Bangalore Palace
The Bangalore Palace was built in 1887 by Chamaraja Wodeyar depicting the Tudor-style. Windsor Castle was the brainchild, behind the construction of this Palace. The construction has fortified towers and its interiors are elegant carved of wood. The palace is complete with Gothic windows, battlements and turrets.
The entrance fee for Indian adult citizen is Rs 100/- and for children Rs 50/-. Foreign adult tourists are charged Rs 200/- and Rs 100/- is charged for children. Video recording charge is Rs 1000/- and photography charge is Rs 500/-. The visiting hours are 10 am to 6 pm on all days except Sunday which is a holiday.
Tipu Sultan's Palace
Tipu Sultan's Palace is located very close to the fort. It is now converted to a museum. The building of the palace was started by Hyder Ali and it was completed by Tipu Sultan. The construction of the Palace was completed in the year 1791 and it took ten years to plan and construct the palace.
The Palace was one of Tipu Sultan's summer retirements. It is a double storied flowery wooden structure. It has columns, curves and balconies which are laid with gardens on both sides of the path which leads to the palace. A dedication on the wooden screen reports the palace to be an "Abode of Happiness".
Cubbon Park
In 300 acres of abundant serenity lies the Cubbon Park. It was laid out by Lord Cubbon who was the viceroy of India in the year 1864. The park, in the present days, is a haven of Green foliage, in the center of modern Bangalore. Mostly visited by tourists seeking calm and quiet atmosphere, the park is also an ideal place for nature lovers, walkers and joggers.
After its institution additions to the park in the form of fairy fountains and grand band stand have been made. New buildings have added beauty and cultural wealth to the park.
Lal Bagh
Lal Bagh is one of India’s most beautiful botanical gardens. Hyder Ali set out the garden and his son is supposed to have added horticultural wealth to the garden. He imported several plants and trees from different countries.
The garden has about 1000 species of rare plants and herbs. The park is constructed in about 2400 acres. There is a glass house depicting London’s Crystal Palace and this is the main center of attraction. The garden is well protected with stone walls which act as enclosures. It has four approach gates.
The garden remains open from 6 am to 7 pm throughout the year.
Vidhan Soudha
Vidhana Soudha is a noble building built exclusively of dressed Bangalore granite. It is a testimonial to temple architecture. The building is Bangalore’s best known landmark. It is 46 meter high.
Vidhana Soudha is one of Bangalore’s important buildings. The building is constructed entirely on the Indian style of architecture. All the four corners have four domes. The main entranceway is eclipsed by the four headed lion. The lion is the symbolic representation of Indian sovereignty.
The Vidhana Soudha has twenty two departments and three hundred rooms. The construction of the building was started in the year 1952. It took more than five thousand manual laborers, 1500 scammers, masons and wood carvers and 4 years to complete the building.
Commercial Street
Commercial Street in Bangalore is one of the main shopping complexes in India. The whole of the street is lit by a covering of lights that are threaded from lamppost to lamppost. The energy of the people shopping here is high and one can get a good sense of the chaos that is prevalent there.
The Commercial Street is one of the busiest areas in Bangalore. It is placed between Shivaji Nagar and Kamaraj Road. Garments, hosiery and textile stores form the major part of the shops. In addition there are shops selling shoes, art materials, jewellery, sport goods and other general goods.
Ulsoor Lake
Ulsoor lake is centrally located. It is spread over an area of 1.5 sq km. The lake in its early years was known as "Halsur" or "Alasur".
The lake dates back to the time of Kempe Gowda I and II. There are 2 springs which exists at the bottom of the lake. These springs are now covered with heavy silt.
The then Commissioner of Bangalore Sir Lewin Bentham Bowring constructed the lake. The lake is a famous tourist spot. It is not fit for swimming. But one can go for boating in the lake.
Bull Temple
The Bull Temple, located in Basavanagudi is one of the oldest temples in Bangalore. The temple is dedicated to Nandi, the bull, which is the mount of Lord Shiva.
