Bangalore (English pronunciation), also called Bengaluru (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು,) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Bangalore is well known as a hub for India's information technology sector.

Today as a large city and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to many of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as garden city because of its beautiful gardens. Bangalore is also known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation's leading IT exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic and cultural hub and the second fastest growing major metropolis in India.

The majority of the city of Bangalore lies in the Bangalore Urban district of Karnataka and the surrounding rural areas are a part of the Bangalore Rural district. The region consisting the Bangalore Urban and Rural districts is known as the Bangalore (region). The Government of Karnataka has carved out the new district of Ramanagara from the old Bangalore Rural district.

Bangalore is one of the most important tourist centers of the Karnataka state. Central business district of Bangalore consists of places MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial street, Vidhana Soudha etc. Bangalore has many lakes and parks. BMTC offers special buses for sightseeing in Bangalore, including Cauveri - a double-decker open roof bus.

Attractions

Parks

• Lal Bagh: is a botanical garden, commissioned by the Hyder Ali in the year 1760. The 240-acre (0.97 km²) park is home to over 1000 species of flora and a Glass House. The park is known for its annual flower show. The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda I. The Lal Bagh Rock, dates back to 3000 million years, is another attraction.
• Cubbon Park: is located in the heart of the city and spreads over 300 acres (1.2 km2). The part was created in the year 1884, by Major General Richard Sankey. The park is home to numerous trees and plants that span over 68 general and 96 species. The park is also known for its kids train.

Historical monuments

• Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace Built in 1791,and located near K.R Market, is a beautiful two-storied ornate wooden structure with exquisitely carved pillars, arches and balconies. It now houses a museum that contains artifacts relating to the Hyder-Tipu regime.
• Bangalore Palace: (1862) is located near Mekhri Circle and Cantonment Railway station and is built to look like a smaller replica of the Windsor Castle in England.
• Mayo Hall : was designed in memory of the Lord Mayo and is regarded as one of the finest designs of British architecture.

Government buildings

• Vidhana Soudha: is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing granite building, built in the year 1956 in the 'Neo-Dravidian' style, incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles. Vidhana Soudha is the brainchild of Kengal Hanumanthaiah and built by chief engineer B.R. Manickam.
• Attara Kacheri , (Karnataka High Court): Overlooking Vidhana Sabha is this red brick and stone building in the Greco-Roman style of architecture. It houses the High Court for the state of Karnataka.

Museums and Galleries

• Bangalore Museum
• Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum : The museum was instituted as part of the centenary celebrations of the engineer-statesman Sir M. Visvesvaraya (1861–1962).
• Venkatappa Art Gallery
• HAL Aerospace Museum: The Museum showcases the growth of the Indian aviation industry and HAL for six decades. The Museum is maintained by HAL (one of Asia's largest Aerospace companies). The museum houses displays of various aircraft and helicopters, Aircraft engine models, Flight simulators, a mock Air Traffic Control Tower and exhibit of Indian aviation history.
• MITHILAsmita Art Gallery : This art gallery is dedicated to a folk art of India, Madhubani Painting and is managed by MITHILAsmita Foundation.

Places of worship

• Bull Temple: Built by Kempe Gowda I, it is reminiscent of the 16th century Dravidian style architecture. It has a huge granite monolith of Nandi. This landmark is situated at bull temple road, Basavangudi.
• Shri Nimishamba Devi Temple: This shrine is built in the traditional Parashurama Kshetra Architectural Style that does not exist anywhere else in Bangalore or its surroundings. This temple was built with the tremendous help of the devotees of Shri Nimishamba Devi. The Temple has shrines of Devi Nimishamba, Moukthikeswara (siva), Siddhi Vinayaka, Saraswathi and Lakshmi Narayana. Chandika Homa is performed everyday in a specially designed Yagna Shala. Temple location # 93, 12th Cross, Ideal Homes Circle, Ideal Homes Township, Raja Rajeshwari Nagar,Bengaluru 560 098

