My Favourite Place on Earth - BANGALORE

Bangalore is a city in southern India, capital of Karntaka State, one of India's largest cities and chief industrial centers. It is located on the Mysore Plateau at an elevation of 949 m (3113 ft) and is formed by Kempegowda. Legend has it that the name Bangalore comes from "boiled beans" (Benda Kaluru), which were served by a humble old lady to a hungry ruler in the 10th century. Bangalore, known for its mild climate is a heaven for many retired people, who live in the modern residential sections surrounding the congested inner city.

Bangalore has various nicknames like "Garden City of India",because of its greenery and various parks, "Silicon Valley of India" because of the numerous Software Companies and the great percentage of software professionals which the city has given to the world, " The Pub city" as a result of plenty of pubs and bars in the posh Brigade Road, M G Road, Infantry Road, K G Road etc., " The Fashion Capital of India" because of the birth of new fashion, and Last but not the least, Bangalore is even gaining the status of the "Floriculture Capital" due to the present blossoming of flower exports from the city. Since 1947, Bangalore has also developed into a major transportation and manufacturing center, with industries producing communications equipment, machine tools, aircraft, electric motors, printed materials, textiles, footwear, and timepieces. Bangalore is the base of India's space program. Since the late 1970s it has also been developing as a computer software production center, home to more than 100 software and hardware companies. Bangalore University (1964) is located here; other significant educational and research institutes include the noted Indian Institute of Science (1909), The Indian Institute of Management, and the University of Agricultural Sciences (1964). The Old Palace of the Maharaja of Mysore is an important landmark too.
Bangalore grew around a fort established in 1537. It was a British administrative center from 1831 to 1881, when it was returned to the Maharaja of Mysore. Today it has almost become the fifth metro of India and is fastest growing city in Asia. Bangalore with its beautiful locales is a delightful place with an amalgamation of various rich cultures, crafts, heritage centers et al., It has an enviable posterity and presents much to be discovered. Population (1991) 2,660,088.

Landmarks of Bangalore:::::::
Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore

Located in Bangalore, in southern India, Vidhana Souda is considered one of the country's most spectacular buildings. Built in 1954 in neo-Dravidian style, this granite building which houses the Karntaka State Legislature and the secretariat is one of the largest civic structures in the country. It was built after the transfer of power took place from the Wadeyar dynasty to a legislature. The then Chief Minister, K Hanumanththaiah, wanted a 'people's palace' that would 'reflect the power and dignity of the people.' Its design combines styles of architecture from Bangalore, Mysore and Somnathpur with features from Rajasthan and the rest of India. The facade sports a four-headed lion and a rather quaint motto for a secular country 'Government's work is God's work'.

Lalbagh and Cubbon Park

Located in the southern part of the city is the huge botanical gardens known as Lalbagh. The varieties of flora and fauna are indeed a treat to watch. Spread out over a massive area of 240 acres, Lal Bagh is indeed a pleasant green spot in the Garden City. Sultan Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan were inspired by the splendid Mughal gardens and the French botanical gardens of Pondicherry--and gifted modern Bangalore with lush Lalbagh. The garden boasts of one of India's largest collection of rare tropical and subtropical plants and many well- labelled century old trees.
The Yearly Flower Show is one of the greatest attractions to the Bangalorians which even draws crowd from all over the country. There is an extensive horticultural seedling center. The British brought in gardeners from Kew in 1856 and built a military bandstand and a glasshouse, which is based on London's Crystal Palace and hosts flower shows. Hemmed in by champaka trees and pencil cedars, the glass house has played host to several visiting dignitaries like Gandhiji, Rabindranath Tagore and Queen Elizabeth II. One of Kempa Gowda's original watchtowers rests on the Lal Bagh rock and you can check out the surreal floral clock surrounded by Snow White and the seven dwarfs. The gardens are open from 8 am to 8 pm but leave once it gets dark, as unsavoury characters seem to emerge out of the woodwork after the sun sets. If you arrive at dawn definitely check out the MTR Tiffin Room that has exceptional south Indian food.

Cubbon Park is another area in the heart of the city, opposite the Vidhana Soudha which still retains the greenery and fresh air in spite of the monsterous pollution created by the Bangalore Traffic. One of the main 'lungs' of Bangalore, Cubbon Park (on the western edge of M G road) is a welcome green space (300 acres) in the heart of the city. It was laid out in 1864 by Sir Richard Sankey, the then Chief Engineer of Mysore, and named after Sir Mark Cubbon. The park is a pleasant escape from the surrounding urban chaos and a great place to relax and read during the day though it is better to leave before it gets dark as there have been instances of chain snatching and robbery. There is a small children's amusement park called Bal Bhavan, where adults are wisely not allowed to enter unless accompanied by a minor. A restaurant has been built at one end of Cubbon Park.

A couple of Gulmohur trees and massive clumps of bamboo form the backdrop for three statues: Jaya Chamrajendra Wodeyar, Queen Victoria, and King Edward VII. The well restored neo-classical High court, the grand public library, two municipal museums and a boring aquarium stand on the fringes of Cubbon Park.



Brigade Road and M G Road

South Parade although have all changed their looks,the past is still retained by a few oldies like Higginbottams, Youth Hostel,and a few houses on the opposite side of MG Road near East Parade Church are classics. Brigade Road has very few oldies, like Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium, the Post Office which still bears the British Government Coat of Arms (1914). Brigade's had Basco's for Ham (Omeer Building), Nilgiris for pastries, Crown (Crowns) Cafe for puffs, Lakeview for Icecreams, EGK or GK Vales for photos, India Coffee House for real coffee, pubs and Bars. South Parade Grounds looks a little different with the introduction of Field Marshal Carippa Park at one end of the Grounds (opposite the Oriental Building- now called the Kumble Circle after the cricketeer, Anil Kumble),and the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium with its floodlights and gantrys. The Kamandheru Restuarant on MG's has now become a "Prestige Maidan" place, gone is the family atmosphere it once had. The only old Family Restaurant around is Victoria Hotel (just opposite the Mayo Hall). Church Street does have one or two old houses, as well as St. Mark's Road with it's India Garage. Infantry Road is quite famous with the big shopping complex Safina Plaza. The Kempegowda road or K G Road in the Majestic Area is another busy commercial place for the tourists.

Other still existing landmarks are the Bull Temple at Basavanagudi, the Gangadharesvara Cave Temple, built in Kempe Gowda's period in mid 16th Century, the Tippu Sultan's Summer Palace, the Ground Level water Tank on Palace road, the Mysore Maharaja's Bangalore Palace, Venkatappa Art Gallery and Museum, Government Museum, Visveshwariah Technological Museum, the Ulsoor Lake and the Sankey Tank. Cunningham Road, Palace Road and Infantry Roads have some really old buildings,and so also on Lalbagh Road.

While the Bannerghatta Park, Neeladri WaterPark, Crazy Waters are all theme parks for children, the Hare Krishna Mandir (ISKCON) and the Anjaneya temple at Mahalakshmi Layout are places of peace for the religious. The Planetorium is a new attraction to the people of Bangalore.

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