Bagalore to the rest of the country. The City railway station and the Cantonment station are the two main railway stations in Bangalore.

BY ROAD
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operates buses within and outside the state on a daily basis. Cities like Mysore, Tirupati, Chennai, Mumbai and Ooty are well connected.

WHAT TO SEE

BANGALORE FORT AND PALACE
The Bangalore Fort was built by Kempe Gowda and expanded by Tippu Sultan. The 16th century Ganapathi Temple is placed within the fort. The Bangalore Palace was built by a Wodeyar king in 1887. Inspired by the Windsor castle, this palace was built in the Tudor style, complete with Gothic windows, foiled windows, battlements and turrets resembling the Daria Daulat Palace of Srirangapatanam. This summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for its carving and paintings.

VIDHANA SOUDHA
The majestic looking Vidhana Soudha houses the State Legislature, and is the largest Secretariat in India. The building project was started in 1952 and took five thousand labourers, 1500 chisellers, masons and wood carvers four years to complete. Built entirely from Bangalore granite in the Dravidian style, it has floral motifs on stone carvings drawn from the celebrated temple craft of South India.

THE BULL TEMPLE
The historical Dodda Basavanna Gudi or the Bull Temple is one of the City's oldest tourist attractions. The City's founder Kempe Gowda built the temple in 1586. The imposing garlanded Nandi, the celestial bull of Lord Shiva, carved out of a single granite rock, is breathtakingly real. The original colour of the bull, gray, has turned black. The bull is believed to have 'grown' from 4.57 metres to its present five metres in height, and 5.10 mts to six mts in length.

GAVI GANGADHARESHWARA TEMPLE
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Guhe or the cave temple is a place in Bangalore that has mythological, historical, archaeological and scientific importance. The sanctum sanctorum has a tall and graceful Shivalinga. There are three cave-paths through which people enter.

LALBAGH BOTANICAL GARDENS
Hyder Ali, the Emperor of Mysore, laid down the foundation of the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in the 18th century. The gardens were later completed by his son, Tipu Sultan. Situated at a distance of approximately 4 km from the M.G. Road, these gardens boast a rich collection of almost 1000 different species of flora. Tipu Sultan imported trees and plants from different countries of the world, like Persia, Afghanistan and France, to add to the wealth of the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens of Bangalore. The gardens encircle one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. The Lalbagh Botanical Gardens hold the distinction of having the largest collection of rare and exotic plants in India.

TIPU’S FORT
Tipu Sultan Fort was initially built by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. The fort was later extended by Tipu Sultan, the Emperor of Mysore. Situated near the City Market, the fort dates back to the year 1537. It was here that Hyder Ali, the father of Tipu Sultan, imprisoned David Baird, along with a number of other army officers of the British. The Fort stands as a witness to the struggle of the Mysore Emperor against the British domination. The intricately carved arches of the Tipu Sultan Fort have been built as per the Islamic style. Another major attraction of the fort is the well-preserved Ganapati temple situated inside it.

Within the fort lies Tipu Sultan palace, which dates back to year 1790. Built entirely of teakwood, the palace was constructed as the summer residence of Tipu Sultan. The two-storied palace stands adorned with pillars, arches and balconies.

FOR HOTEL OPTIONS IN BANGALORE