Karnataka Tours and Travel

With its world-class IT industry and scientific research facilities, Bangalore is considered by many to be India's science and technology capital. The capital city of Karnataka is also known as the Garden City because of its many beautiful gardens and parks along with pink cassias, golden acacias and jacarandas, which bloom throughout the city. From its comfortable perch of 3,250 feet above sea level, Bangalore offers visitors delightful weather conditions throughout the year. The pleasant climate is also conducive to greenery in the city. The city is a popular destination for all leisure seekers, for which the mild climate of Bangalore is amply suited. This metropolitan city has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions like the Cubbon Park, Visvesvaraya Technological and Industrial Museum, Tipu Sultan's Fort, Venkataramanaswamy temple and the Someshwara temple etc. Moreover, Bangalore with its many pubs and bars guarantee a pulsing nightlife and high spirits. Also on offer in the city are historic monuments, contemporary shopping malls, a racecourse, two golf courses, traditional art and crafts stores and friendly people.
How to Reach Bangalore
Bangalore is connected by air, rail and road to Delhi, Chennai, Bombay and Calcutta and to most other Indian cities and towns and also foreign countries.

Air: The Bangalore airport is located at a distance of 13 kilometers east of the City station. There are number of daily flights to important cities like Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Goa, Kochi, Mangalore, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. Bangalore has direct international flights to Muscat, Sharjah and Singapore. It is also a stopover for numerous international connecting flights via Mumbai, including flights to the Gulf States, Paris, London, New York and Singapore.

Rail: There are two railway stations in Bangalore. The main station is well connected to all major Indian cities. There are number of daily express trains from Bangalore to other cities of India.

Road: Bangalore has a large bus terminus, which is near the railway station. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses and buses belonging to Tamilnadu and Goa Roadways also operate from here.). Bus service is available for Mysore, Ernakulam, Hospet, Jog Falls, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Madurai, Coimbatore, Ooty and Panaji.

Prime Attractions in and around Bangalore
Bangalore has a number of tourist attractions worth visiting in the city as well as around it. The tourist places have significant historical and religious value along with the contemporary interests. Apart from the numerous gardens, it also has some historical sites and other places of interest.

Vidhan Soudha
The Vidhan Soudha makes the major attraction in Bangalore. The building is a massive neo-Dravidian architecture presently functioning as the state legislative assembly and it also houses a part of the Karnataka secretariat. Built in 1954, it is a marvel of modern architecture and is a fine amalgamation of traditional Dravidian and modern styles.

The Vidhan Soudha, situated at Dr Ambedkar Veddi Road, was built between the years 1954 and 1958. It is a beautiful building and one of the major centers of attraction in Bangalore. On the opposite side of the Vidhan Soudha is another public building, the High court of Karnataka. It is a red brick building built in 1885.

Cubbon Park
The 120-hectare park, located near the Vidhan Soudha, has a number of neo-classical styled government buildings. Lord Cubbon laid the park in the year 1864. It is spread over an area of about 300 acres and the layout is absolutely exquisite. The park is green and dotted with fountains, statues and flowering trees. The Attara Kacheri, the central library, the aquarium, the Jawahar Bal Bhavan with its mini theatre and toy train, the museum, VITM and KSLTA tennis court are with in the premises of the Cubbon Park.

Government Museum
This is one of the oldest museums in the country, opened in 1886. It has 18 galleries including Neolithic finds from the Chandravalli excavations and from the Indus valley, especially Mohenjodaro antiquities. The museum exhibits antique jewellery, textiles, coins and miniature paintings.

Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens
The Botanical garden were laid out by Haider Ali in 1760, while his son Tipu Sultan added plants and trees from different countries. It was originally called Lalbagh because the garden had a profusion of red roses. It has a very good collection of tropical and sub tropical and medicinal plants. The glass house, made on the lines of the London Crystal Palace, is the main attraction in this huge park. The Rose garden is another attraction at Lal Bagh garden. It is placed at the heart of the Lal Bagh, near the north gate entrance. 150 different varieties of roses are grown here. The garden displays major varieties of flowers in the week before the Republic Day and the Independence Day. The gardens are open every day from sunrise to sunset. The entry is free during flower shows.

Nandi Hills
Sixty kilometers from Bangalore is the Nandi Hill Resort, which is also famous for its temples and fort. The small hill station, about 60 kms from Bangalore, was a popular summer retreat of both Tipu Sultan and the British. The Bull Temple at the Nandi Hills is one of the oldest temples in the city and was built by Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore. This typical Dravidian style temple has a massive, monolithic Nandi bull, 15 ft high and 20 ft long. It is made of gray granite polished with a mixture of charcoal and groundnut oil. The temple is dedicated to Nandi, the Bull, is an important place of worship.

Ulsoor Lake
Ulsoor Lake, on the North-Eastern edge of the city, is an important picnic spot. The perfect gateway for picnics or excursions, it is surrounded by picturesque islands. This pretty picnic spot is on the northeastern fringe of the city center. One can enjoy boat ride or swim in the nearby pool. One of Kempegowda's watch towers stand near by the Ulsoor Lake.

