Bangalore City Information

Bangalore is the fifth largest city in India with Karnataka as its capital. Being the IT hub of India, this city is known to have the largest working population in the country. As the city has a wonderful climate, it is known as a Pensioner's Paradise. The picturesque parks and gardens of Bengaluru make this city an amazing place for the people to enjoy nature. Located at a height of approx. 920 meters above the sea level, Bangalore is also called as the 'Garden City of India'.

In 2000, the city got introduced to information technology and the recent developments in the IT sector garnered this city with the name of “IT Capital of India”. With a good number of pubs and discotheques in this city, Bangalore offers a great and exciting nightlife to its residents.

The city of Bangalore boasts of museums, temples, gardens, and palaces. It has well-developed residential localities, wide roads, trails of trees alongside roads, academic institutions, and shopping malls making this city one of the most preferred ones for the bachelors and families.

Already known as the Electronic City of India, Bangalore is also called as the Silicon City of India with the establishment of Silicon Park on the outskirts of this city. There are multiple Infotech companies and multinational companies in Bangalore making it developed day by day.

History of Bangalore

Bangalore, one of the most popular cities in the country, has a rich history about which everyone must know before they plan to move to Bangalore.

Naming of Bangalore: It is said that the term “Bangalore” is derived from the Kannada word, “Bengalooru”, which means ‘the town of boiled beans'.

According to an ancient tale, when the hungry King Ballala of the Hoysala dynasty got lost in the forest, an old woman offered him boiled beans as food. To express his gratitude towards her, the King named that place as 'bende kaalu ooru'.

During the time of Kempe Gowda: Popular called as the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda played an important role in naming and shaping this popular city in India. When he say a hare chasing a dog, he amusingly, mentioned Bangalore as 'Gandu bhoomi' which means a heroic place. He constructed a mud fort in Bangalore with the assistance of King Achutaraya and discovered the towns of Chickpet, Cottonpet and Balepet inside it.

After independence: Soon after the country was independent in 1947, Bangalore was named as the capital of Karnataka. From that time, this city developed on a large scale.

IT Capital of India: When information technology took Bangalore by storm in 2000, it made this city as the IT Capital of India. With huge developments in the IT industry in Bangalore, this city became a home to IT professionals from all across the country. Bangalore is also referred as “'The Fashion Capital of India', 'India's Silicon Valley', 'The Pub City of India' and more.

Renaming of Bangalore: In 2006, Bangalore was officially renamed as Bengaluru by the government.

Climate of Bangalore

As the city of Bangalore is 934 meters above the sea level, the climate of this city is tropical and moderate in nature. Summers have occasional heat waves making this season certainly an uncomfortable one. January is the coolest month with an average temperature of 15°C. April is the hottest month with average high temperature of 35 °C. The temperature in winter drops to 14 °C and the temperature of summer season sometimes exceed 36 °C. The wet months in Bangalore are September, October and August and the city receives rainfall from southwest and northeast monsoons. Sometimes, the city faces thunderstorms during summers.

• Summer – February to May (April and May months have highest temperatures recorded )
• Monsoon – June to October (June and August months receives maximum rainfall)
• Winter – November to January (January is the coldest month)

Languages Spoken in Bangalore

The official language of Bangalore is Kannada. But, as this city has people of different cultures and religions, there are other languages which are spoken by the people of Bangalore.

Languages spoken	Percentage (%)
Kannada	46%
Telugu	13.89%
Tamil	13.99%
Urdu	14%
Hindi	5.4%
Marathi	1.8%
Malayalam	2.8%
Bengali	0.65%
Odia	0.52%
Gujarati	0.47%
Konkani	0.67%
Tulu	0.49%
Other languages	1.33%

Economy of Bangalore

The economy of Bangalore contributes more than 87% to the state of Karnataka. The success of information technology firms in Bangalore is the main reason behind the growth of IT sector in India. The estimated GDP of Bangalore is somewhere close to US$85 billion ranking it as the fourth most productive location in India. Another major reason for the growth of Bangalore was the heavy investment by the state government in public sector industries.