Nandi, the awesome monolithic deity of the Bull Temple, attracts visitors, tourists and devotees from all parts of the country and outside the country also. With a height of 4.5 m and 6 m long, the statue is carved out of a single granite rock and is older than the temple in which it is housed.
There is no entrance fee for the temple and the daily timings are from 6 am to 8 pm.
Lumbini Gardens
Lumbini Gardens is situated on the Outer Ring Road. It is located on the banks of the Nagawara Lake.
Lumbini Gardens is a wave pool with an artificial beach. Visitors without any age restrictions are allowed inside the gardens. The pool provides the best and safest form of entertainment. It also has a children’s pool. The pool is situated in an area of 12,500 square feet.
A modern filtration plant is used to maintain the quality of water in the pool. A specialized lifeguard is also employed through a master agency. He is always on the standby for extra safety.
Vikasa Soudha
Vikasa Soudha is a building which is located adjoining to Vidhana Soudha follows the super-modern construction. Vikasa Soudha is also built in the same classic style as that of Vidhana Soudha. The building was dedicated formally in February 2005.
The South Block of the building is built in an area of about 7.5 acres. The building has eight storeys. The outer walls are made of ornamental stone work. It resembles Vidhana Soudha frontage.
The granite stones were selected specially from the quarries of Hesaraghatta, Avalahalli, Mallasandra and Koira. The three basement floors have the facility to park about 600 cars.
High Court (Attara Kacheri)
Karnataka High Court located in Bangalore is also known as Attara Kacheri, literal meaning being eighteen offices. The High Court is situated opposite to the Vidhana Soudha in Cubbon Park. The High Court was instituted in the year 1884 under the Mysore High Court Act. Till the year 1973 it was known as the Mysore High Court.
Attara Kacheri was built under the rule of Tipu Sultan. He constructed it to accommodate the expanded offices of the eighteen departments of Revenue and General Secretariat. The High Court was built in the 19th century and is in a vivid red color.
Wonder La
Wonder La is a theme park which has pleasant surprises and is full of fun. It has thrill rides and fun water slides which are refreshing. The park is divided into two parts: Dry Rides and Wet Rides. Dry rides has lots of scary stuff, rides turning you topsy turvy.
There are few cool ones in this section that include Musical Fountain, Crazy car and Virtual Reality. The laser and the musical fountain, scary house & ant hill are other highlights in the park.
ISKCON Temple
The Temple is a dainty blend of modern technology and spiritual harmony with a unique combination of glass and gopurams. It is built on a hillock. The surroundings are beautiful. This temple was built to promote vedic culture and spiritual learning.
Thousands of devotees attend the annual Krishna and Balarama Rath Yatra. The temple is built in a seven acre hillock. This area was discarded by the Bangalore Development Authority as waste land. A person by the name Pandit Dasa purchased the hillock from the BDA at a cost of Rs 11 lakhs and this temple was constructed.
Bannerghatta National Park
The Bannerghatta National Park is situated 22 km away from the city. A variety of fauna in the picturesque surroundings of the park can be seen. It is a reserve of lions, Indian tigers and many other mammals. Crocodiles, picnic corner, pets corner and serpentarium with lion’s safari are among the many attractions in the park. The small zoo in the park displays many zoological items.
The country’s first butterfly park was set up in the Bannerghatta National Park on 25th of November 2006. The butterfly park is spread over 7.5 acres of land and constitutes a butterfly conservatory, museum and an audio-visual room. The conservatory is made of polycarbonate roof. The living environment has been so designed that it supports 20 species of butterflies.
September to January is the best time to visit, when one can spot Lions and Tigers while on a safari
Venkatappa Art Gallery and Government Museum
The Venkatappa Art Gallery is situated in the Karnataka Government Museum. It exhibits some of the rich art of Bangalore. The Art Gallery is comprised of two floors and displays 600 paintings.
The government museum was established in the year 1865. The museum has exhibits of antiquities from Mohenjadaro and terracotta from Mathura. It contains traditional paintings also. The museum is a must visit place for art lovers. It has some of the exclusive collections of scenic displays. The museum also has some of the great works of the famous artist K. Venkatappa.
