Lal Bagh

Lal Bagh or Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, meaning The Red Garden in English, is a well known botanical garden in southern Bangalore, India. The garden was originally commissioned by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and later finished by his son Tipu Sultan. It has a famous glass house which hosts an annual flower show. Lal Bagh houses India's largest collection of tropical plants, has an aquarium and a lake, and is one of the main tourist attractions in Bangalore. <br/> The Western Gate <br/> Lal Bagh has four gates. The western gate is situated near Siddapur Circle.One can enter this gate and enjoy the silvan atmosphere of the garden. Outside, touching the compound gate, is Krumbigal Road. The other side of the road touches the compound wall of R.V.School. The National College, Rashtraya Vidyalaya, Chikkamavalli and Doddamavalli are nearby. The other side of the road goes to 'Krishna Rao road', where you can see The Indian Institute of World Culture, a beautiful library and a fine auditorium, which hosts a programme every week. Farther south, Model House street and the Yediyur Terminus are the main points. <br/> The Eastern Gate <br/> This is a wide road and is an ideal place for parking vehicles. If you happen to come from the Ashoka Pillar side, Jayanagar is close by. <br/> The Southern Gate <br/> Also referred to as the main gate. This gate is near Lalbagh Road and next to MTR. <br/> The Northern Gate <br/> This is a fairly wide and big road. If you go straight, the Glass House is visible. Many important functions, exhibitions, workshops and other programmes in Lal Bagh are hosted here from time to time. This is the main exit as well.

Cubbon Park

Cubbon Park is a landmark 'lung' area of the Bangalore city, located within the heart of city in the Central Administrative Area. The landscaping in the park creatively integrates natural rock outcrops with thickets of trees, massive bamboos, with grassy expanse and flowerbeds and the monuments within its limits, regulated by the Horticulture Department of the Government of Karnataka. The predominantly green area of the park has many motorable roads, and the well laid out walking paths running through the park are frequented by early morning walkers and the naturalists who study plants in the tranquil natural environment. <br/> Attara Kacheri <br/> Attara Kacheri, built in 1864 A.D during British rule, is a stone structure in an intense red hue, a two storied building with Corinthian columns in Gothic Style of architecture and is located at the entrance to the Park. The Public offices (Secretariat of the Government of Karnataka) were located here from 1868 AD to 1956 AD, which were later moved to the Vidhana Soudha, opposite to it. The building now accommodates the Karnataka High Court. In the Central Hall a portrait of Sir Mark Cubbon decorates the ceiling. An equestrian statue of Cubbon by Baron Marochetti is located at the back of the building. <br/> Museum <br/> The State Archeological Museum, one of the oldest in India, built in 1876 by Colonel Sankey, located within the Park, is similar in design to the Attara Kacheri in its architectural style and hue. While the original collection in the museum belonged to Benjamin L. Rice of the Mysore Gazetteer, antiquities from Mohenjodaro period are on display in the Museum. Exhibits in the Museum include specimens of Vijaynagar and Halebid architecture, ancient coins and stone inscriptions as old as 5000 years. <br/> Seshadri Iyer memorial hall <br/> Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, built in 1915 AD in a classic European style with Tuscan and Corinthian columns, in honour of Sir K.Seshadri Iyer who was Dewan of Mysore State from 1883 to 1901, is an impressive red building with gables. It houses the Seshadri Memorial library. The memorial building is ensconced in the middle of the park, framed by the greenery of the park and with a beautiful frontage of the rose garden. The Library has an area of 300 km² and functions as the Apex of the Karnataka Public Libraries system, which is governed by State Library Authority.In the year 2000 AD, the Library was awarded the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation Award for the best state central library in India in recognition of its outstanding contribution to meritorious services rendered in the spread of knowledge and gearing up of library movement in the city of Bangalore in particular and in the state of Karnataka in general. The library has presently a collection of 2.65 lakh books and also a Braille section.

ISKCON Temple

Sri Radha Krishna Temple has deities of Radha and Krishna located at Rajajinagar, in the North Bangalore, Karnataka, India. It is one of the largest ISKCON temples in the world. The temple is a huge cultural complex that was inaugurated in 1997 by Shankar Dayal Sharma and His Holiness Jayapataka Swami following the wishes of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON to promote Vedic culture and spiritual learning.

