Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru located in Karnataka is actually the capital city which is positioned in the southern part of India. India’s third most popular city, also known as the IT capital and Silicon Valley because of its various information technology companies, software companies and electronic goods manufacturing companies was actually designed by Kempe Gowda. Today Bangalore is the fastest growing metropolitan city which has also converted into a major commercial hub. The city is famous for its heavy industries, aerospace organizations, telecommunication companies and defense organizations.

Bangalore: Lal Bagh

Bangalore includes well known colleges for education and attracts numerous students from all over the world. Being a metropolitan city, there are people from all walks of life speaking different languages. Although, the local language of the city is Kannada, still most of the people converse in Hindi and English being the national and international language, respectively. The natural lakes, trees and emerald green parks make it eminent as the garden city of India, as well.

Climate

Bangalore has a typical tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. Since, the city is about 3000 feet above the sea level, it always experiences a moderate climate where summers are not very hot and winters are bearable. The coldest month in Bangalore is January with a minimum temperature of about 13 degrees centigrade and the hottest month of the year is April with a temperature going up to 40 degrees centigrade. The city even experiences rainy seasons from the month of August to October and receives rainfall from both northeast and southwest monsoon. Summers in the city are usually accompanied by few thunderstorms which makes the season cool, moderate and enjoyable.

Places of Interest

Bangalore is one of the most happening capitals where numerous visitors come from around the world to revel in the beauty of nature. The pleasant climate, friendly people and different tourist spots attract vacationers from different locations. The great parks, natural lakes, shopping malls, theaters, pubs, discos, amusement parks, water parks, exhibitions and a huge chain of restaurants never lets the travelers get bored. Some of the famous tourist spots include:

• Lal Bagh: The famous Lal Bagh is a 2400 acre botanical garden that was actually planned by great ruler Hyder Ali. His son Tipu Sultan added more charm to the garden by planting several trees and flowering vegetation that was imported from different countries. Today, these trees add so much beauty to the park that one feels soothed in such a tranquilizing atmosphere. People can find more than 1000 species of trees and plants which even include some rare genus.

The main attraction of the garden is the glass house whose architecture resembles the Crystal Palace of London. Other attraction is the clock that is made out of plants and flowers. The garden hosts flower show every year where people from all over India participate and here one can witness the actual beauty of Mother Nature.

Participants of this flower competition make miniature models of some famous monuments of India out of flowers and plants that are a great delight to watch. The garden is also a great place to enjoy morning walk and fresh atmosphere. The Bangalore Development Authority accomplishes a great job by maintaining the park which makes it a great tourist attraction and a famous landmark in the city.

• The Bangalore Palace: In the year 1887, king Wodeyar built this palace in a 400 acre land. The architecture of the palace is inspired by the famous Windsor Castle where there are beautiful Gothic and Foiled windows. The palace resembles the Daria Daulat Palace (SriRangapattana near Mysore) in its battlements. It incorporates fascinating carvings and paintings that are a great delight to watch and also reveal out the story of the great carving skill that people of this land had in them. Most part is made of wood that adds more glory and beauty to the great palace. It is open to the public where people can witness some rare photos of Maharajas, Viceroys and great personalities.

Some other places to visit in Bangalore include ISKON temple, Bull Temple, Ravindra Kalakshetra, Indian Institute of Science, Innovative Film City, Ulsoor Lake, Vidhana Soudha, Jawaharlal Planetarium and Wonder La (Water Amusement Park) to name a few.

Things to Do

Bangalore is a great hub for shopping freaks where one can get started from street side and end up at the branded showrooms. The city offers a good shopping place for all kinds of budgets and for people from all walks of life. One can find the finest silk material in Bangalore and this is the reason that city is famous for silk sarees and dress materials.

Karnataka is known as the land of Sandalwood and one can stumble on various homemade handicrafts that are made of Sandalwood. One of the safest places to buy sandalwood goods is the government owned Cauvery Emporium at MG road, as one can be well assured of authenticity of the woods. The other place where people can go for shopping are MG Road, Brigade Road, Residency Road, Koramangala (Forum Mall), Garuda Mall, Bangalore Central (Located near MG Road and JP Nagar) and Commercial street. One can find all kinds of attires and different brands in this city. Moreover, there are almost all famous branded showrooms where people can easily acquire garments, leather goods, perfumes, foot wears, jewelry and everything that they desire.

Bangalore is also famous for its huge chain of restaurants, pubs and bars. One can hit upon Chinese, Thai, Korean, Mexican, North Indian and even Japanese restaurants where scrumptious cuisines are served. The coffee bars in the city are a great place to spend some time talking with the friends, colleagues and family members. Some famous coffee bar chains include Barista and Café Coffee Day.

Transportations

Bangalore is a well connected city and one will never face problems in commuting from one place to the other. The city incorporates numerous options of public transport like bus (run by BMTC) that has both AC and Non AC busses, auto rickshaws and taxi service. The city is now also coming up with metro train project that would take a few more years to get started. Going around Bangalore and finding a public transport at any time of the day is very easy.

Accommodation

Bangalore has various accommodation options for people with different budgets. Ranging from five star hotels to budgeted rooms, vacationers can opt for anything. Some of the famous hotels include Ashoka, Windsor Manner, Lee Meridian, Leela Palace, The Taj, Hotel Chancery, Royal Orchid, Chalukya and Pai Hotel chain to name a few. There are a few service apartments as well which can be hired as per individual preferences. So, plan a holiday to Bangalore and spend a great time with the family.