Bangalore Palace

B angalore Palace is situated in the Palace Gardens, at the heart of the Bangalore city of India. Built in the year 1887 by Wodeyar dynasty, it is adorned with magnificent woodcarvings and Tudor-style architecture on the inside. Infact, the palace is quite similar to the medieval castles that were built in Normandy and England. The Windsor Castle of London left a great impression on King Chamaraja Wodeyar of Wodeyar dynasty, on one of his trips to England. Inspired by the Tudor style architecture, he got the Bangalore Palace built in the city.

Once surrounded by beautiful gardens, the palace has now lost much of its original charm. However, it still succeeds in attracting tourists. Fortified towers, Gothic windows, battlements and turrets lend a great degree of magnificence to the Bangalore Palace of India. Mainly constructed of wood, it boasts of splendid carvings and paintings. Today the palace serves as the venue for various exhibitions, concerts and cultural programs held in the city. The ground floor of the Bangalore Palace comprises of a massive open square.

The square is full of granite seats that are adorned with fluorescent blue ceramic tiles. Along with the courtyard is a ballroom, where private parties of the King used to be held. As we move to the first floor, the foremost thing that comes into view is an ornate room, known as the Durbar Hall. The King used this hall for addressing the assembly. Mounted on the hall is a colossal elephant head, while its walls are ornamented with exquisite paintings. One of the walls of the Durbar Hall has a set of windows that are decorated with stained glass.

There is an abundant use of the yellow color in the hall, with the walls as well as the sofa being of the said color. One end of the room houses a screen, which provided a veil to the ladies when they used to sit and watch the assembly proceedings. There are also a number of paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, a renowned artist in the palace. The inner walls of the Bangalore Palace are also festooned with paintings belonging to the mid-19th century. The other attractions of the palace include a dining table of the Diwan of Mysore, Sir Mirza Ismail.

Ulsoor Lake

Ulsoor Lake is situated on the northeastern fringe of the city center, near the busy M. G. Road. The lake was constructed by Kempe Gowda II, during the later half of the second century. Spread over an area of approximately 1.5 square kilometers, the Ulsoor lake of Bangalore is dotted with islands. One of the major attractions of the lake is boating. There is a boat club at the lake, where you can hire cruises with stopovers at some of the islands.

In the earlier times, Ulsoor Lake was known as "Halsur" or "Alasur". The lake also serves as the venue for the Ganesha Festival celebrated in August/September. There is a recreational complex situated near the lake, with a swimming pool, where you can go for a swim. There is also a gurdwara near the Ulsoor lake, considered to be the largest Sikh shrine in the Bangalore city of India. The other famous monuments near the lake include a temple dedicated to Subbaraya and the Kensington Park.

It is said that the area around the Ulsoor Lake was once covered with forest. One day, Kempe Gowda came from Yelahankar chasing game and was very tired. He slept under the same tree where Mandava Rishi is believed to have worshipped God Somesvara. In his dreams, he saw God Somesvara, who told him about a hidden treasure. Kempe Gowda dug up the treasure and from the money, got the famous Somesvara pagoda built in the Dravidian style of architecture.

Bangalore Religions

One of the major religions of Bangalore is Hinduism. Apart from that, a number of other religions are also practiced in the city, although the proportion is not too large. However, with time, and because of the large influx of working professionals from other parts of India as well as abroad, Bangalore is becoming like a melting pot of various religions. Read on to know more about the religion in Bengalooru, India.

Hinduism
The most widely prevalent religion in Bangalore is Hinduism.
A majority of the population in the city practices this religion. SikhismFounded by Guru Nanak Dev, Sikhism has now spread to a large number of countries in the world. It is practiced in Bangalore also.

Christianity
One of the major religions of the world, Christianity is also practiced in the city of Bangalore, by a significant proportion of the population.

Islam
Practiced by the Muslims, Islam is followed by the people in Bangalore also. However, their number is not quite large.

Others
The other religions practiced in the city of Bangalore include Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. However, these religions are practiced by a very small percentage of the total population.

Bangalore People

Bangalore, the fastest growing city of India, comprises of a dynamic blend of people, belonging to various religions, castes and communities. With the introduction of information technology in the city, it has assumed an international character. IT professionals not only from the various parts of India, but also that of the world, are migrating to the city. This has led to Bangalore becoming more like the melting pot of various cultures. Read on to know more about the people and lifestyle of Bengalooru, India.On one hand, you will find glitzy malls playing host to the rich and affluent people of the city. On the other, you will find the auto rickshaw drivers, rickshaw pullers, etc, shopping at the roadside vends. However, one thing is common amongst all the people of Bangalore, i.e., the spirit of living life to the fullest. Be it the lower class people or those belonging to the middle or upper class, all have found different means of getting on with life and enjoying themselves. Bangalore has also acquired the status of an educational city. Thousands of students come to the city every year to study at the undergraduate or the postgraduate level. In short, the city has become an amalgamation of people, belonging to different cultures, educational backgrounds, economic background, etc.

Bangalore Languages

Bangalore languages comprise of all the languages spoken in the state of Karnataka. The language spoken by the majority of Bangaloreans is Kannad. Apart from Kannad and other regional languages, English is also quite widely spoken in the city. In the following lines, we have provided a list of the major languages spoken in Bengalooru, India.