The major economic sectors in Bangalore include:

• Information technology
• Aerospace and aviation
• Biotechnology
• Manufacturing
• Food
• Real estate
• Space
• Transportation
• Grocery
• Retail
• Fintech
• Biopharmaceuticals
• Space
• Agriculture
• Architect

The popular economic zones in Bangalore are -

• Chickpete - Textile trades
• Shivajinagar - Auto spare parts and services
• Whitefield - Information Technology Parks and global firms
• Koramangala and JP Nagar - Tech start-ups
• Electronics City - IT service providers of India

Demographics of Bangalore

According to the 2011 census, the population of Bangalore was approximately 8.5 million making it the third most populous city in India and 18th most populous city in the world. The population of Bangalore was Hindu (78.9%) as per the 2011 census. Muslims consists of 13.9%, Christians comprises 5.6% and Jains at 1% of the total population. The literacy rate of this city is 89%. The major communities found in Bangalore are Kannadigas, Telugus and Tamilians. The migrant communities are Maharashtrians, Gujaratis, Rajasthanis,Tamilians, Telugus, Punjabis, Malayalis, Sindhis, Odias, and Bengalis.

Culture of Bangalore

Bangalore owns a rich cultural heritage amalgamated with industrial and technological advancements. The merging of contemporary culture with age-old traditions of Bangalore makes this city one of the most stunning in India. While it is developing on the technological front, there is also development of the traditional art forms in Bangalore. The conglomeration of different cultures has imparted a cosmopolitan touch to Bangalore.

Art, craft and literature: The best in class palaces and bungalows in Bangalore are witness to the beautiful art and crafts whose beauty are beyond explanation. You can see stone, metal and wood work in the art and crafts in Bangalore. There are art galleries set up in different locations of Bangalore such as government owned National Gallery of Modern Art. Being a cosmopolitan city, this city has always promoted the growth of Urdu, Telugu and English literature. Bangalore owns a literary festival, "Bangalore Literature Festival" inaugurated in the year 2012.

Indian Cartoon Gallery: This gallery is especially dedicated to the art of cartooning. A cartoon exhibition is organized every month by professional and fresher cartoonist.

Theatre, dance and music: Bangalore is a wonderful and vivacious city that proudly owns the Kannada film industry with an active theatre culture. The city is also a popular centre of Indian classical dance and music. Bangalore has a great cultural diversity due to the presence of people from different cultures and traditions. As far as the music is concerned in Bangalore, people are huge fans of contemporary and classical music.

Entertainment in Bangalore

There is never a shortage of entertainment facilities in Bangalore as the city booms with amazing places that gives people a chance to have fun and pleasure. Not just shopping malls and multiplexes, you can also find art galleries and auditoriums if you are a fan of art and theatre. Popular for being a hub of recreational and entertainment activities, you can find the following entertainment places here:

Art galleries: People can find amazing art galleries in this city manifesting beautiful works of art and craft. These art galleries are a mirror to the incredible talent of the artists of Bangalore.

• Abstract Art Gallery (Cunningham Road)
• Alliance Francaise (Vasanthnagar)
• Bangalore Art Gallery (CMH Road, Indiranagar,)
• Bhavan's Art Gallery (Race Course Road)
• Crimson (Infantry Road)
• Gallery Lavelle (CMH Road, Indiranagar)
• Galleryske (The Presidency, St. Marks Road)
• Gallery Sumukha (BTS Depot Road, Wilson Garden)
• Corridor of Colors (Central Park Hotel, Dickenson Road)
• Da Vincian Art Gallery (Jayanagar)
• Drishti Art Gallery (Dickenson Road)
• Images Art Gallery (Infantry Road)
• Art Complex (Kumara Krupa Road)
• Max Mueller Art Gallery (Lavelle Road)
• Touchstone Arts (Commercial Street)
• ITC Hotel (Windsor Sheraton & Towers, Golf Course Road)
• Westminister Art Gallery (Windsor Manor Sheraton, Sankey Road)
• Renaissance Art Gallery (Cunningham Road)
• Sakshi Gallery (The Presidency, St. Marks Road)
• Samkrut Art School and Gallery (K H Road)

Cinema halls: As Bangalore is one of the most popular metro cities in India, you can easily find spacious and well-designed cinema halls here. This city is one of those cities where multiplexes were first introduced. There are food courts built in them so that they offer you a complete entertainment package.

