The Travels

Bangalore - 'The Garden City'

2011-10-08T18:04:00.001+05:30

Bangalore English pronunciation: /ˈbæŋɡəlɔər, bæŋɡəˈlɔər/, officially[6] Bengaluru (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು, Bengaḷūru ? [ˈbeŋɡəɭuːru] ( listen)) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. As of 2009, Bangalore was inducted in the list of global cities and ranked as a "Beta World City" alongside cities such as Dallas, Miami, Boston, Kuwait City, Lima, Brasilia and Munich in the studies performed by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network in 2008.

Today as a large city and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to many of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as garden city because of its beautiful gardens. Bangalore is also known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation's leading IT exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic and cultural hub and the second fastest growing major metropolis in India.

Bangalore Tourism

Located 949m above the sea level in South India on the Deccan Plateau, Bangalore enjoys a salubrious climate throughout the year. The city boasts of spacious gardens, parks, tree-lined avenues, a profusion of flowering trees, lakes and parks, earning it the sobriquet of "Garden City." The once-sedate cantonment settlement of the British has now spread way beyond the mud fort and the four towers constructed by Kempegowda in 1537. With its booming economy and racy lifestyle, the capital of Karnataka has metamorphosed from a sleepy Garden City into one of India's fastest growing, accomodating, technophiliac, and cosmopolitan cities. Bangalore is a city of contrasts, going by several other aliases: India's Silicon Valley, Pub City, Shopper's Paradise, Garden City, Air-conditioned City, Gourmet's Delight, Pub Hopper's Paradise and Shopper's Hot Spot.

Bangalore has been extolled in a dozen ways. The city not only plays host to several international IT companies, public sector enterprises, defence organisations, and reputed educational and research institutions, but also lays claim to being hte hub of India's emerging biotech industry. Bangalore has lots to offer - a rich cultural heritage, historic monuments, cultural centres, traditional arts and crafts stores, exotic cuisine, and friendly people. Amusement parks, country clubs, resorts, golf courses, cyber cafes, pubs discos, bowling alleys, billiard halls, pool parlours, bustling shopping malls, high-rise apartments and sophisticated hotels together form the new face of Bangalore. Infotainment, entertainment, science and technology parks and wildlife safari parks all merge into a vibrant, richly textured modern metropolis. Today, from a pensioner's paradise, it has transformed into one of the hottest destination for young people chasing their dreams in IT, BPO, Biotechnology and knowledge management.

Surrounded by weekend getaways, Bangalore makes an ideal hub for visitors who want to travel to the many hill stations and coastal towns of South India.

Bangalore is one of the most important tourist centers of the Karnataka state. Central business district of Bangalore consists of places MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial street, Vidhana Soudha etc. Bangalore has many lakes and parks. BMTC offers special buses for sightseeing in Bangalore, including Cauveri - a double-decker open roof bus.

Attractions

Parks

Lal Bagh: is a botanical garden, commissioned by the Hyder Ali in the year 1760. The 240-acre (0.97 km2) park is home to over 1000 species of flora and a Glass House. The park is known for its annual flower show. The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda I. The Lal Bagh Rock, dates back to 3000 million years, is another attraction.
Cubbon Park: is located in the heart of the city and spreads over 300 acres (1.2 km2). The part was created in the year 1884, by Major General Richard Sankey. The park is home to numerous trees and plants that span over 68 general and 96 species. The park is also known for its kids train.

Historical Monuments

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace Built in 1791,and located near K.R Market, is a beautiful two-storied ornate wooden structure with exquisitely carved pillars, arches and balconies. It now houses a museum that contains artifacts relating to the Hyder-Tipu regime.
Bangalore Palace: (1862) is located near Mekhri Circle and Cantonment Railway station and is built to look like a smaller replica of the Windsor Castle in England.
Mayo Hall : was designed in memory of the Lord Mayo and is regarded as one of the finest designs of British architecture.

Government Buildings

Vidhana Soudha: is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing granite building, built in the year 1956 in the 'Neo-Dravidian' style, incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles. Vidhana Soudha is the brainchild of Kengal Hanumanthaiah and built by chief engineer B.R. Manickam.
Attara Kacheri , (Karnataka High Court): Overlooking Vidhana Sabha is this red brick and stone building in the Greco-Roman style of architecture. It houses the High Court for the state of Karnataka.

Meuseums and Galleries

Bangalore Museum
Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum : The museum was instituted as part of the centenary celebrations of the engineer-statesman Sir M. Visvesvaraya (1861–1962).
Venkatappa Art Gallery
HAL Aerospace Museum: The Museum showcases the growth of the Indian aviation industry and HAL for six decades. The Museum is maintained by HAL (one of Asia's largest Aerospace companies). The museum houses displays of various aircraft and helicopters, Aircraft engine models, Flight simulators, a mock Air Traffic Control Tower and exhibit of Indian aviation history.
MITHILAsmita Art Gallery : This art gallery is dedicated to a folk art of India, Madhubani Painting and is managed by MITHILAsmita Foundation.

