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About Bangalore |
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Bangalore or Bengaluru is the state capital of Karnataka and the third largest & most populous city of India. Bangalore city traces its history back to some 472 years when it was established as a province of the famed Vijayanagar Empire of South India. Today the city is an important economic hub of the country with a thriving Information Technology Industry rendering it the title of Silicon Valley of India.
The name Bangalore is an anglicised version of Bengaluru. The origin of Bengaluru is said to be Kannad. Legend has it that while on a hunting expedition, the king of Vijayanagar lost his way in the forest. Exhausted and hungry, he met a poor old woman who offered him baked beans to eat. The grateful king named the place "benda-kala-ooru" ("place of baked beans"), which eventually evolved into "Bengal?ru".
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The Government of Karnataka officially accepted to rechristen Bangalore to Bengaluru in 2006, but it is yet to get implemented due to certain clearances from the Union Home Ministry. Bangalore city is a fast growing modern metropolis of India. It supports a population of over 8 million. Urban development authorities of the city are struggling to match up the infrastructure demands of this rapidly expanding agglomeration.
Bangalore offers unmatched growth oppotunities that attract migrants from across the state. The industrial, corporate and institutional set up of the city is one of the best in India. Headquarters of several Public Sector Undertakings (PSU's) including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) etc. are located in Bangalore.
Besides these, over 700 companies comprise the IT industry of Bangalore city including headquarters of Wipro and Infosys. It is the nation's leading IT employer as well as exporter. Bangalore is also a major hub of aerospace, telecom, biotechnology and heavy industries in South India. The workforce of Bangalore, comprising of professionals from all across the country make it demographically diverse city.
Bangalore has a pleasant climate with moderate temperatures throughtout the year. The extended monsoon season of the city running from September to February render it a cool climate comparable to most European cities making it an ideal city for the NRI's (Non Resident Indians) to resettle in India. As a result, the city has undergone large scale real estate developments with self-contained gated housing complexes and integrated townships forming prime residential property choice of buyers.
The city has also been given a title of The Garden City. The extensive greenery of Bengaluru won it the prestigious Indira Priyadarshini Vruksha Mitra Award in 1980. Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park are two nationally recognized botanical gardens situated here. These form a definite part of any tourists' itinerary. Besides, these Banerghatta National Park, a 400-year-old Big Banyan Tree and 3000 million years old Bugle Rock are also major attractions for the nature lovers.
Several lakes, waterfalls, recreation centers etc. in and around Bengaluru form an impressive list of places of interest. Other must visit places of Bengaluru include Bangalore Palace, Tipu's Fort & Palace, Vidhan Soudha (State Legislature), Attara Kacheri (Karnataka High Court), Mayo Hall, Venkatappa Art Gallery, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, HAL Aeronautical Museum, Innovative Fim City and Electronics City.
The tourists' destinations in Bangalore having religious and spiritual significance include ISKCON Temple Complex, 65 feet high Statue of Lord Shiva, Nandi Temple or The Bull Temple, Gangadhareshware Temple, Dargah Hazarath Tawakkal Mastan, Jumma Masjid, St. Patrick's Church and St. Mary's Basilica. The picturesque Deccan region around Bengaluru city has given rise to several picnic and excursion spots including Hesaragatta, Ramohalli, Muthyalamaduvu or the Pearl Valley, Ramanagaram and nearby Janapada Loka, Nandi Hills and Mekedatu among others.
The city offers numerous restaurants serving mouthwatering cuisines. The diversity reflects in the availability of these food platters. From specialty restaurants, fast food joints and coffee shops to roadside vendors and tea stalls, from international delicacies to a variety of South Indian and North Indian dishes, Bangalore serves you all with a smile. The city is called Pub Capital of India. With the best ambience to the best liquor to the best music, Bengaluru pubs are a perfect way to ease off all the stress accumulated after a grilling day life and relax with your friends.
Bangalore is a shopper's paradise. The best buy of the city would be Bangalore silk sarees and dress materials, sandalwood and rosewood products, exquisite Lambani tribal jewellery, sculptures, intricately carved wooden furniture and books. Various shopping malls, markets, emporia etc. offer great bargains for shopping. M G Road and Brigade Road are the most popular markets amongst shoppers in Bangalore. Forum Mall, Garuda Mall, Safina Plaza in Central Bangalore and inexpensive markets like Commercial Street, Bannerghatta Road, Sampige Road, and Marathahalli Main Road complete the shopper's itinerary.
Bengaluru is easily accessible by railways and airlines from other parts of the country and also by state run buses from any other part of Karnataka. For tourists' assistance Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation is the official authority with head office in Bangalore. They organize excursion tours, sightseeing travel packages and provide complete assistance in hotel bookings as well. For further information on Bangalore city, browse through our website.
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