Bangalore - The City Of Baked Beans :
The multifaceted capital city of Karnataka, dotted with modern marvels,
lush boulevards, historical monuments & bustling shopping plazas,
Bangalore, aptly called the Silicon Valley of India, is every tourist's
dream travel destination.
Bangalore, the fifth largest city in India, is the perfect blend of natural
beauty and man-made marvels of architecture and technology. Blessed with a
salubrious climate and dotted with beautiful parks, its tree-lined avenues,
its trendy, yuppie downtown, and the software flood, Bangalore truly offers
one a picture of striking contrasts.
Bangalore -- located 1,000m above sea level is one of the most 'happening'
places in India. Bangalore, which literally means the 'town of baked beans',
was founded by Kempe Gowda, a chieftain of the Vijayanagar Empire, around
the 16th century. He built four towers in four directions to specify its
boundaries. However, Bangalore has far exceeded these limits since.
Prime Attractions / Places to See :
The Bull Temple - The 4.57m high and 6.10 m long image
was built by Kempe Gowda, in the 16th century.
Vidhaan Soudha - A marvel of neo-Dravidian architecture
and one of the most imposing building not only in Bangalore but in India,
the Vidhaan Soudha houses the state legislative assembly of Karnataka and
part of the Secretariat.
Tipu's Palace - The summer palace of Tipu Sultan was
built in Bangalore. The entire structure is built of teakwood. This
double-storeyed ornate structure was constructed in 1781-1791 AD.
Shopping in Bangalore - Bangalore is famous for the
shopping malls, which have some of the finest and biggest showrooms in
India. This electronic capital of India has been attracting people for
Sandal wood, Silk and hand woven materials.
Excursions from Bangalore :
Ramohalli - This picnic spot is located 28 kms from
Bangalore on the Mysore road. Ramohalli is a beautiful picnic spot with a
KSTDC restaurant.
Mysore
- The erst while capital of the Wodeyars is 140 kms from Bangalore. This
city has retained the charm it had acquired during the reign of Wodeyars.
Mysore is also known as the 'City Of Palace'.
Hassan - 194 kms from Bangalore is Hassan, from where one
can go to Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola. Sravanabelagola is a famous
Jain pilgrimage with a 17m high monolith of lord Bahubali standing tall.
Cubbon Park, Bangalore - Together with Lal Bagh, it is
one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. Spread over 250
acres, the green park has various attractions, the rose garden, children's
play ground with toy train and several play equipments, the recently opened
doll museum and an aquarium. The central garden inside the park has an open
stage where free concerts by amateur/professional artists occur at times.The
park is surrounded by other attractions such as the Visveswaraya Industrial
and Technological Museum, The High court and the Vidhana Soudha (Karnataka
Secretariat).The park has entrances from Mahatma Gandhi Road (MG Road) and
the High Court side for vehicles. The park is open for public at all times.
The vehicle traffic is closed from 5 AM to 8 AM all days. While visiting the
park, one can park their vehicles on the border road inside the park for a
nominal parking fee.
Kodagu Or Coorg
- Kodagu is one of the most famous hill station in India proudly
nicknamed as "Kashmir of South"/ "Switzerland of India"
etc. Blessed with beauty and bounty of forests and mountains, it is also
known as Mother Nature's special place. It is truly a nature lover's
paradise with great landscape, lush green valleys, misty woods, racing
rivers and enchanting waterfalls.
How to reach Bangalore ?
Bangalore - The Silicon Valley of India and every tourist's dream travel
destination is well connected with domestic airlines and also catering to
few international flights. Bangalore, being the capital , has excellant road
services to adjoining states and has a strong network of rail services with
two major stations the Bangalore City and Bangalore Cantt.
Bangalore By Air - Bangalore has its own airport with
almost all the major domestic airlines catering services to the city. The
airport is 6 kms from city centre. Few selected international carriers also
operate their flights to the city.
Bangalore By Rail - Bangalore has two railway stations,
the Bangalore City and Bangalore Cantt. The major trains from and to
Bangalore terminate & start from the city station. Bangalore is well
connected to all the major towns of India.
Bangalore By Road - Being the capital city of Karnataka,
Bangalore has very good motorable roads to various parts of the state. Some
of the bus services are also serving the adjoining states.
About
Badami :
The capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the
mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills, Badami is famous for its cave
temples - all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.
The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to
Vishnu. Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples
dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva.
Also a must are the Bhutanath temples that lend their name to the lake
beneath the cave temples.
Prime Attractions :
Archaeological Museum - Nearby is the museum set up by
the archaeological survey of India. It houses superb examples of local
sculptures, including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult,
which flourished in the era. A visit to the museum is sure to be a rewarding
experience.
Jain Temple - A little east of the shrine, on top of this
cliff is a Jain temple. Here one can find many Jain temples and a huge
figure of Parswanatha.
Nataraja - The first cave temple, past Shiva's
doorkeepers. Here one can see the eighteen-armed Nataraja striking 81 dance
poses.
Vishnu - The largest and the most ornamental is the third
cave temple dedicated to Vishnu. Here are some splendid carvings of the
Hindu pantheon, such as Narasimha, the half-man-half-god lion incarnation of
Vishnu, Harihara, the composite god who is half Shiva and half Vishnu and
Vishnu, Narayana sitting as well as reclining on the snake 'Shesh' or
'Anantha' (eternity). There are also some paintings on the ceiling and
wonderful bracket figures on the piers.
Cave Temple - Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir
dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the
Bhutanatha temples that lend their name to the lake just beneath the cave
temples.
Lake
- A dip in the tranquil waters of this lake is said to cure leprosy as
the water of the lake is said to have healing properties.
How to get there ?
Air - The nearest airport is Belgaum (150 kms).
Rail - Badami is on the Hubli - Sholapur rail route.
Road - Badami is connected by road to: Hubli (128 kms)
Bijapur (132 kms.)
Local Transport - Cycle Rickshaws, Tongas, City Bus
Service.
