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Located 1000m above sea level, this bustling capital city of Karnataka, has a perpetual holiday atmosphere. Founded in 1537 by a local chieftain Kempe Gowda, Bangalore has seen much and imbibed even more. To day it is a sprawling city, one of the fastest growing in India.
Winston Churchill once lived here in one of the earliest clubs set up by the British. Indeed, at one time, Bangalore was a little British Island in the south, with a distinct British flavour, and old British connections remain evident in such names as Richmond Town, Cox Town and Russel Market.
General information
Altitude: 920 meters
Best Season: Throughout the year. (Sep. to March is the best time)
STD Code: 080
How to get there
Air
Bangalore is linked with Calcutta, Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Pune, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Goa, Hyderabad, Calicut and Trivandrum.
Rail
Bangalore is directly connected by rail with Ahmedabad, Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati, Howrah, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Madras, Mysore, Nagpur, Trivandrum, Vasco-da-Gama (Goa) and other cities in India.
Road
Bangalore is connected by good motorable roads with Bandipur 220 km, Belur 322 km, Madras 334 km, Cochin 526 km, Dandeli 481 km, Halebid 214 km, Jog Falls 377 km, Kodaikanal 430 km, Mysore 140 km, Panaji 595 km, Sravanabelagola 160 km, Tirupati 250 km
In and around
Cubbon Park
In 1864, Lord Cubbon, the then Viceroy of India, laid out 3000 acres of verdant tranquillity. Today it is an oasis of
greenery in the heart of modern Bangalore. Complementing the natural beauty of the park are the red gothic structures of the State Central Library and the High Court. Situated close to the high court is the state central library, worth a visit for the rare treasure of the books and gothic architecture. Vidhana Soudha 2 km, this imposing edifice built almost entirely of dressed Bangalore Granite is a tribute to temple architecture. Housing the legislative chamber of the state government, this is Bangalore's best known landmark.
Visveswaraya Industrial & Technological Museum
This is tribute to the brilliance of sir M. Visveswaraya, one of the architect of modern Karnataka. Browse through this building to get an idea of working models of different machines. Ulsoor Lake 2, this is centrally located, over a space of 1.5 sq km. Enjoyable to take a boat
Bangalore Palace
Bangalore Palace in the heart of city is a unique edifice inspired by Windsor castle and built in Tudor style. A built up area of around 45,000 sq feet, this 110 year old monument is a popular tourist attraction. Tippu's Palace 4 km, now a museum, these two storied ornate wooden structure is a mine of information. One of the most remarkable Islamic buildings in the city.
Lal Bagh
This 240 acre expanse of greenery forms one of the India's most beautiful botanical gardens. The credit for this goes to the rulers Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, who laid out an 18th century paradise with rare trees brought from far of Persia, Afghanistan and France. At the heart of the gardens is situated a Glass House. Its designed was obviously inspired by the Crystal Palace, London. Flowers shows are held here every January and August, with impressive participation. Bull Temple 5 km, the awesome monolithic deity in this temple, Nandi, draws devotes from all over the country.
Bannerghat National Park
An hour drive from Bangalore, has been made a national park for protected wildlife. Seen here are over a hundred varieties of birds, besides monkeys, bison, wild boar, elephants, panthers, spotted deer and sloth bears.
Nandi Hills
This hill station is a paradise located 4,850 feet above sea level. There is a fairly extensive plateau with gardens, lawns, tourist bungalows and hotels. It is famous for their salubrious climate.
White Field
On airport road a popular retreat for Indian and Foreign tourist who flock to visit the ashram set up by philosopher educationist, Sri Satya Sai Baba.
Kolar Gold Fields
A heaven for rock climber. Also the site of the oldest and deepest gold mines found by the British in pre independent India.
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