Bangalore,
the garden city of India, is a modern, bustling city which is rapidly
expanding into an industrial centre. The city is the gateway to
some of the most interesting historic architecture in India, with
a wide and tumultuous past. Steeped with history and teeming with
forts and palaces, the countryside is as picturesque as the glorious
past it projects. The temples at Belur and Halebid, along with that
ofSomnathpur, are one of the most artistically exuberant periods
of Hindu cultural development. Shravanabelgola is one of the oldest
Jain pilgrimage centres in India and the site of the huge statue
of Lord Bahubali.Hampi, near Hospet, was once the capital of one
the largest Hindu empire in Indianhistory.
The founding of present
day Bangalore is attributed to the Magadi Chieftain, Kempe Gowda,
who laid its foundations in 1537. According to local folklore the
present name Bangalore, derives from 'Bendakalooru' or the town
of boiled beans, a name given by Veera Ballala, a king of the Vijayanagar
dynasty, who having lost his way in the forests was given a bowl
of boiled beans by a kindly woman here. However that may be, the
founding of the city is traced back to 1537 and it has seen the
rule of the maharajas of Mysore mainly. One of the factors that
has gone in to make Bangalore the fifth largest city in India today
is its mild and healthy climate. A large number of people, many
from outside the region have thus made the city their permanent
home. Thus the city has a fairly large number of people who are
retired from active life and others who are here for exclusive pleasure
seeking.
Often termed as a garden
city, Bangalore's climate has also drawn towards itself a large
number of industries like the HAL and the Indian Telephone Industry
and has become a premier manufacturing and commercial centre since
the 1950s. Amidst all this hectic activity, the city offers itself
as an ideal base to explore the fascinating and culturally rich
state of Karnataka. Visitors will find the ruins of the once powerful
Vijayanagar empire, the sculpted wonders of Belur and Halebid, the
awesome mausoleum of Bijapur and much more within easy reach. The
city by itself offers extensive shopping opportunities, a rich fanfare
of cuisine, hotels to suit all pockets and much cultural and other
entertainment.
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