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Title
Bangalore, a city of adventure and a fast growing metropolis, this 'garden city' is the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Situated about 1000 m above sea level, it is known for its wonderful climate where temperatures remain moderate through out the year. It is connected by air, rail and road to all major cities of the country and has direct international connections to many cities worldwide.
| Facts At A Glance |
| Built In |
Founded in 1537. |
| STD Code |
080 |
Description
Banglore also known as SILICON VALLEY is the political hub of the region mainly due to its economic importance .It is Karnataka's capital and is one of the fastest growing cities in Asia. The population is around 8 million. Now a day the main attraction of Bangalore is M G Road area, where fast food joints, yuppie theme bars and glizzy malls are all the rage. Bangalore's gentle climate, broad streets and green public parks made it the GARDEN CITY in 1800's. But after Indian independence the situation became almost adverse because maximum of the persons who were of good recognition like film stars and V I Pspreferred their establishments here. During the last decade Bangalore has undergone a massive transformation. The wide avenues, now dominated by tower blocks, heavy traffic and water and electric shortages have become the part of the city. Even the climate has been affected and pollution problem has become the major problem here.
Currently more than 700 IT-companies are going about their business there. Among them are almost all the global giants of the e-business-sector which run both wholly-owned or partially-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures with domestic partners. In the meantime some prominent domestic software firms have also been established. The city?s software industry is highly export-oriented and handles a spectrum of services that ranges from fairly low-tech, labour intensive activities like data entry and transcribing work to much higher value-added activities like developing end-user applications and software packages or services.
Location
Bangalore is in Karnataka State and it is bounded in east by Andhra Pradesh ,west by Goa and the Arabian Sea; south by Kerala and Karnataka and north by Maharashtra .
Best time to visit
Karnataka is one of the wettest region in India having an average of 4m rain .The main reason behind this type of climate is the seasonal monsoon .It is preferred to visit the place between September to February. This very time the climatic conditions remain pleasant and comfortable.
BY AIR
Bangalore is connected by air with Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata , Chennai , Cochin , Coimbatore, Mangalore , Mumbai , Pune and Tiruvananthapuram .
Bangalore airport is 13 Km north of the city centre ,serves cities throughout south India and beyond .
The Indian Airlines Office [2211914]is in Housing Board Building ,Kempe Gowda Road .
Jet Airways[5550856]and Sahara Airlines 5586976]are also here .
Bangalore to Muscat ,Sharjah and Singapore ,direct international flights are available
Via Mumbai flights are available for New York ,Singapore ,London ,Paris and Gulf States .
Some International offices are '
Air France --5589397 --Sunrise Chambers ,22 Ulsoor Road .
Air India --2277747 --Unity Building ,Jayachamaraya Road
British Airways --2271205--7 Mark's Road
K L M-- 2268703 --West End Hotel --Racecourse Road
Lufthansa --44/2 Dickenson Road .
Qantas --2256611--Westminster Building ,Cunningham Road
Singapore Airlines --2213833--51 Richmond Road .
BY ROAD
All national highways throughout the country are well connected with Bangalore .All types of tourist buses are easily available here on hire .
Near the city tran station the central bus stand is located .Within the state bus services are available from K S R T C .Interstate buses are operated by K S R T C and A P S R T C .Private bus services are also available from Bangalore to the major part of the country but they are more expensive .Private buses leave from the street facing the central bus stand .
BY TRAIN
Bangalore is connected by rail with cities all over India .
MAJOR TRAINS FROM BANGALORE
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DESTINATION TRAIN NO AND NAME DEPARTURE TIME
----------------------------- --------------------------------- ------------------------------
Calcutta 5625 Guwahati Express 11.30 PM Thur&Fri
Ernakulam 6526 Kanniyakumari Express 9.00PM
Hospet 6592 Hampi Express 9.55 PM
Hyderabad 7686 Secunderabad Express 5.05 PM
Chennai 2608 Lalbagh Express 6.30 AM
2640 Brindavan Express 2.30 PM
2008 Shatabdi express 4.20 PM
Mumbai 6530 Udayan Express 8.30 PM
Mysore 6222 Kaveri Express 7.15 AM
6206 Tipu Express 2.25 PM
6216 Chamundi Express 6.15 PM
2007 Shatabdi Express 10.55 AM
Delhi 2627 Karnataka Express 6.25 PM
2429 Rajdhani Express 6.45 AM Wed&Fri
Tiruvananthapuram 6526 Kanniyakumari Express 9.00 PM
Attractions
Lal Bagh Gardens
Lal Bagh is a must see while visiting Bangalore. The name Lal Bagh has been given to it for the wonderfully bloomed red roses that remain blooming all through the year in this garden. The garden has also a collection of famous Botanical species. Though the flow of visitors to the park is a regular affair, the garden gets a festive look during the Republic Day and on the days of flower shows that are held here.
Vidhan Soudha
Vidhan Soudha, built in the year 1954 is one of the major centres of attraction in Bangalore. The architecture of the building is based on the neo Dravidian style and it presently houses the Legislative Assembly of the state of Karnataka. The building also houses a part of the Karnataka secretariat.