Places of worship

St Patrick's church: Built in 1844 this is one of the oldest churches in Bangalore and is situated on Residency Road.
Bull Temple: Built by Kempe Gowda I, it is reminiscent of the 16th century Dravidian style architecture. It has a huge granite monolith of Nandi. This landmark is situated at bull temple road, Basavangudi.
Shri Nimishamba Devi Temple: This shrine is built in the traditional Parashurama Kshetra Architectural Style that does not exist anywhere else in Bangalore or its surroundings. This temple was built with the tremendous help of the devotees of Shri Nimishamba Devi. The Temple has shrines of Devi Nimishamba, Moukthikeswara (siva), Siddhi Vinayaka, Saraswathi and Lakshmi Narayana. Chandika Homa is performed everyday in a specially designed Yagna Shala. Temple location # 93, 12th Cross, Ideal Homes Circle, Ideal Homes Township, Raja Rajeshwari Nagar,Bengaluru 560 098
Huge Shiva in old Airport Road : Built by owner of Kids Kemp-A retail outlet, is a huge Idol of Lord Shiva & Ganesha. It is completely made of plaster of paris. It is also a tourist attraction in recent times.
Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple : This is a temple known as Dakshina Kashi. The sun's rays fall on the Shivalinga only on the day of Makara Sankranthi. There is a belief that the cave tunnel underneath leads all the way to Varanasi.
ISKCON Temple Bangalore: International Society for Krishna Consciousness Built in an ornate architectural style, the Krishna Temple is a blend of modern technology and spiritual harmony. The 7-acre (28,000 m2) temple is situated on west of chord road, Rajajinagar and finest fusion of modern and traditional elements of architecture.
St. Mary's Basilica : It is the oldest church in Bangalore and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica.[3][4] It is famous for the festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, an event that attracts a number of devotees from in and around Bangalore.
Infant Jesus Church: Established in 1979 by Rev. Dr. Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore, the church draws huge crowds on Thursday, the day dedicated to Infant Jesus.
Masjid-e-Khadria: One of the most beautiful mosques in Bengaluru[5], located on Millers Road, this mosques hosts the prayers on Eid and also hosts the Haj camp.
Parshwnath Sushil Dham:It is a beautiful Jain shrine built by Rajasthan’s Surana Family in the memory of Jain saint Sushil Suriji. It is located on NH7 (Hosur Road) and is about 20 kms from the Bangalore city. Apart from the temple, the property also contains accommodation for pilgrims, a dining hall and a children's park.

What I saw?

2011-09-26T16:03:00.001+05:30

My first post 'A poem on the Train' written by me myself during two different train journeys on two completely different trains. But what that poem describes is just the good part of my journey and to say mostly only 2-5 minutes of experience. As every journey has good and bad, both parts of experience, so had mine. Now what I am gonna describe is just everything I saw out there on the train journey.

I'll start with Bangalore, when I departed from Yeswantpura Railway Station in Duronto, 3AC. Though I despise that and above classes for their lack of openness, they have their fair share of advantages too, like no problem of food availability plus a little silence. Now the silence part was what drew me to that thing. I was 3 hrs early on the platform since the train was to depart at 11.50pm and after around 10pm bus availability was something I was unsure of. Now all I had to do was to wait for the train, and I did exactly just that. I had a trolley bag with me, so I just kept it to the left of me and sat on a risen pole support. I plugged on my earphone to my mobile as well as my ears(which I usually always do) and started the song 'Ye Hai Meri Kahani' song from the movie 'Zinda'. I was just enjoying the song when a 'Punjabi Sardar' duo showed up some two feet towards my right, one at around 20yrs age and the other above 45.
Now, as is usual with sardars, these two guys were talking at the top of their voice in punjabi and either were pretending or were genuinely ignorant of the people eye-ing them. I happened to be so well acquainted with Punjabis that I too learned punjabi language and can well enough express myself and understand punjabi, even read a little bit. Was it their instict or anything else I don't know, but they came to the same pole support I was sitting on and set their base. It wasn't even past 2 minutes that they settled, sardar uncle strated saying something to me. I couldn't hear him well, so I took off one of my earphone buds and started listening. I must tell you, I am a guy who dispises missing a song he likes even if he can play it again a hundred times. And sardar uncle ji was in no mood to stop talking even after 5mins and I being polite and respectful, could not even pretend to be not listening. By luck or whatever his mobile phone rang on and I plugged on my earphone again and reset the song to 'Meri Kahani'. I wanted uncle ji to go on talking until his train comes. and then I would be a free boy again.
As you would remember, there was another sardar guy. I must say I thought him to be a better guy than uncle ji and expected him to not diturb me. Though I was wrong in even supposing that. he happened to be more of a nuisance than uncle ji later. Right now, he was doing something sitting there holding his chin in both of his hands and staring at some blank point, may be thinking of some plans or whatever. I never cared. But just then he stood up like some ant bit him in the butt and walked towards me. For a second I thought it was something I did that pissed him off and thus I was scared. Those of you who had spent a month in Punjab would know why I was scared. You should never and I insist, never piss a sardar, at least not when there is more than one present. He came to me and just as I was expecting some shouting or a slap(though I would rather say I would have blocked his hand), he in a very polite way asked me where I am going to and in what train?
That was unexpected and a little too good for me to handle. I, nervously of course, told them my destination and the train name. they became excited hearing that. I was going to Delhi in Duronto and, really my bad luck, they were too. They were just 3 bogeys behind me, I was in B2 and they were in B5. Somehow, I managed to survived until the train arrived at the station while uncle ji filled me in with all kinds of, so to say, dangerous experiences he had in Jalandhar, his hometown. For example, getting caught up in dacoit on the outskirts of Jalandhar, and so on.

To be continued in the coming posts..............

A poem on the Train

2011-09-24T11:56:00.008+05:30

Like mystery and them clues...
Those reds and those blues...
Those terrains and those turns...
They just seem to pass by.

I always knew there's more than this,
but never knew what all there is to it.

Those dips and those ups...
Those flowers and those shrubs...
Those fields and those ferns...
They just seem to pass by.

I always knew there's more than this,
but never knew what all there is to it.

Those filling scenes and flying thoughts...
Those lazy cows and running goats...
That shiny sun and chill that burns...

They just seem to pass by.

I always knew there's more than this,
but never knew what all there is to it.

Such was the path I've been through,
I just wanted to share some with you.