Vidhana Soudha
Cubbon Park
Lal Bagh Garden
Tippu's Palace
Bannerghatta National Park
Nandi Hills
Bull Temple
ISKON Temple
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The garden city Bangalore has been popular amongst the tourists for its scenic surroundings laden with gardens. Apart from being the City of Gardens it is the Mecca of Software Professionals in India giving it the deserving status of 'The Silicon Valley of India'. The
marvelous
architecture of the historical buildings leaves you spellbound in any case. As a tourist you can explore the scientific and art museums, the fort and palace, temples and lakes within the city.
Vidhana Soudha
The
Vidhana
Soudha or the State Secretariat, a hallmark in architecture and the centre of attraction in the city was built in 1954. It projects a fine amalgamation of modern architecture and traditional Dravidian architecture.
Cubbon Park
Adjacent to the
Vidhana
Soudha building lies the Cubbon Park, well spread in 120-hectare Park, houses a group of neo-classical styled government buildings.
Lawns with vibrant flower beds, shady bowers and flowering trees, make this an ideal place for fitness freaks and the elderly to take their morning jogs or evening walks.
It also houses Bal Bhavan - an amusement park for children. Cubbon Park is open to the public at all times, but is closed to traffic from 5 am to 8 am every day. In spite of the monstrous pollution in the city, it still remains an Oasis of greenery in the heart of modern Bangalore. Situated close to the High Court is the State Central Library. It is worth a visit for its rare treasure of books and building has the " Pompeian red" colour and architectural style of stone and fluted pillars, with walls finished in lime plaster. Apart from its rich flora, Cubbon Park houses a number of other institutions of significance like the Cheshire Dyer Memorial Hall, Ottawa Chatter, Century Club and the Press Club.
| Lalbagh Botanical Garden 4 Kms from MG Road |
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Regarded as one of the most richly diverse Botanical Garden's in South Asia. Lalbagh in the Southern part of the city, was laid out by Haider Ali in 1740. Spread over 97-ha (240 acres) of Parkland, many of its tropical plants were brought here by Haider Ali's son Tipu Sultan. Later, John Cameron, the Garden's Superintendent in the 1870s, imported several more rare species from Kew Gardens in London. Cameron was also responsible for initiating work on Lalbagh's famous Glass House,
modeled
on London's Crystal Palace and Conceived as a venue for horticultural shows. Surrounded by
champak
trees and pencil cedars, the Glass House has played host to several visiting dignitaries. An Annual Flower Show will be held here.
The Entrance to the Park is marked by an equestrian statue of Chamaraja Wodeyar of Mysore. Another popular attraction is the surreal Floral Clock, surrounded by Snow White and the seven dwarfs. This was a gift from Hindustan Machine Tools, leading Indian Manufacturers of Watches.
Tipu Sultan's Fort
Within the original citadel, a mud brick fort built by Kempe Gowda in 1537, lays Tipu Sultan's Palace, dating from about 1790. Made mostly out of wood with finely embellished balconies, Pillars and arches this two-storeyed structure, a replica of the Daria Daulat Bagh in Srirangapattana served as a summer retreat of Tipu sultan. He endearingly called it Rashk-e-Jannat, or the "Envy of Heaven". Although now dilapidated, it is still a hauntingly atmospheric place.
Bull Temple
One can see in the shrine atop the hill a massive garlanded black and shiny Nandi (Shiva's mount, the bull) ensconced, which dates back to 1786. The size of the Nandi is overwhelming. At the back is a small Lingam shrine. Its modern Gopuram rises, gracefully and majestically. The underground "Sri-Gavi
Gangadhareshwara
Temple" is equally fascinating, where on every year on January 14th (Makara Sankranti) it is believed that a ray of light passes between the horn of a Nandi outside the temple and lights the idol kept inside. Three levels of excavations have been carried out in the cave. One can see the black stone Hanuman. On the way to the Bull Temple there is one a temple dedicated to the Elephant God Ganesha. The Bull temple is a buzz with great activity during the Shivratri festival.
In Kannada, Basava means bull, which gives the name Basavanagudi to the locality. The temple has a giant bull carved out of a single boulder. It is a sculptural masterpiece.
The 16th-century temple dedicated to Nandi the Bull is an excellent testimony of the Dravidian temple architecture and an important place of worship for the native people.
The Venkataramanaswamy Temple, the Gavi Gangadhareswara cave temple, and the Someshwara Temple are other important tourist places in Bangalore.
ISKON Temple
Blending the Dravidian and the modern architecture in its construction the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON Temple Complex of Bangalore is a must visit option in any tourists' travel plans. Apart from its magnificent exterior, building has some of the modern facilities like the multi-vision cinema theatre, computer aided presentation theatres along with Vedic library and a preaching library. The temple also has good accommodation facility for its members and non-members.
| Bannerghatta National Park |
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Situated at a distance of approximately 11 kms from Bangalore, is the
Bannerghatta
National Park. The park houses some of the most exotic flora and fauna found in the country. The park is also a birdwatcher's paradise as some of the rare species of birds are found here. Adding to the attraction of the place are some beautiful temples worth exploring.
Places Nearby Bangalore
Mekedatu
Mekedatu
, literally meaning the goat's leap in the local language got its name, because of the holy river
Arkavathi
flowing through a ravine narrow enough for a goat to leap through. The river
Arkavathi
flows through a deep gorge only to make the confluence with the river Cauvery where you can also visit the Hindu temple of Lord Sangameshwara.
Big Banyan Tree
Bangalore seems to have the blessings of Mother Nature. You can verify this fact when you witness the gigantic banyan tree spread over almost three acres of land. Situated at a distance of about 28 kms west of Bangalore at Ramohalli, this bounty of nature is a must for all lovers of the plant life.
One of the oldest museums, 'The Government Museum of Bangalore' and the Visvesvaraya Technological and Industrial Museum dedicated to the technology and industrial development are important museums within the city.
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