Cubbon Park
Situated in the heart of the Bangalore city, the Cubbon Park is an interesting tourist spot which one should not miss out. The park was laid by Lord Cubbon in the year 1864. It is spread over an area of about 300 acres and the layout is absolutely exquisite.
Bangalore Palace
Built in the year 1887, Bangalore palace is a must see tourist spot in the garden city. The architecture of the palace is based on the Tudor style. The palace is situated in the middle of the Bangalore city making it easily accessible for the tourists. Covering an area of about 800 acres, the palace gives a look of the Windsor Palace of England.
Venkatappa Art Gallery
Venkatappa art gallery is a pleasant treat for the art lovers. It has about 600 paintings on display that you can see all through the year. The art gallery also has some of the exclusive collections of scenic displays.
Tipu's Palace
The palace and the fort of Tipu Sultan are the must see spot in Bangalore. The architecture, the layout and the overall look of the palace gives you the idea of the ethnic Mughal lifestyle. The fort and its remains present the history of the era in which it was built. The construction of the Tipu palace was started by Haider Ali and completed by Tipu Sultan himself.
ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON Temple Complex of Bangalore is a marvellous building structure that has blended the Dravidian and modern architecture in its construction. The building has some of the modern facilities like the multi-vision cinema theatre, computer aided presentation theatres along with vedic library and a preaching library. The temple also has good accommodation facility for its members and non-members.
Shiva Statue
The statue is a 65 feet high depiction of Lord Shiva in a position of Padmashan or Lotus position. The statue is complete with Mount Kailash, the Lord's heavenly abode and the river Ganga flowing from his matted locks in the background. The entire area gives you a clear picture of the mythological legend related to it.
Bull temple
The Bull Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva's Vahana (vehicle), Nandi the bull. Here you can find a huge monolithic statue of the sitting bull that draws a large number of people to this place every day. The statue is 4.5 meters tall and 6 meters long and has been at this place long before the present temple was built.
Aquarium
The sight of the Aquarium, which is the second largest in the country, is quite fascinating. Built in a well-planned manner, the Aquarium has a good collection of a variety of aquatic life. The Aquarium remains closed on Mondays.
Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium
Among the other places to visit, the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium is a must see. Visiting any of the shows here gives you a good view as well as factual knowledge on astronomy. Easily accessible from any corner of the city, the planetarium hosts daily shows of astronomy. It is a fascinating experience for the children.
Travel Tips
Carry only essentials. Avoid unnecessary items like too many clothes or heavy items.
Avoid carrying valuables. Wear a money necklace or stitch a pocket inside your outfit to keep important documents like your passport, credit cards, travellers' cheques, etc.
It's always better to take photo copies of important documents and leave them with someone trustworthy. Make sure you keep a card mentioning important contact numbers, your age, blood group, etc, so that people may help you in the event of an emergency.
Shopping
You have so many options particularly if you are looking for silk .A wide range of silk is available at Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation and Vijayalakshmi Silk Kendras ,both are located on Gupte Market ,Kempe Gowda Road .Bangalore is a good place to shop silk,sandalwood and rosewood items and Lambani tribal jewellerry .These are available in Central Cottage Industries Emporium ,144 M G Road .Cottage Industries Exposition Ltd ,3 Cunningham Road ,Gulshan Crafts ,12 Safina Plaza ,Infantry Road and Cauvery at the M G Road and Brigade Road Crossing may be also tried for these .There are number of shops around M G Road selling cheap new release CDs and tapes of western and hindi music .For silver ,Commercial Street and K R Market on Residency Road ,Jewel Paragon between M G Road and Kasturba Road are preferred .Antique and beautifully made reproduction sculpture ,furniture and paintings are available at 64 M G Road in Natesan's Antiqarts .Bangalore is a good place to purchase books too .For books,first floor of Gangaram's,72 M G Road ,Higginbothams ,68 M G Road ,L B Publishers 91 M G Road ,Premier 46/1 Church street are preferred .Agarbathi is famous prouct of Bangalore .
Excursions
Nandi Hill
Situated at a distance of about 60 kilometres from the city, Nandi Hill is a picturesque spot to visit. It is a popular health resort for the people of the southern plains of India, especially during summers. The shimmering lake and the green valley is a treat to the eyes. This popular summer retreat is located at an altitude of about 1,615 m above sea level.
Mekadatu
The word Mekadatu literally means goat's leap in the local language. The name of the place has an interesting legend related to it. According to the legend, the holy river Arakavathi flows into a ravine narrow enough for a goat to leap across. Hence the name Mekadatu. The river Arakavathi flows through a deep gorge only to make the confluence with the river Cauvery where you can also visit the Hindu temple of Lord Sangameshwara.
Big Banyan Tree
As if the list above is not enough, Mother Nature seems to have bestowed all her love to this garden city of Bangalore. This is especially felt when you see the gigantic banyan tree spread over almost three acres of land. It is situated at a distance of about 28 kilometres west of Bangalore at Ramohalli. You must not miss a visit to this place to have a look at the tree.
Banerghatta National Park
Another natural retreat to visit in Bangalore is the Banerghatta National Park. Situated at a distance of approximately 11 kilometres from Bangalore, the park houses some of the exotic species of flora and fauna. If interested, you can also explore the nearby temples here. The Banerghatta National Park is also a birdwatcher's paradise for it has more than a thousand species of birds in it. |
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