Bangalore

The name Bangalore encompass so many sobriquets like Garden City, Silicon Valley of India, Pub City and so on. One of the prettiest cities in India, Bangalore is bestowed with the marvels of nature at its best. This sprawling city is indeed a garden city with a vast expansion of lovely gardens and parks. All around greenery and a salubrious climate makes Bangalore a favourite holiday spot of all age groups. Bangalore unfurls a lot of gorgeous places to the visitors that provide unparallel beauty and relaxation.

The Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore portrays a multi linguistic society whose life is centered around the posh techno city offices. Bengaluru, as the city is officially called, is the final word in the IT field. As the city is bursting with the presence of several multinational companies, Bangalore plays a significant role in the future of India.

Being home to various public sector undertakings, software companies, heavy industries, telecommunications, aerospace, heavy equipment, machine tools, and defense organizations, Bangalore has developed into one of India's foremost fiscal centers and is referred to by CNN as one of the "finest places to do business in the hyper world".

Since Independence, Bangalore has shown an impressive growth in the educational sectors and now the city holds some of the prestigious institutions in the country. Today the city has gained the acclamation of being the second literate metros in India.

With its gorgeous parks, boulevard, cinema complexes and historical testaments, Bangalore is indubitably sparkling with life and vigor. Though a contemporary, busy city and a vital business center, Bangalore remains one of India's appealing cities. One can enjoy the sizzles of tradition along with the scurry of swift urban life. Placed at an altitude of 920 meters and with a very pleasing ambiance, the city studded with well laid parks and gardens, tree flanked avenues, magnificent buildings and vigorous bazaars. This city would definitely arise the romantic feelings hidden beneath your soul.

History
Bangalore has got a legendary past that narrates the tale behind the beautiful name. It dates back to the early years of the 12th century. Whlie on a hunting trip, Veera Ballalla, the then king of the Deccan plateau, had lost his way in the deep forest. An old lady whom he had met in the deep woods benevolently treated him with baked beans. As a token of gratitude, the king constructed a town with the help of Kempe Gowda and named it as Benda Kalooru, the meaning of which is Baked beans.

Some historians propose that the name originates from the Benga or "Ven-kai" tree and lots of other stories are popular among the people. The name Bengaluru has found a mention in the Ganga inscription of 9th century. The founder of modern Bangalore is Kempe Gowda-I, who had constructed a mud wall around the city in the year 1537. He called his new township as Gandu Bhoomi, which means the "Land of Heroes".

After the decline of the Vijayanagara empire, Bangalore had been ruled over by so many dynasties. In 1759, Haider Ali ascended to the thrown of Mysore and Bangalore gained prominence under the rule of his son Tipu Sultan. It had been under the glorious rule of the illustrious Tipu, till his defeat in the year 1799, in the fourth Anglo Mysore war. Then like all other Indian cities of that time, The English took possession of Bangalore. In the same year they shifted the residency of Mysore State to Bangalore and later in 1831, Bangalore has been officially declared as the capital of the then Mysore State. It was continued to be the same till the rise of a new state by the name Karnataka.

Bangalore experienced speedy development during the periods 1941-51 and 1971-81, by the influx of scores of immigrants from other parts of the state. Subsequent decades had shown a sustained development with the arrival of private companies and multi national companies. Towards the end of the 20th century, Bangalore has become the focal point of India’s IT revolution.

Culture
Cultural life in Bangalore is intertwined with the diversity of its populace. Almost all nook and corner of India have their representative in this Silicon Valley and so almost all festivals are being celebrated with equal vigor and enthusiasm. However, Bangalore has its own traditional festivals like Dussera, Deepavali, Ganesh Chaturthi and Ugadi.

Dussera is the national festival of Karnataka, which symbolizes the triumph of truth. A conventional commemorative characteristic of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom, this festival has got a great significance on the Kannadiga population in Bangalore. Other festivals like Sankranthi, Eid-ul-Fitr and Christmas are also celebrated with great fervor.