• Abhinay - B.V.K Iyengar Road
• Ajanta - Anna Swami Mudarliar Road
• Apsara - City Market Square, N.R Road
• Galaxy - Residency Road
• Imperial - Residency Road
• Pallavi - Sampang Tank Road
• Plaza - M.G Road
• Priya Village Roadshow - (PVR) Koramangala
• Innovative Multiplex Theatre - Marathahalli Colony
• Lido - Old Madras Road
• Nartaki - K.G Road
• Sangeet - Central Street
• Santosh - K.G Circle
• Symphony - M.G Road
• Urvashi - Siddiah Road
• Rex - Brigade Road
• Sagar - K.G Road

Auditoriums: As Bangalore is a cultural city, there are numerous auditoriums built across it. Such entertainment places are where dance shows, plays and musical concerts are organized and creative people can have a good time with their friends and families.

• ADA Rangamandira - J.C Road
• Chowdiah Memorial Hall - Malleswaram
• Bangalore Gyana Samaja - K.R Road, V.V Puram
• Dr. Narasimaiah Kalakshetra - Jayanagar
• Jawahar Bal Bhavan Auditorium - Cubbon Park
• Guru Nanak Bhavan - Miller's Tank Bund Area
• Kannada Sahitya Parishad - Pampa Mahakavi Road, Chamrajpet
• Ranjan Hall - Race Course Road
• Keshava Shilpa Auditorium - Chamrajpet
• Ravindra Kalakshetra - Jayachamarajendra Road
• Yavanika - Nrupthunga Road
• Sri Puttanachetty Town Hall - J.C Road

Shopping malls: Just like any other metro city of India, you can find multiple shopping malls established across Bangalore. Not just expensive branded clothes, you can also buy cheap and affordable clothes from local marketplaces. Malls have food courts, play corner for kids, and restaurants built in them for complete entertainment quotient for the people.

• 5th Avenue - Brigade Road
• Devatha Plaza- Residency Road
• Mota Royal Arcade - Brigade Road
• Shopper's Stop - Mcgrath Road
• Arihant Plaza - Commercial Street
• Safina Plaza - Infantry Road
• Alankar Pearl Plaza - Kempegowda Road
• Burma Bazaar - Gandhinagar
• National Market - Gandhinagar
• Hong Kong Market - Gandhinagar

Discotheques: Bangalore has an amazing nightlife with people of all age groups having a good time in this city. One can find one of the best discotheques in Bangalore that offers amazing music, food and entertainment to the people.

• Cross Over - Whitefield, Bangalore
• Eclipse Arc Club - Wide Tunnel Road, Murgeshpalya
• Funky Town - Residency Road
• Splash Club Cabana - Jade Garden, Bellary Road
• Titanic Entertainment - Terminus Club, Chache Towers, Residency Road
• Inferno The Club - 7th Mile, Mysore Road
• JJ's - Airport Road
• The Rocks Dominion Allasandra - Bellary Road

Religious Places in Bangalore

The city of Bangalore has numerous temples, churches and mosques with an amazing architecture. You can explore the following religious places while you are in this city:

Iskon Temple: Dedicated to Lord Krishna, Iskon Temple is located on the Chord Road on a hillock called 'Hare Krishna Hill'. Major attractions of this temple include Vedic museums, Vedic theatre, exhibition areas, gardens, and a lecture hall. You can also find an amphitheatre where festivals and concerts are held.

Banashankari Temple: Situated on the Kanakapura Road, this temple is dedicated to Banashankari Amma. People having negative effects of rahukaal on their lives can visit this temple Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays to worship Banashankari Amma and eliminate such negative effects of this planet from their lives.

Jumma Masjid: Located in one of the busiest areas of Bangalore, K.R. Market, the mosque of Jummar Masjid displays a beautiful and well-known architecture of its own. The pillars inside the mosque are made of granite.

Bull Temple: Situated in Basavanagudi in Bangalore, Bull Temple is dedicated to the Nandi Bull, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Designed in the Dravidian architecture, it was built by Kempe Gowda, the founder of this popular city of India.

