About Bangalore

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About Bangalore

Bangalore 'the silicon valley of India', is one of the fastest growing cities in the whole of Asia. The city is located towards the southeast in the South Indian state of Karnataka at the height of 3113 ft. above the sea level. Due to its exotic location the city vaunts a favorable climate throughout the year, also the lush green environs and other scenic settings of the city draw a large number of tourists to it every year. Bangalore is the third most populous city in the country and an IT and education hub with lot of software companies and educational institutes finding their base in the city. People from far and near come to reside in this magical city either for work or to study. The amalgamation of diversified people has given Bangalore a cosmic character, the influence of which can be apparently seen in its mixed culture, varied cuisines and plethora of art forms. The city has a number of verdant gardens due to which it is also called the 'Garden city of India'. The mesmerizing environs of Bangalore attract many senior citizens to settle in the city after their retirement, it is thus called as 'the pensioners paradise'. Bangalore also houses a number of recreational facilities that include pubs, shopping malls, restaurants, theaters and enchanting night lives.

Bangalore is also a home to various spellbinding attractions and excursions. The traditional Indian silk, Lambani tribal jewelery and detailed wood carvings are the conventional art forms of the city. Bangalore also observes a number of distinct fairs and festivals all round the year. The city also houses some of the country’s pioneer scientific establishments like ISRO, IISc, National Aerospace Laboratories and Indian Institute of Astrophysics etc. The world renowned management institute IIMS (Indian Institute of management Studies) also has its arm in Bangalore. Few of the industries set in the city are software companies, telecommunication, aerospace, heavy industries and defence organisations.

History of Bangalore

Bangalore the 'IT hub of India' has an appealing history associated with it. The origin of the city can be traced back to the 11th century AD when the Hoysala King Veera Ballala ruled South India. Once on a hunting spree, the king got lost in the dense jungle. But fortunately he came upon an old woman who offered him refuge for the night and served some boiled beans as dinner. The King got overwhelmed with the gratitude showed by the old lady and as a token of thankfulness he constructed a town and named it as “Benda Kalooru”, a Kannada term which means “city of boiled beans”. Bangalooru remained under the control of Hoysalas dynasty until the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336. In 1537, Kempe Gowda, a feudal lord under Vijayanagara Kings and a hunting enthusiast saw an instance of his dog being chased by a powerless hare. This inspired him to call the city a 'heroic land'. Later he with the help of the then King redesigned the town of Bangalore and gave it its modern shape.

After the fall of Vijayanagar Empire in 1638, Bangalore went in to the hands of Sultans who ruled the city for a conspicuous period. Thereafter, Mughals took over the city. However, their rule did not last too long and in 1687, the kingdom was transferred to King Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar of Mysore. Later in 1759, the town was offered to Hyder Ali in the form of 'jagir' by Krishna Raja Wodeyar II, who converted the city into an army town. In the year 1799, when Tipu Sultan died, the British returned the kingdom back to Krishna Raja Wodeyar III. However, the British again took over the kingdom in 1831, citing misrule by Krishna raja Wodeyar III as the reason. It was under the British rule that Bangalore started developing into a modern city, with all the contemporary facilities like railways, telegraphs, post and telegraph, etc. The city was again given back to the Wodeyars in 1881. However, since the British Commissioners were based in Bangalore, its development into a contemporary city continued unrestrained. After India gained independence in the year 1947, Bangalore became the capital of Karnataka. From then onwards, the city has observed massive growth and development in all spheres i.e education, culture, technology, art forms and so on.

Culture

Bangalore is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The technological and industrial feats of the city attract a large number of people from all across the world. Since the city is a conflation of several people, there is no specific culture being observed in Bangalore. Different people bring along different rituals, languages, foods, clothes etc. that inspire the city to acquire a ecumenical character. The influence of this cultural assortment can be clearly seen in its changing cultural heritage. Bangalore has shown a drastic facelift in its traditional cultural forms i.e arts, crafts, dances, theater, paintings, pottery, weaving etc while retaining their authenticity.

Today Bangalore is viewed as one of the most happening cities in the country as it has something for everyone. The city houses an array of pubs, spell binding night life, shopping malls, restaurants and other finest recreational facilities. The people of Bangalore are very amicable and extend a warm welcome to new people, ideas and changes. There are many religions followed in Bangalore with Hinduism being the dominant one. Kannada is the widely spoken language in the city, however English and Hindi are not far behind. Bangalore also showcases a striking variegate in its cuisnes, the city eats all from authentic South Indian to lip smacking North Indian, from Chinese to Western fast foods, from Mughlai to Continental etc, so you will certainly not face any food issues while you are in Bangalore as you will surely get something or the other to pamper your taste buds. Be it Ganesh Chaturthi or Eid Ul-Fitr, Sankranthi or Christmas, the city celebrates all the festivals with equal enthusiasm and delight.

Climate

Bangalore the garden city of India, witnesses a dry tropical Savannah type of climate with moderate temperature most of the year. The city is located at the height of 949 metres (3113 ft.) above the sea level on top of a ridge on the Karnataka plateau in the Indian Peninsula.

Monsoon - Bangalore receives rainfall from both the northeast and the southwest monsoons. The rainy season starts from July till September with August and September being the wettest months.

Summer - Max.Temp is around 36˚C and the Min.Temp is around 20 ˚C. The summer months are from April till June. The hottest month is April with an average high temperature of 33.6 °C. Evenings and nights are generally cold.

Winter - Max. Temp is around 27˚C and the Min.Temp is around 17 ˚C. The winter months are from October to February. The coolest month is January with an average low temperature of 15.1 °C. Evenings and nights are quite cold.

Bangalore is pleasant and traversable throughout the year. The city neither faces extreme summers nor extreme winters. The summer temperature is lowered down by fairly frequent rain showers.

How to Reach

By Air :Bangalore has an International Airport 13 kms east of the city station. The city is well connected with major metropolitan cities in India - Mumbai, Delhi etc through direct flights around the year.

By Train : Bangalore has two railway stations. The city is directly connected with the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai by Express trains. Trains are easily available throughout the year.

By Road : Bangalore is well-connected to other cities by Indian Highways and State highways. The city has a large bus terminus that operates Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses and buses from Tamil Nadu and Goa Roadways. The city is well linked to Hospet, Chennai, Mysore and Mumbai. To commute with in the city you can avail the public transport i.e KSRTC buses or cabs.