• Huge Shiva in old Airport Road : Built by owner of Kids Kemp-A retail outlet, is a huge Idol of Lord Shiva & Ganesha. It is completely made of plaster of paris. It is also a tourist attraction in recent times.
• Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple : This is a temple known as Dakshina Kashi. The sun's rays fall on the Shivalinga only on the day of Makara Sankranthi. There is a belief that the cave tunnel underneath leads all the way to Varanasi.
• ISKCON Temple Bangalore: International Society for Krishna Consciousness Built in an ornate architectural style, the Krishna Temple is a blend of modern technology and spiritual harmony. The 7-acre (28,000 m²) temple is situated on west of chord road, Rajajinagar and finest fusion of modern and traditional elements of architecture.
• St. Mary's Basilica : It is the oldest church in Bangalore and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica. It is famous for the festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, an event that attracts a number of devotees from in and around Bangalore.
• St Patrick's church: Built in 1844 this is one of the oldest churches in Bangalore and is situated on Residency Road.
• Infant Jesus Church: Established in 1979 by Rev. Dr. Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore, the church draws huge crowds on Thursday, the day dedicated to Infant Jesus.
• Masjid-e-Khadria: One of the most beautiful mosques in Bengaluru, located on Millers Road, this mosques hosts the prayers on Eid and also hosts the Haj camp.
• Parshwnath Sushil Dham:It is a beautiful Jain shrine built by Rajasthan’s Surana Family in the memory of Jain saint Sushil Suriji. It is located on NH7 (Hosur Road) and is about 20 km from the Bangalore city. Apart from the temple, the property also contains accommodation for pilgrims, a dining hall and a children's park.

Others

• Bugle Rock {bugle is called Kahale (ಕಹಲೆ)) is a massive rock situated in Basavanagudi which is an abrupt rise above the ground of peninsular gneiss as the main rock formation and with an assessed age of about 3000 million years.
• Mantri Square At 1.7 million sq.ft., Mantri Square is the largest mall in India and South Asia, developed by Mantri Developers and is located on Sampige road in Malleswaram.

• Forum Mall: It is the first of its kind Malls in Bangalore City and a hotspot for the city's youngsters. See Also List of shopping malls in Bangalore.
• Brigade Road is one of the busiest commercial centers of Bangalore where you can get any sort of shopping done.
• Commercial Street: Another busy commercial centre of Bangalore for getting all sorts of shopping done.
• MG Road, Bangalore: previously known as "South Parade" is the most important landmark of Bangalore.
• Wonderla : Wonderla is an amusement park located near Bidadi, 28 kilometres from(17 mi) Bangalore
• Innovative Film city: Amusement & Themepark, Go Karting, Stage and Studio Facilities
• Electronics City: The nerve of the Silicon Valley of India.
• Lakes in Bangalore : Lakes including Ulsoor lake, Sankey tank, Hesaraghatta Lake, Yediyur Lake, Nagavara Lake (also called Lumbini Lake), Hebbal Lake, Madiwala Lake, Kempanbudi Lake, Varthur Lake etc.
• IT Parks in Bangalore: ITPL, Bagmane Tech Park ,Manyata Tech Park, Global Village Tech Park, Kalyani Magnum Tech Park, Electronics City Phase I & II,Embassy Golf Links, Eco space Tech Park,Prestige Tech Park,Salarpuria Tech Park, Brigade Tech Park, Vrindavan Tech park.

Sports Attraction: Chinnaswamy stadium

Restaurants and Pubs

• Restaurants in Bangalore are the main pastime for most Bangaloreans. Tourists need not worry as the variety spans not only all Indian cuisines, but there are also a large number of specialty restaurants. There are printed food guides, services such as Hungry Bangalore, and telephone directories to find restaurants.
  • Traditional South Indian Favourites include MTR (Lalbagh Road) - famous for its idlys and silver plates, Vidhyarthi Bhavan — specialty Masala Dosa, Brahmins — idly,vada out of a garage, and Ganesh Dosa Camp.
  • Higher end favourites are not limited to the five stars, and there are restaurants for every palate - from mughalai to south Indian, seafood to sushi.
• Pubs in Bangalore - Bangalore is called Pub Capital of India

Around Bangalore

• Bannerghatta National Park is situated 22 km south of Bangalore. This hilly place is the home for one of the richest natural, zoological reserves. The 25,000 acre (101 km²) zoological park makes this a major tourist attraction of Bangalore.

• Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is a hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 3 to 5 km from Chickballapur Taluq, 60 km from Bangalore. It is 4851 ft (1478 m) above sea level. Nandidurg hill, known commonly as Nandi Hills, is the source of the Penner, Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers. Nandi Hills gets its name from an ancient Nandi temple situated on this hill. This temple has a thousand year old sculpture of Nandi. An ancient lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill.
  • Skandagiri is 75 km away from Bangalore. Trekking point near to Nandi hills.
• Kaivara, cave temples 60 km away near Chikkaballapur.
• Omthara Kala Kuteera is located 40 km (25 mi) from Bangalore. Just one hour from the hustle and bustle of Bangalore, Omthara Kala Kuteera is an oasis of peace and tranquility. Built as homage to India's ancient culture and its vibrant art, this masterpiece is a monument like none other. Located amidst 30 acres (120,000 m²) of lush gardens in rustic surroundings, Omthara Kala Kuteera offers an environment that soothes the soul and energizes the mind. A visit to Om Thara Kala Kuteera has been described variously by guests as "Heaven on Earth", "Temple like none other", "Place of Divinity", "Uplifts my Soul", and "Source of Peace and Happiness". See www.OmtharaKalaKuteera.com for directions and more details on this remarkable place.

• Muthyalamaduvu is a picnic spot near Anekal, 40 km from Bangalore. In the local Kannada language, Muthyalamaduvu means 'pearl valley' (muthu = pearl and maduvu = valley), apparently named for its 92 meter waterfall, whose falling water appears to look like drops of pearl.

• Thottikallu is a place 25 km from Bangalore off the Kanakapura road which is famous for a falls called Thottikallu falls more popularly known as TK falls.

• Savandurga is a hill 60 km west of Bangalore off the Magadi road. The hill is famous for Narasimhaswamy temple and is also believed to be among the largest monolith hills in the world. The hill rises to 1226 m above mean sea level and forms a part of the Deccan plateau. It consists of peninsular gneiss, granites, basic dykes and laterites. The Arkavathi river passes nearby through the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir and on towards Manchanabele dam.

• Tippagondanahalli Reservoir, also known as T G Halli or Chamarajsagar, is located at the confluence of the Arkavathy River and Kumudavathi River, 35 km west of Bangalore.

• Kanva reservoir is an artificial lake and tourist attraction 69 km from Bangalore and 10 km from Ramanagara

• Wonderla is an amusement park located on Mysore road, 40 km from Bangalore.

• Dodda Alada Mara, a big banyan tree located in Ramohalli (28 km away), is a picnic spot.

• Mekedaatu, literally meaning "Goat's Jump", is 110 km away on Kanakapura Road. Nearby is another tourist attraction, Sangama, where two rivers join.

• Pyramid valley is the biggest pyramid shaped meditation hall in the world, along with being the largest pyramid in Asia website. It stands proud at above 101 feet (31 m). Its base measures 160 ft (49 m) by 160 ft (49 m) with the main meditation area spanning 25,600 sq ft (2,380 m²). Maitreya Buddha Pyramid, is the International Centre (Bangalore), of the Pyramid Spiritual Society’s Movement in Pyramid Valley. It is located 30 km from Banashankari Temple, 4 km before Harohalli and 1.2 km just after Kebbedoddi bus stop, on Kanakapura Road.

