Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state Karnataka. The city was known as the "Garden City of India".
Bengaluru was one of the most important tourist centers of the Karnataka state. Central business district of Bengaluru consists of places MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, Vidhana Soudha etc. Bengaluru had many lakes and parks. BMTC offers special buses for sightseeing in Bengaluru, including Cauveri - a double-decker open roof bus.
Attractions
Parks
Lal Bagh is a botanical garden, commissioned by the Hyder Ali in 1760. The park is home to over 1000 species of flora and a Glass House. The park is known for its annual flower show. The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda I. The Lal Bagh Rock, dates back to 3000 million years, is another attraction. Cubbon Park is located in the heart of the city and spreads over 300 acres (1.2 km2). The park was created in 1884, by Major General Richard Sankey. The park is home to numerous trees and plants that span over 68 general and 96 species. The park is also known for its kids train. Jayaprakash Narayan Biodiversity Park (JP park) is on an 85-acre (340,000 m2) site at Mathikere in the north-west area of Bangalore. The park has four lakes, lawns spread over 25 acres (100,000 m2), over 250 varieties of trees and shrubs can be found there all the time.
Historical monuments
Bangalore Fort originally built by Kempegowda in 1537 A D. It is located next to the Victoria Hospital Gate in the K.R Market area. The original mudfort was replaced by a stone fort in 1761 by Mysuru ruler Hyder Ali. Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace was built in 1791, is a two-storied ornate wooden structure with exquisitely carved pillars, arches and balconies. It houses a museum that contains artifacts relating to the Hyder-Tipu regime. Bangalore Palace (1862) is located near Mekhri Circle and Cantonment Railway station and is built to look like a smaller replica of the Windsor Castle in England. Mayo Hall was designed in memory of the Lord Mayo and is regarded as one of the finest designs of British architecture. Kempe Gowda Watch towers were built by Immadi Kempegowda (Kempe Gowda II) in the 16th century to watch over the boundaries of the city. The four watch towers Mehkri Circle tower, Halasuru Rock tower, Lalbagh rock tower and Kempambudhi Hillock tower. These towers feature symbolically in the icon of the Bengaluru's Municipal Corporation BBMP.
War Memorials
World War I memorial (Sapper War Memorial): It is located at the intersection of Brigade Road and Residency Road. It was raised in honour the fallen of the Madras Sappers & Miners (Madras Engineer Group). Mysore Lancers WW-I memorial: A war memorial was erected at JC Road in memory of the contributions of the Mysore Lancers in World War I. The Mysore lancers were involved in the campaigns of the Suez Canal, Gaza, Meggiodo, Sharon, Damascus and Palestine. On September 23, 1918, the Mysore Lancers along with the Jodhpur lancers liberated Haifa in Israel from Ottoman and German control. National Military Memorial located near the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium was constructed to honour the sacrifices of Indian soldiers over the years.
Government buildings
Vidhana Soudha is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing granite building, built in 1956 in the 'Neo-Dravidian' style, incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles. Vidhana Soudha is the brainchild of Kengal Hanumanthaiah and built by chief engineer B.R. Manickam. Attara Kacheri, (Karnataka High Court), overlooks Vidhana Sabha. It is a red brick and stone building in the Greco-Roman style of architecture. It houses the High Court for the state of Karnataka.