St. Marks Cathedral: Nestled in the M.G. Road in Bangalore, St. Marks Cathedral is a beautiful church built after taking inspiration from the St Paul's Cathedral. It has a colonial style of architecture with a magnificent dome with one of the best external bells.

Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple was built out of a rock in the 9th century and later got reconstructed by Kempe Gowda. It is located in Gavipuram-Guttahalli of Bangalore.

St. Mary's Basilica: Located on the Russel Market Square in Shivajinagar, St. Mary's Basilica is a beautiful church with Gothic style architecture.

Dharamraja Temple: Located in Nagarathpet of Bangalore, Dharamraja Temple is inspired by the tale of Mahabharata. It has enormous pictures of Sri Dharmaraja Swami and Lord Krishna.

St. Andrew's Kirk: Located on the Cubbon Road in Bangalore, St. Andrew's Kirk is the only Scottish Kirk in the city. It has tinted glass windows with paintings of Lord Jesus and his eight apostles.

Education in Bangalore

Schools: Schools in Bangalore are either private owned or government owned. There are many international schools for the IT people and expats. Schools are affiliated to the government recognized boards of education like Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), and International Baccalaureate (IB). Students can enrol themselves in Pre University Course (PUC) or go forward with a high schools course in any of the streams (Arts, Commerce and Science). They can also go for diploma courses.

The list of schools in Bangalore includes:

• St John's High School
• United Mission School
• Goodwill's Girls School
• St. Joseph's Boys' High School
• Bishop Cotton Boys' School
• Bishop Cotton Girls' School
• Cathedral High School
• Baldwin Boys' High School
• Baldwin Girls' High School
• St. Joseph's Indian High School
• St Anthony's Boys' School
• Clarence High School
• National High School
• St. Germain High School
• Bangalore Military School
• Sophia High School

Universities: Established in 1858, the Central College of Bangalore is the oldest college in Bangalore. It is affiliated to Bangalore University. There are multiple other institutes in Bangalore to pursue your further studies.

• International Centre for Theoretical Sciences
• Indian Institute of Astrophysics
• Indian Institute of Science, which was established in 1909 in Bangalore
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)
• National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)
• National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)
• Institute of Wood Science and Technology
• International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B)
• National Institute of Design (NID)
• Raman Research Institute
• National Law School of India University (NLSIU)
• Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B)
• Indian Statistical Institute
• Institute of Finance and International Management (IFIM)
• National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT),
• University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UASB)
• Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI)
• Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICR)
• Symbiosis International University
• SVKM's NMIMS
• CMR University
• Christ University
• Jain University
• PES University
• Dayananda Sagar University
• M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
• St. John's Medical College (SJMC)
• M. S. Ramaiah Medical College(MSRMC)
• Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS)
• Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (VIMS)

Bangalore Tourist Attractions

Bangalore boasts of various tourist attractions for its visito₹ Gardens, lakes, palaces and many other sightseeing locations constitute the tour guide in Bangalore.

• Bangalore Palace: This palace is located in the Palace Gardens and has beautiful Tudor-style architecture and wood carvings on the inside.
• Bangalore Aquarium: Located on Kasturba Road, Bangalore Palace just at the entrance of Cubbon Park.
• Ulsoor Lake: Located nearby to the busy M. G. Road, this lake was constructed by Kempe Gowda II and has beautiful islands around it.
• Attara Kacheri: This building is located within the premises of High Court of Bangalore just opposite Vidhana Soudha. It is constructed in European classical style and has a Gothic style of architecture.
• Bangalore Bal Bhavan: It is a picturesque amusement park and a recreational activities center for children. You can also find a toy train inside this park.
• Cubbon Park: Located in Gandhi Nagar of Bangalore, Cubbon Park is a popular tourist attraction in this city with fairy fountains.
• Bangalore Gandhi Bhavan: Dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and his teachings, Bangalore Gandhi Bhavan is another famous tourist spot for the visitors in Bangalore.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium: Located on the T. Chowdiah Road in Bangalore, the popular tourist attraction of Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium has a sky theatre.
• Government Museum: One of the oldest museums in India, the Government Museum is situated on the Kasturba Gandhi Road.
• Tipu Sultan Fort: Located nearby to the City Market, Tipu Sultan Fort is another amazing tourist spot for the visitors in Bangalore.
• Lalbagh Botanical Gardens: Located 4 km from M.G. Road, this garden boast of thousands of varieties of flowers, flower shows and a Glass House.
• Visveswaraya Industrial and Technological Museum: Located on the Kasturba Road in Bangalore, Visveswaraya Industrial and Technological Museum has five galleries - Children's Science Gallery, Electronic Technology Gallery, Popular Science Gallery, Kimbe Paper Metals Gallery, and Engine Hall Gallery.
• Vidhana Soudha: Located in the Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha is home to the Legislative Chambers of the state government.