Bannerghatta National Park
21 km from the city, the Bannerghatta National Park has an area of 874 sq kms, located amidst sylvan surroundings; this park has a crocodile farm, and a tiger and lion safari. Rivers and gorges traverse the hilly landscape of the park. The tree crop consists of dry deciduous and miscellaneous species. The animals to be seen here are tiger, leopard cat, sloth bear, four horned antelope, elephant, flying squirrel and mouse deer. The reptiles are mugger and monitor lizard. The main birds are spoonbill, jungle fowl, partridge, bush quail, woodpeckers, teal and coot. Bannerghatta National Park:

Whitefield Ashram
In Whitefield, about 20 km east of Bangalore, lies the summer Ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, where he is usually in residence between March and May. His main ashram, Puttaparthi, is in neighboring Andhra Pradesh. The Ashrama is quiet and peaceful. The devotees come from all over the word to visit the ashram.

Tipu's Summer Palace
The Tipu's Palace and the adjoining fort are fine examples of Indo-Islamic architecture that also offer a glimpse into the Mughal lifestyle of the day. Haidar Ali started the construction of this palace and this wooden summer palace completed by Tipu Sultan in 1789. The palace has battlements and turrets, Gothic windows and foiled windows resembling the Daria Daulat Palace of Srirangapatnam. The double-storeyed lavishly ornamented palace is made of wood and is known for its carving and paintings. The walls and ceilings are painted in bright colors with carvings. The building now days are used as exhibition hall of the photographs of Tipu and his era.

Bangalore Palace
The Bangalore Palace was built in 1887 by a Wodeyar king. The architecture of the palace is inspired by the Windsor Palace and based on the Tudor style. It covers an area of about 800 acres and the interiors are done with elegant woodcarvings. The palace is situated in the middle of the Bangalore city and is easily accessible by the tourists.

ISKCON Temple
Built in an ornate architectural style, on a sprawling 7 acre plot, atop the Hare Krishna hill, the Krishna Temple is a blend of modern technology and spiritual harmony. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON-- Temple Complex of Bangalore is a marvelous building structure. It is a harmonious blend of the Dravidian and modern architecture. The main temple hall houses the altars of Their Lordships Sri Radha Krishna, Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Nitai Gouranga. You will find the Golden Chandelier shaped like an inverted Lotus Flower. The building possesses 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.

Hesaraghatta Lake
Situated at a distance of 27 km, this artificial lake is spread over 1,000 acres providing facilities for sailing. A livestock breeding and poultry centers has been established here as a part of the Indo-Danish dairy project.

Nrityagram
This dance village, 30 km northwest of Bangalore, was established in the early 1990s to revitalize Indian classical dance. Under the patronage of well-known Oddissi dancer, Protima Gauri, it offers the long-term study of classical dance and it's allied subjects, such as choreography, philosophy, music, mythology and painting.

Channapatna
Channapatna, the small village, 46 kms. from Bangalore on the Mysore highway, excels in manufacturing lacquerware, a craft practised today by over 3000 local craftsperson. Lacquerware products include brightly coloured wooden toys, door curtains, powder boxes and napkin rings, other than a range of distinctive jewellery.

Venkatappa Art Gallery
Venkatappa Art Gallery is a pleasant and inviting place for the art lovers. The gallery has about 600 paintings on display all through the year. The art gallery also has some of the exclusive collections of scenic displays.

The Nehru Planetarium
Nehru Planetarium, your gateway to the magnificent skies above.Visiting any of the shows here gives you a good view as well as factual knowledge on astronomy. Easily accessible from any corner of the city, the planetarium hosts daily shows of astronomy. It is a fascinating experience for the children. Having a seating capacity of 200, the planetorium conducts special shows for schools. The lectures and shows on astronomy are a regular features. Opposite to Nehru Planetarium is a new attraction the "Musical Dancing Fountain".

Shiva Statue
The statue is a 65 feet high depiction of Lord Shiva in a position of Padmashan or Lotus position. The statue is complete with Mount Kailash, the Lord's heavenly abode and the river Ganga flowing from his matted locks in the background. The entire area gives you a clear picture of the mythological legend related to it.

Aquarium
The sight of the Aquarium, which is the second largest in the country, is quite fascinating. Built in a well-planned manner, the Aquarium has a good collection of a variety of aquatic life. The Aquarium remains closed on Mondays.

Visveswaraiah Industrial and Technological Museum
Visveswaraiah Industrial and Technological Museum is a place for information on science and technology. The museum has various technological gadgets, working model and diagrams and displays. The museum is dedicated to the memory of Sir. M. Visveswaraiah.

Bangalore city is famous for it numerous Yoga centers, where fitness freaks can learn and practice this ancient art of keeping healthy.

The craggy rock formation around Bangalore offers adventure activities like trekking and rock climbing to the adventure seeker. Devarayandurga (70 km), and Ramanagaram (49 km) are important spots for adventure.

Shopping
Shopping is a delightful experience in Bangalore. You can take home handicrafts -- sandalwood and rosewood -- available in state-owned emporia and private stores. For gold and jewellery, you can visit the quaint Jeweller's Street. Silk sarees and silk fabric from Bangalore are a rage all over India. Some of the favourite shopping haunts ate M.G. Road, Brigade Road, Residency Road and Commercial Street. Bargain hunters tend to favour K.G. Road, Malleshwaram and Shivajinagar.