Bangalore is the hub of the Kannada film industry where more than fifty films are releasing every year. Apart from the Sandalwood (the nickname of Kannada film field), this city houses numerous concerts and classical performances of veteran artists. Parallel cinema and theatre are very much alive in the cultural circle of the city.

Since a large section of the city’s populace is the software professionals working for multinational companies, the city witnesses the influence of western culture. Most of these are in their mid twenties with pubs, discotheques and partying become a part of their life. This has pave way for a new culture and that is why the city is regarded as a fast developing metropolis.

Food
Since time immemorial, Bangalore has received populace from all parts of India, naturally the food habits of the people show the influence of all cuisines. Like every other states, Karnataka has its own special dishes and culinary. Desserts form an incredible part of traditional Kannada feast. Some of the trendy saccharine dishes of Karnataka are Mysore Pak, Dharwad Peda, Chiroti, Obbattu Gokak, Kardantu and Shavige Payasa.

Bangalore provides you with an array of standard hotels and restaurants where you would get South Indian, North Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese or the Continental varieties. A perfect location for food lovers, Bangalore provides a galore of alternatives to the visitors. From the posh star hotels to the roadside restaurants, travelers are offered with good tasty foods. From the crispy dosas along with fizzy sambhar in the food jaunts to the comfort of the air-conditioned luxurious hotels, the city offers something for each visitor.

If you prefer some exquisite Bangalore dishes, then Rice Bowl in Bangalore would be the apt choice. Don’t hesitate to sip the hot tea served in the earthen pots and the aromatic coffee in the stainless steel glasses since they are simply superb. Make the trip as jovial as possible by tasting all the delicacies of Bangalore both traditional and the exotic.

Nightlife
Nightlife in Bangalore is so exhilarating that it unwinds the hustle and bustle of the tiring daytime. This effervescent city of swanky professionals takes every opportunities to enliven their nighttime. Bangalore has an energetic and vivacious multi-ethnic nightlife.

Famed as the Pub Capital of India, Bangalore boast of classic pubs, bars and discotheques. These places are the hot spots of the young genre of Bangalore that encompass youths from the length and breadth of the country. Apart from the usual rocky noises and perky dancing numbers this nightclubs also offers stunning performances of world class artists.

Dancing to the tune of the noisy music with a glass of your favourite drink would surely be a thrilling experience. Some of the pubs conduct live shows and competition for DJ’s of famous channels. One of the alluring features of the late night extravaganza of Bangalore is the active participation of an energetic crowd.

Nightlife in Bangalore is not just the pubs and the bars. One would also get the chances to witness enthralling performances of great classical dancers and Muscians. If you want to be in the midst of such wonderful programmers, Chowdaiah Memorial Hal would be a great choice.

Shopping
Banglore offers a delightful shopping to all with its wide variety of objects. There are so many places that provide exquisite items of one’s choice. Both traditional and modern artifacts are easily available in this metro. Handicrafts, which boast of the ethnicity of the city is the hot favourite of all the visitors. For sandalwood products you won’t get a nice place than Banglore. If you want to take home the traditional items, shops in MG Road area would be the best choice.

This metro offers an array of stunning malls, shopping arcades and plazas that make your shopping a pleasant experience. There is nothing that you won’t get from these most modern centers of shopping. Commercial Street, Brigade Road, Jayanagar Shopping Complex, Jayachamarajendra Road and Russel Market are the main shopping centers.

Shopping with some entertainment is the main attraction of Brigade Road. You will get almost everything at a single stretch and so those who do not have much time to spare this would be the perfect location. Since Bangalore is a trendy city, one would come across numerous fashion boutiques in an around the city. You can try these centers if your wallet allows you such a luxury.

From the branded shops of world class shirting’s and clothing’s to designer wares, from the aesthetic handmade articles to junk ornaments, from house hold utensils to marvelous gifts, shops and markets in Bangalore unfurls a magical world before the traveler.