Kannad
The most common language in Bangalore is Kannad. The majority of the population of the city converses in Kannad. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages and is the official language of the state of Karnataka.

Tamil
Also belonging to the Dravidian language family, Tamil is spoken by a sizeable population in the city.

English
A significant number of people in Bangalore speak English. Infact, almost all the younger generation of the city speaks English.

Telugu
The official language of Andhra Pradesh, Telugu is widely spoken in Bangalore also.

Hindi
The national language of India, Hindi is spoken in Bangalore also. However, the proportion of the population speaking Hindi is quite small.

Bangalore History

The city of Bangalore has quite an interesting history attached to it. Right from its name to its becoming the IT Capital of India, each stage in the history of Bangalore is worth mentioning. Read on to know more about the history of Bengalooru, India.

Naming of Bangalore
There are numerous versions related to the naming of the city as 'Bangalore'. As per the information available in the Gazetteer of India, the term 'Bangalore' is an anglicized version of "Bengalooru," a Kannad term. The word Bengalooru was in turn derived from the phrase 'bende kaalu ooru', meaning 'the town of boiled beans'. There is story behind naming the city as the 'town of boiled beans'.

It is said that King Ballala of the Hoysala dynasty once got lost in the jungle and was very tired and hungry. In the jungle, he came across a poor and old woman, who offered him some boiled beans. As an expression of his gratitude towards the woman, the King named the place as 'bende kaalu ooru'. However, there are other historical evidences that reveal that the name 'Bengalooru' was recorded much before the reign of King Ballala.

The Time of Kempe GowdaKempe Gowda, known as the founder of Bangalore, played a very important in the shaping of the city. A feudal lord himself, he used to serve under the Vijayanagara Kings. A hunting enthusiast, Kempe Gowda once saw his dog being chased by a hare. Amused as well as impressed up this incident, he started calling Bangalore as 'Gandu bhoomi' (heroic place). He, with the help of King Achutaraya, built a mud fort in Bangalore and inside it founded the towns of Balepet, Cottonpet, and Chickpet. Later, his son got the four watchtowers erected on the boundaries of the city, visible even today.

Reign of the Sultans, Marathas and British
In the year 1638, the Vijayanagara Empire fell to the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammed Adil Shah. For the next sixty years, the city was under the rule of the Sultans. Thereafter, Mughals took over the city. However, their rule did not last too long and in 1687, they sold the kingdom to King Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar of Mysore. He got another fort built in Bangalore, to the south of the one built by Kempe Gowda. Hyder Ali received Bangalore in the form of jagir in 1759, from Krishna Raja Wodeyar II. He converted the city into an army town. In the year 1799, when Tipu Sultan died, the British returned the kingdom back to Krishna Raja Wodeyar III. However, the British again took over the kingdom in 1831, citing misrule by Krishna raja Wodeyar III as the reason. It was under the British rule that Bangalore started developing into a modern city, with all the contemporary facilities like railways, telegraphs, post and telegraph, etc. The city was again given back to the Wodeyars in 1881. However, since the British Commissioners were based in Bangalore, its development into a contemporary city continued unabated.

Post-Independence
After India gained independence in the year 1947, Bangalore became the capital of Karnataka. From then onwards, the city has witnessed large-scale development and has grown in leaps and bounds.

IT Capital of India
The introduction of information technology in Bangalore, somewhere around the year 2000, led to the development of the city as the IT Capital of India. Today, it has become the hub of IT professionals in India. There are numerous other names given to Bangalore, like 'India's Silicon Valley', 'The Fashion Capital of India', 'The Pub City of India', etc.

Re-naming as Bengalooru
The city of Bangalore got renamed as Bengalooru in the year 2006. Even though the term 'Bangalore' is still very common, now the official name of the city is Bengalooru.

Tourist Places to see in and around Bangalore

The tourist and business center of Bangalore has several places worth seeing nearby and Holidays in Bangalore are incomplete without visiting the tourist spots around it. Natural wonders and scenic sites make excellent excursion options from Bangalore. For all those with a tilt towards music and dance Nrityagram village, housing a classical dance academy is a must check out. For the adventure seekers Devarayandurga and Ramanagaram are ideal spots for trekking and rock climbing. Nandi Hill is a health resort popular with the people of Bangalore. The lovely lake and the gorgeous green valley present a picture perfect setting for holidays. Close to Bangalore is Ramohalli renowned for its big Banyan tree called Doda Alada Mara. The tree is spread across three acres of land and is worth visiting. The Banerghatta National Park is a natural retreat quite close to Bangalore. The fabulous flora, fauna and the birds at the Banerghatta National Park attract tourists and naturalists time and again. Mysore another important tourist destination of southern India is also an interesting place to see around Bangalore. The ancient temples and monuments built by the British are must check outs in Mysore. Close to Bangalore is Whitefield Ashram. It is the summer abode of the Shri Sathya Sai Baba. The ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Temple Complex also attracts tourist and pilgrims holidaying in Bangalore.
Make your holidays at Bangalore more enjoyable by seeing these nearby places. These places not only enhance tourism potential in Bangalore but also are worth seeing holiday spots themselves.