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Wockhardt Heart Hospital - Bangalore, India
Bangalore, India
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Bangalore, India
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 A sleepy town which suddenly shot into the limelight with the IT boom, and which is today dubbed India's Silicon Valley, Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, is now the fifth largest city in India. Its warm climate and the availability of highly qualified and inexpensive workers have made it an important destination for global businesses. But the city also has a long and varied history, its many stunning palaces and temples and lush tropical gardens drawing the tourist crowds looking for traces of old, imperial India.
Originally known as Benguluru, the city has an unusual story behind its name. In 1120 the Chola King Veera Ballalla got lost on a hunting expedition and was helped by a local woman who gave him baked beans. As a gesture of his gratitude, he constructed a city and named it "Benda Kalooru", meaning baked beans in Kannada, the official language of Karnataka. The name Bangalore came into being when the Vijayanagar chieftain Kempegowda built the new capital in 1537.
The Marathas, Moghuls, Wodeyars, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan ruled Bangalore before it finally passed into the hands of the British. In 1973, Mysore State was renamed Karnataka with Bangalore as its capital. Today Bangalore, or Kalyan-nagara, the "auspicious city", is home to over five million people and is a fast-paced, cosmopolitan metropolis where traditional Indian customs and modern technology have combined to create a vibrant blend of old and new.
Temples The city has numerous traditional temples, many of them containing fantastic statues famed for their mammoth size. One of the most impressive is the Dravidian style Basavanagudi or Bull Temple with its 4.5m high, 6m long image of a bull carved out of a single granite block. The bull is sacred due to the belief that Lord Shiva uses it for transportation. The temple is also home to a gigantic statue of Ganesha the elephant god.
Just ten minutes drive from Basavanagudi, Gavi Gangadeshwara temple is an extraordinary structure carved out of a cave, dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi and often cited as evidence of ancient understanding of science and technology. The reason for this is due to the clever - or fortuitous - positioning of a statue which is illuminated every January 14th or 15th by a ray of light which passes through an arc, then through a small window, and then in between the horns of a bull before hitting the deity. The event draws large numbers of worshippers from far and wide who come to see this "miracle".
ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) is without doubt the most sophisticated temple complex. Sitting atop a hillock, it comes complete with multimedia shows and state-of-the-art amenities.
Churches and Mosques
India being a land of so many religions, other creeds exist in apparent harmony with Hinduism in Bangalore, and the city is home to some interesting Christian and Islamic architecture.
Built in 1882 by a French missionary, Abbé Dubois, St Mary's Basilica is the city's main church. The Gothic style edifice in the Russell Market area has Parisian stained glass windows and is the site of a huge feast on September 8 every year, when thousands of local Christians throng to take part in the festivities.
Jumma Masjid is the oldest mosque in the city built during the Mogul conquest of South India. Its raised prayer hall is adorned with granite pillars, giving it an ethereal quality.
Palaces
Bangalore is home to a number of elegant palaces dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the most beautiful of which is the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan, completed in 1791. This double-floored palace is built entirely out of teak with balconies where royal ladies would have watched the proceedings of the king's court. Arches and floral motifs on the walls and ceilings add to the general splendor. The British used this palace as their secretariat until 1867 after Tipu's death.
One of India's finest public buildings, Vidhan Soudha houses Karnataka's Legislative Assembly. This gleaming white structure takes after the Mysore Palace and is a fine example of neo-Dravidian architecture with its bulbous dome and grandiose pillars. The best time to see it is on Sunday evenings when it is bathed in floodlights. It's hard to miss Attara Kacheri, or "Eighteen Courts", just opposite Vidhan Soudha. The large red edifice built in 1867 houses the High Court of Karnataka and is an imposing structure against the lush green park that surrounds it.
LalBagh Gardens
Sprawled across 240 acres of land in the south of Bangalore, LalBagh is a botanist's dream come true. Laid out by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the 18th century, these beautiful gardens provide a tranquil retreat from the hectic city. LalBagh is a medley of cultures and garden styles, its most prominent feature a glass house (1840) built along the lines of London's Crystal Palace. Its exquisite Japanese garden is a haven of peace, juxtaposing with the fanciful lawn clock. Adjacent to LalBagh is a 3,000-million-year-old Bugle rock supporting a watchtower which traditionally warned people of intruders with a bugle call. January and August are the best months to catch the garden in full bloom. Open from sunrise to sunset.
Ulsoor Lake
Constructed by Kempe Gowda II in the 2nd century, Ulsoor Lake is a popular place for locals and tourists alike to while away an afternoon messing about in boats or simply taking a stroll around its perimeter. The lake contains numerous small islands, which you can take boat trips to. In August/September, you can see colorful Ganesha (elephant God) idols floating in the lake in the aftermath of the Ganesha festival, when people take the idols on a procession and immerse them in the lake.
Shopping
There's a good mix of shops in Bangalore, selling anything from Gucci bags to locally produced handicrafts. Silk and handloom fabrics and garments are worth looking out for - one of the best areas to buy silk saris and textiles is Chickpet, which also has a number of jewelery stores. Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation or Nalli's are also worth visiting for silk.
Commercial Street and Residency Road are both good areas to hunt for handicrafts including woolen items, carpets, and boxes and other articles made out of sandalwood. Brigade Road and MG (Mahatma Gandhi) Road are lined with shops selling a mixture of things from crafts to jewelery and incense sticks. Brigade Road has a particularly large collection of electrical goods, which are often cheap compared to prices abroad, but not necessarily the easiest items to carry home.
Food & Drink
Brigade Road is a lively area for bars. Renowned as the spice capital of India (and therefore, arguably, of the world), Bangalore and the state of Karnataka as a whole are reputed for their rich and flavorsome cuisine. Though slightly milder than some of its southern neighbors, Karnataka cuisine nonetheless knows how to pack a punch. The region is particularly known for its cardamom and black pepper production, and you'll find many dishes flavored with these aromatic spices. Coconut milk is used in many curries, which are generally accompanied by rice or rotis made from millet, or jowar and lentils are a staple of many meals, either in a simple dhal or mixed in various combinations of meat, vegetables and spices. Thali - a tapas style meal consisting of various different small dishes - is a south Indian specialty and served in many Bangalore restaurants.
Having said this, Bangalore being a large city, it's possible to get hold of a whole variety of cuisines. Not only are there numerous restaurants serving different Indian regional specialties, but Chinese, Thai and European food are all easy to come by, even if some of them have a slightly Indian slant.
As far as drinking goes, Brigade Road is one of the most popular areas for pubs, with a number of venues that attract a large expat crowd. Otherwise, the larger international hotels all have bars which are often more civilized and quieter affairs.
Entertainment
There's plenty going on in Bangalore, especially in the way of cultural events. Music, dance and theatrical performances are held regularly at the violin- shaped Chowdaiah Hall on Sankey road and at Ravindra Kalakshetra on JC road.
The racecourse comes alive from May to July and between November and March. Located amid green parkland on Racecourse road in the city center, the Bangalore course is well known in India and makes for a great day out if you feel like a flutter on the horses.
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