The capital of Karnataka, Bangalore is the seventh largest city in India. Acity of contradictions, at one end, the Garden City is close to nature with its numerous beautiful gardens and parks and at the other end, this Silicon Valley is at par with the latest developments of the world. Though the origin of Bangalore is ancient, the present-day city was founded in the 16th century and has since continued to be an important administrative center. Bangalore city has some historical sites of immense interest too.

According to a legend, the city of Bangalore is named the native translation of 'boiled beans' that an old woman offered to a hungry and lost Hoysala ruler. Kempegowda, a local chief, laid the foundations of the present-day city in the early 16th century, by building a small mud fort here. It gained prominence in the 18th century, when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore made it an important fort city during their skirmishes with the mighty British. The British at last crushed Tipu Sultan with an iron hand and took over Bangalore city. In 1831, they made it the regional administrative city and established a big military cantonment here.

The city of Bangalore is positioned in the southernmost part of Karnataka in south India. It is located at an elevation of 3,113 feet (949 m) above the mean sea level in the Karnataka plateau. Mumbai (Bombay) is located at a distance of 998 km from Bangalore. Hyderabad is at a distance of 562 km from Bangalore. Climate wise, Bangalore remains moderate and pleasant throughout the year. The summers are mild and range from (April-June) and winters are cold and remain from October-February. For summers, cotton clothing is best and for the winters light woolen clothes are perfect in Bangalore. June-August is the monsoon time in Bangalore that are brought in by southwestern monsoon. Bangalore can best be visited during the winters.

Bangalore,'The city of Gardens', is loaded with numerous gardens and historical sites. The Vidhan Soudha or the State Secretariat is a prime attraction of the Bangalore city. Other places like the Government Museum of Bangalore and the Visvesvaraya Technological and Industrial Museum are worth visiting. The Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, which holds a number of flower shows, especially during the Republic Day attracts several tourists every year. The Fort and Palace of Tipu Sultan is a major tourist attraction in Bangalore. The Ulsoor Lake in Bangalore is an ideal spot for picnics.

If one takes a local tour to Bangalore he can find peace and make a wish at the temple in Bangalore, which is dedicated to Nandi, the Bull. Besides this, the Venkataramanaswamy Temple, the Gavi Gangadhareswara cave temple, and the Someshwara Temple are also famous in Bangalore.

The Karaga festival is one of the regional festivals of Bangalore, which is celebrated in the month of March/April. Earthen pot embodying Shakti is taken out in a night procession. Apart from this the Peanut festival is also celebrated with joy and excitement in Bangalore.

Besides gold and sandalwood, the Bangalore city is famous for coffee and spice. Uthapams, Vada, Puri Palaya, and idli are the daily menu for the people. Special dishes like the Patrode and Peardaya are made occasionally

Bangalore, according to state historians, got its name from Bendakalooru (the town of boiled beans) after a king strayed into the area during a hunting trip in the late 14th century. A woman offered him a meal of boiled beans which the king enjoyed so much that he named the town after the dish. Bengaluru s a transliteration of the original spelling, according to state historians.

Local sights:
The Bangalore Palace & Fort The Bangalore Fort was built by Kempe Gowda and expanded by Tippu Sultan. Within its walls is the well preserved 16th century Ganapathi Temple. The Bangalore Palace was built by a Wodeyar king in 1887 on the 400 acre space. Inspired by the Windsor castle, this palace was built in the Tudor style, complete with Gothic windows, foiled windows, battlements and turrets resembling the Daria Daulat Palace in Srirangapatanam, this summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for its carving and paintings. In June 2005 Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar decided to open the palace to the public to meet its Rs 20 lakh annual upkeep costs. The special attraction is a gallery of nearly a thousand historical photos,including those of viceroys, maharajas and other famous personalities inside and exquisite carvings and paintings.

Lal Bagh
Hyder Ali laid out this famous botanical garden and his son added horticultural wealth to them by importingtrees and plants from several countries. The garden today houses over 1000 species of flora which include rare and enchanting collection of tropical plants, trees and herbs. The Glass House, modelled along London's Crystal Palace, is the center of attraction in this 2400 acre park. Bi-annual flower shows attracting participants from all over India is held in the Glass House.

In July, 2003 it was decided that the Department of Horticulture and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) would jointly take up the development of Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens. Bangalore, according to state historians, got its name from Bendakalooru (the town of boiled beans) after a king strayed into the area during a hunting trip in the late 14th century. A woman offered him a meal of boiled beans which the king enjoyed so much that he named the town after the dish. Bengaluru is a transliteration of the original spelling, according to state historians.