BANGALORE Tourism, BANGALORE Travel Guide

About Bangalore

Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru is the capital of state of Karnataka in South India. Bangalore lies at 949m above sea level and enjoys a salubrious climate throughout the year. Bangalore is also known as the IT hub of India, being one of India’s fastest growing cities. Bangalore is home to a lot of major international IT companies, public sector companies, defense organizations, and reputed educational and research organizations. There are a number of places in Bangalore that are worth a visit including Vidhan Soudha, Cubbon Park, Ulsoor Lake Etc. Bangalore is also famous for its amazing nightlife with some of most happening pubs and discotheques in the city. For local Bangalore population, there are numerous weekend getaways around Bangalore. Bangalore is also a perfect hub for all the major tourist destinations in South India.

Bangalore History

Bangalore the current capital of Karnataka, was founded by Kempe Gowda, who built a mud fort in the city. In the year 1120 AD, Hoysala king Veera Ballalla, who ruled the Deccan plateau, constructed a town and named it Benda Kalooru which means town of boiled beans. The reason the town was named like that was because during a hunting trip, the king Veera Ballalla was helped by a local women who served him boiled beans. Later in the year 1537, a local chieftain, Kempe Gowda established this town in its current shape. Kempe Gowda's successor Kempe Gowda II, built temples, tanks and watch towers in the town.

The town of Bengaluru was later captured by the Maratha Chief Shahaji Bhonsle, father of Shivaji, then working of the Sultanate of Bijapur. The Mughals later conquered the Sultanate of Bijapur, and leased Bengaluru the kingdom of Mysore's ruler Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar in 1689. In 1759, Hyder Ali the commander-in-chief of Wodeyars made himself the de facto ruler of Mysore kingdom, including Bangalore, which was later ruled by Tipu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali. Tipu Sultan was defeated by the British in the fourth Anglo-Mysore War, after defeating East India Company in the three Anglo-Mysore war. Later the rule of Mysore and Bangalore passed to the Wodeyars, but only as figureheads.