• Devarayanadurga (Kannada: ದೇವರಾಯನ ದುರ್ಗ) is a hill station near Tumkur in the state of Karnataka. It is 65 km from Bangalore. The rocky hills are surrounded by forest and the hilltops are dotted with several temples including the Yoganarasimha and the Bhoganarasimha temples and an altitude of 3,940 feet (1,200 m). It is also famous for Namada Chilume, a natural spring considered sacred and is also considered the origin of the Jayamangali river. Another famous temple in the area is the Mahalakshmi Temple at Goravanahalli.

Transport

Air

Bangalore is served by the newly built Bengaluru International Airport (IATA: BLR, ICAO: VOBL) which started operations from 24 May 2008. The city was earlier served by the HAL Airport which was India's fourth busiest airport. Kingfisher Airlines has its registered office in Bangalore. It is now the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic and the number of air traffic movements (ATMs) with about 280 per day. The airport is around 40 km from the city centre. The most hassle-free way to commute is by taxi. Meru cabs and Easy cabs have taxis present in the rank at the airport. There are also certain private cab companies.

Rail

A rapid transit system called the Namma Metro is being built. A 7 km stretch from Bayappanahalli to MG Road was opened to public on 20 October 2011. Once completed, this will encompass a 42.3 km (26.3 mi) elevated and underground rail network comprising 41 stations. It is expected to connect central locations in Bangalore to Devanahalli and the Chikballapur regions.This much-delayed project is the city’s primary response to the worsening intra-city transport infrastructure which has become a major deterrent to continued business growth.

Bangalore comes under the South Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Bangalore City Railway station and Yesvantpur Junction connect it to the rest of the country through the Indian Railways. The Bangalore Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi, the capital of India. Bangalore is also connected by rail to most cities in Karnataka, as well as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and other major cities in India. The sprawling Rail Wheel Factory is Asia's second largest manufacturer of Wheel & Axle for Railways and headquartered in Yelahanka, Bangalore.

Road

Three-wheeled, green and yellow auto-rickshaws, referred to as autos, are a popular form of transport. They are metered and can accommodate up to three passengers. Taxi services within Bangalore is provided by several operators. Taxis, commonly called City Taxis, are usually available only on call. Taxis are metered and are generally more expensive than auto-rickshaws.

Buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are an important means of public transport available in the city, and are highly reliable. While commuters can buy tickets on boarding these buses, BMTC also provides an option of a bus pass to frequent users. BMTC runs air-conditioned luxury buses on major routes, and also operates shuttle services from various parts of the city to the Bengaluru International Airport. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operates 6,918 buses on 6,352 schedules, connecting Bangalore with other parts of Karnataka as well as other states. The main bus depots that BMTC maintains are the Kempegowda Bus Station, locally known as "Majestic", Shantinagar Bus Depot, and Shivajinagar Bus Depot.

Photo Gallery:

The Vidhana Soudha is the seat of Karnataka's Legislative assembly

The Vikasa Soudha, situated adjacent to the Vidhana Soudha, houses many state ministries.


The Karnataka High Court is the supreme judicial body, housed in the historic Atthara Kacheri, in Karnataka and is located in Bangalore.

Indian Institute of Science – the premier institute of science in India.

The Lal Bagh, famous for its flower shows

Lal Bagh Flower Show

Bangalore Palace, built in 1887, was home to the rulers of Mysore

Tipu Sultan's Palace, Bangalore

The Nandi Temple is a famous temple located in Basavanagudi, Bangalore.

Bull Temple: One of the biggest Nandi idols in the world.

St. Mary's Basilica: The oldest church in Bangalore.

The new Bengaluru International Airport is located in Devanahalli.

The Hesaraghatta Lake in Bangalore

Clockwise from top: UB City, Infosys, Glass house at Lal Bagh, Vidhana Soudha, Shiva statue, Bagmane Tech Park


BMTC's Volvo buses are a popular mode of commuting within Bangalore.
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is Bangalore's premier cricket stadium.

Brigade Road Bangalore

White Tiger at Bannerghatta National Park

Courtesy: Wikipedia