Vidhana Soudha

The Vidhana Soudha, located in Bengaluru (Bangalore), is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style sometimes described as Mysore Neo-Dravidian, and incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic and Dravidian styles. The construction was completed in 1956. <br/> The Vidhana Soudha has four floors above and one floor below ground level and sprawls across an area of 2,300 by 1,150 feet (700 m × 350 m). It is the largest Legislative building in India. Its eastern face has a porch with 12 granite columns, 40 feet (12 m) feet tall. Leading to the foyer is a flight of stairs with 45 steps, more than 200 feet (61 m) wide. The central dome, 60 feet (18 m) in diameter, is crowned by a likeness of the Indian national emblem. The front of the building is inscribed with the words Government's Work is God's Work. The cost of construction at that time was just 17.5 million rupees. But presently, annual maintenance cost itself is more than 20 million rupees (which include repairs, painting, and other miscellaneous expenses). <br/> The building is illuminated on Sundays and public holidays.

Bangalore Palace

Bangalore Palace, a palace located in Bangalore, India, was built by Rev. Garrett, who was the first Principal of the Central High School in Bangalore, now known as Central College. <br/> The construction of the palace was started in 1862 and completed in 1944. In 1884, it was bought by the then Maharaja of Mysore HH Chamarajendra Wadiyar X. Now owned by the Mysore royal family,the palace has recently undergone a renovation. <br/> It is mistakenly believed to be a replica of the Windsor Castle in England. The audio tour at the Bangalore palace clearly says that there was no reference to the Windsor Castle.

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace was the summer residence of the Mysorean ruler Tipu Sultan. It is located in Bangalore, India. Its construction was started by Hyder Ali within the walls of the Bangalore Fort and completed during the reign of Tipu Sultan in the year 1791. After the death of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, the palace was used by the British Administration as Secretariat before moving to Attara Kacheri in 1868. Today it is a tourist spot located at the center of Old Bangalore near Kalasipalyam Bus Stand and maintained by Government of Karnataka. <p/> The structure has been built entirely with Teak Wood and stands adorned with pillars, arches and balconies. It is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture. It is believed that Tipu Sultan used to conduct his durbar (court) from the eastern and western balconies of the upper floor. There are beautiful floral motifs embellishing the walls of the palace. The site also holds a painting of grand throne visualized by Tipu Sultan himself. Coated with gold sheets and stuck with precious emerald stones, Tipu had vowed never to use it until he completely defeated the English Army. Hence after the death of Tipu, the British Administration dismantled the throne and auctioned in parts since it was too expensive for a single person to buy it in entire piece. <p/> The rooms in the ground floor have been converted into a small museum showcasing various achievements of Tipu Sultan and his administration. There are newly done portraits of the people and places of that time. There is a replica of Tipu's Tiger, which is presently in the Victoria and Albert Museum at London. The clothes of Tipu Sultan and his crown are present in silver and gold pedestals. The silver vessels given by a general to Hyder Ali is also displayed. <p/> The space in front of the palace is developed as a garden and lawn by Horticulture Department, Government of Karnataka.

Ulsoor Lake

The village of Bangalore is said to have been gifted to Kempe Gowda I (1513–1569), the founder of Bangalore, by the Vijayanagar emperors. The Ulsoor Lake was built by his successor, Kempe Gowda II, and is the only surviving tank built by the Gowda kings in Bangalore. The first British military station was set up in Halasuru in 1807. <p/> There used to be a jackfruit orchard near the Ulsoor Lake, and the Kannada name for jackfruit being ‘Halasina Hannu’, the area came to be known as Halasuru. During the British rule, the name was anglicised to 'Ulsoor'. <p/> There are several old temples in Ulsoor, which are scattered throughout the area. The oldest temple is the Halasuru Someshwara Temple, was built by Kempe Gowda I in the 16th century and is a mixture of Hoysala, Chola and Vijayanagara architecture. The Subramanya Temple, which is more than 800 years old, is also a prominent temple. <p/> Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha <br/> The largest Sikh shrine in Bangalore, the Sri Guru Singh Sabha, is situated on the banks of the Ulsoor Lake. The sprawling white building on the edges of the lake, is indeed a well known place on the City’s landscape. Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara at Ulsoor was built in 1943 by A G Russell and was inaugurated in 1945. “While the Jollys and the Sahani families were the main forces behind the construction of the Gurudwara, all the community members and the Kohli and Chandoks families financed it under the leadership of Ahulwalia. It was only later in 1975, that the first floor of the Gurudwara was built. The monument is known for its splendid structure - it has added to the beauty of the area and Kensington Road where it is situated, which is also popularly known as Gurudwara Road. Being the biggest Gurudwara in City, a huge gathering of Sikhs come here on Wednesdays for prayer and the ‘langar’ on Sundays. All the devotees are offered free meals on Sundays, in what is known as the ‘Langar Sewa’. Around 1000 people visit the Gurudwara on Sunday mornings, while more than 2,000-3000 people visit in the afternoons and have their meal.