BANGALORE (BENGALURU), INDIA

Once called the "Garden City of India" and the "Pensioner's Paradise", these epithets no longer apply to Bengaluru, which is today a large cosmopolitan city with diminishing green spaces and a large working population. Bengaluru is the major centre of India's IT industry, popularly known as the Silicon Valley of India.The capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Bengaluru, or Bangalore as it was earlier called is one of India’s most vibrant and modern cities. Spearheading in India all things ‘21st century’, Bengaluru is abuzz with energy, all about enthusiasm and really quite groovy in a tech miracle-big business school-arts and theatre kind of way.Bangalore enjoys a salubrious climate throughout the year and earned the nickname of 'air-conditioned city' with good reason. In recent years the IT boom has over taken the city and though it has expanded - it hasn't been rapid enough, with the result that the roads are quite congested and traffic jams common. But don't let that deter you as there are pockets of wide roads, tree-lined avenues and lovely parks and gardens that make up the green lungs of the city. 

Climate

• Summer - February to May (peak temperature is during April and May)

• Monsoon - June to October (the heaviest rains are typically between June and August)

• Winter - November to January (with December being the coldest month)

Talk

Unlike other parts of India which are extremely hot in the summer months, Bengaluru enjoys a relatively mild climate year round.

Summer temperatures can reach upto 36°C (97°F) and early morning temperatures in the winter hovers around 12°C (54°F).

Being the capital of Karnataka, the official language in Bengaluru is Kannada. However, most people are also able to speak English and Hindi. Other south Indian languages such as Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil are also spoken by the respective migrant communities. Also, Bengaluru being the cultural hub that it is, has a smattering of Tulu and Konkani speakers.

Most retail transactions in the city are conducted in English, as are most signs written in English alongside Kannada.

Basic Kannada knowledge will come very handy, while dealing with work groups like roadside vendors, maids. However most shop owners, auto drivers, bus conductors and utility service providers can coverse in hindi, if required.

Landmarks

• Vidhana Soudha
 - The legislative House of the State of Karnataka, this granite building was built by Sri K. Hanumanthaiya, Chief Minister of the then Mysore state 1951 to 1956. The then Prime Minister Sri Pandit Jawaharalal Nehru laid the foundation on 13 July 1951. It was built at an expenditure of Rs 18.4 million. Marvel of neo-Dravidian architecture and one of the most imposing building not only in Bengaluru but in India. One of the interesting feature of this building in grand stairs in its front. The grand stairs has a flight of forty-five steps 62 m (204 ft) wide 21 m (70 ft) deep giving a direct access to the foyer of first floor leading to an Assembly Chamber. The architecture of the building is based on Dravidian style, comprising richly carved bases and capitals for pillars, deep friezes, kapotha cornices, chaithya arches, heavy pediments domical finials, etc; At the same time, the construction has been on modern designs, making use of the present-day materials like steel, reinforced cement concrete glass, plastic, etc.

• Vikasa Soudha
 - Is it possible to gild a lily? Well you judge for yourself. This ultra modern construction, adjacent to majestic Vidhana Soudha built in the same classic style, is supposed to come fitted with the latest gizmos to help govern the state. It was inaugurated sometime in February 2005.

• Seshadari Iyer Memorial
 is a distinctive building constructed of red sand stone in Cubbon Park. It houses a public library and the Bengaluru High Court, while the grounds include a children's recreation area with a toy train, fairground and theater.

• Bengaluru Palace
 was constructed by the Maharajahs of Mysore. For many years the building was neglected as a tourist attraction, but is now open to the public. This is a run down building with paint peeling on the interior and generally a tourist trap to be avoided. The fee is Rs 100/200 Indian/Foreigner and Rs 500 to take photos even of the exterior. This includes a guide to point out things like the mounted elephant head, though no mention is made of the numerous nude paintings.

• Tipu Sultan's Palace
, which dates from about 1790, is the summer retreat for Tipu sultan. The two story structure is made mostly out of wood with finely embellished balconies, pillars and arches. Timings: From 9:30am to 5:30pm, All days of the week. Tickets are Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 100 for foreigners.

Temples

• The Bull Temple, located in Basavanagudi, is a typical Dravidian style temple, and is famous for its mammoth bull statue that was carved from a single boulder. Legend has it that the temple was built to appease a marauding bull that stole local crops, and that the offering was effective with the bull subsequently leaving the area. Since then, local farmers have held an annual festival to express their gratitude.

• ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Rd, ☎ +91 80 2347 1956, +90 80 2357 8346 (fax: +91 80 2357 8625) 3:45AM-8PM. Temple built on a hillock in Rajajinagar atop scenic surroundings, is a perfect blend of modern technology and spiritual harmony. The huge cultural complex was built to promote vedic culture and spiritual learning, and abounds with shops selling devotional items and souvenirs. The annual Krishna and Balarama Rath Yatra is attended by thousands.  edit

• Maruthi Mandir, a Hanuman Temple is located just opposite - 5 min drive from ISKCON temple, in the gate of Mahalakshmi Layout. This is a rock hill with huge idols of Hanuman and Mahalakshmi temples. The annual festival of Hanumad Jayanthi during December is very attractive.

• Gavi Gangadeshwara Cave Temple, located in Gavipuram, adjacent to Basavanagudi, was built by Kempe Gowda. This temple with four remarkable monolithic pillars is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple also has a rare idol of Agni god of fire. The annual festival is on Makara Shankranti and thousands of devotees flock to see the suns rays fall on the Shivlinga. The temple timings are: 7AM-12:30PM and 5PM-8:30.

• VenkataramanaSwamy Temple is a fine example of Dravidian architecture. This ancient temple was built by Maharaja Chikka Devaraya Wodeyar and is situated next to the summer palace of Tipu Sultan.

Lord Shiva Temple behind Kemp Fort, Airport Road

• Shiva Temple (Shiv Mandir), Old Airport Road. This temple has a massive monolith of Lord Shiva, located in the middle of an artificial pool. There is a cave-like walkthrough behind the statue. It is extremely crowded on the festival of Maha Shivaratri. One can't see or feel any kind of Bhakti in this temple, because at each move inside the temple there will be a person located for collection of money which creates such a disturbance for the concentration on Bhakti. On each step the devotees will be concentrating on the money boxes (Hundi in kannada)/people standing to ask money as offerings. After coming out, one feels as if one has come out of a commercial Shiva temple. So sad to say this. Free entrance, camera Rs 25.  edit

• Banaswadi Hanuman Temple, constructed in the Dravidian style, attracts a large number of devotees especially on week-ends. It has smaller temples dedicated to Lord Rama, Shiva and Ganapathi within the walled compound.

• Ragi Gudda is a famous Hanuman temple abode in the Jayanagar 9th block, South of Bengaluru. The temple is situated on a mammoth rocky hill, and has very attractive chain of temples like Spathika Shiva, Ganesha and scenery within the premises. This is a very crowd attracting place during the period of Hanumad Jayanthi in December. You get mahaprasadam meals on Saturday between 12 noon to 1 pm.

• Sri Raja Rajeshwari Temple located in RajaRajeshwari Nagar, just before Kengeri on Mysore Road is a famous temple dedicated to Godess Parvathi (RajaRajeshwari). It was built by a reknowned spiritual guru, Sri Sri Sri Tiruchi Mahaswaigal. Built in the ancient style with stones, the temple is very spacious. One can feel the peace and satisfaction when visited. Week ends are very crowded.

• DakshinaMukhy Nandeeshwara Temple, located in the heart of Bengaluru is very ancient temple. This is on Sampige Road in the Malleshwaram area. The speciality of the temple is that, the natural (mineral) water flows from the mouth of Nandi (naturally) which is above a ShivaLingam, and pours all over the year as Abhishekam by nature itself. This water, after Abhishekam is taken by devotees as medicinal water, believed to cure many diseases. People from all over the world take this water in small containers with a lot of trust and devotion.

• Meenakshi Sundaram Temple, Bannerghatta Rd, (after Indian Institute of Management), South of Bengaluru. Beautiful, spacious temple devoted to Sri Meenakshi Amma. Built in ancient style with stone structures, this place is very cool and mind refreshing place to see. You will feel that you are in a temple at Tamilnad, when in this temple.

• Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, There are many Ramakrishna Ashrams in Bengaluru, but the special and central one is in Gandhi Bazaar - the place of temples in Bengaluru. This mutt contains a vast meditating hall, a beautiful park, a vedic school and many more facilities. Sri Sharada Devi had meditated on a location in the park in this boundary. This location is preserved as a monument. A stone on which Swami Vivekananda had sat when he visited Bengaluru is also kept as a monument. This is a calm and peaceful place for the place who enjoy the meditation.

Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) has its international headquarters in Bangalore, India at Ved Vignan Mahavidyapeeth or VVM campus (usually referred to as the Art of Living's international facility in Bangalore, or as the Bangalore Ashram)and has regional centers in more than 150 countries. In Europe, the organization is known as the Association for Inner Growth. The Foundation was founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and offers a variety of personal-development and trauma-relief programs around the world.AOLF has been an educational and humanitarian organization in the U.S. since 1989. Accredited as a United Nations non-governmental organization in 1996, it works in special consultative status with the UN's Economic and Social Council, participating in a variety of committees and activities relating to health, education, sustainable development, conflict resolution, and disaster relief.

COMMONLY KNOWN AS :

• Garden City of India

• Silicon Valley of India

• Pensioners' Paradise

• IT capital of india

• Pub city

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