Transportation in Bangalore

There are various means of transportation available in Bangalore to get to any part of this city.

By metro: The Bangalore Metro, popularly known as Namma Metro, is one of the most rapid and efficient means of transport in this city for the daily commute₹ Currently, there are intersecting metro lines at Kempegowda Bus Station Majestic Terminal with 41 stops altogether.

• Minimum fare – ₹ 10
• Maximum fare – ₹ 60

When a person purchase metro card of ₹ 50, it saves his time as well as money. No concessions in metro for women or senior citizens. The metro services are payable in nature for children above 3 feet in height.

The existing routes of metro connect the following places in Bangalore:

• North-South Line/Green Line: Nagasandra (Tumkur Road)-->Dasarahalli-->Jalahalli-->Peenya Industry-->Peenya-->Goraguntepalya-->Yeshvantapur Railway Station (PF-6 entrance)-->Sandal Soap Factory-->Mahalakshmi-->Rajajinagar-->Kuvempu Road-->Srirampura-->Mantri Square Sampige Road-->Kempegowda Bus Station (interchange station)-->Chikpet-->K.R.Market-->National College-->Lalbagh-->South End Circle-->Jayanagar-->R.V.Road-->Banashankari-->J.P.Nagar-->Yelechanahalli
• East-West Line/Purple Line: Baiyappanhalli (Old Madras Road)-->Swami Vivekananda Road-->Indiranagar-->Halasuru-->Trinity Circle-->M.G.Road-->Cubbon Park-->Vidhana Soudha-->Sir M Vishweshwaraya Station Central College-->Kempegowda Bus Station (interchange station)-->City Railway Station-->Magadi Road-->Hosahalli-->Vijayanagar-->Attiguppe-->Deepanjalinagar-->Nayandahalli (Mysore Road)

By buses: Buses are one of the most common modes of transportation in Bangalore for its residents and visito₹ BMTC controls the bus service in the city of Bangalore. Buses with black colored display boards operate within the city of Bangalore. Buses with red display boards cover adjoining areas to this city. The local buses are white, blue and green in colour. Vajra, blue Volvo buses, run on IT sectors routes such as ITPL, Electronic City, and Outer Ring Road. Kannada and English are the languages in which displays of the buses work. Buses have reserved seats for the ladies, senior citizens and physically challenged people. Vayu Vajra is the bus service of BMTC that connects different parts of the city to Bangalore International Airport. Senior citizens get a concession of 25% on bus tickets and children between 4-12 years of age get 50% concession.

The three major bus stands in Bangalore are:

• Kempegowda bus stand (Majestic Bus Stand)
• Shivajinagar
• City Market

By taxi: Taxis are another convenient means of transport in the city of Bangalore when you wish to travel by private means. They have yellow license plates. Some of the popular taxi companies operating in Bangalore are –

• Map Cabs
• GetMeCab
• Ola Cabs
• Cabbazar
• Bestway Cabs
• 7mcar
• SPOT City Taxi
• BSR Travels

By auto-rickshaw: Autorickshaws in Bangalore have a meter installed in them and so there is no compulsion to tip them. The usual fares for auto are ₹13 for every kilometre and ₹25 for the first 1.8 km. A surcharge of 50% is applicable after 10pm. An additional charge of ₹10-20 will be there for heavy luggage.

By commuter rail: You can find MEMU trains in Bangalore that connects the city to the nearby suburbs like Whitefield.

By private car: You can either commute by your own car in the city or hire a private taxi for the purpose. The cost of priva