Bangalore

State Capital of: Karnataka

Main Languages: Telegu, Tamil and English

 

History:

 

Bangalore was known as Benagluru in the ancient period. It was captured by the Cholas in 1024 and was later passed to the Chalukya Cholas in 1070. In 1116 it was taken over by Hoysala Empire. The modern Bangalore had been founded by Kempe Gowda I, who was a vassal of the Vijayanagar Empire in 1537. In 1687 Bangalore was taken over by the Mughals and was sold to Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar of Mysore. It was later passed on to Tipu Sultan the sone of Hyder Ali. After the death of Tipu Sultan, Bangalore passed on to the hands of the British. The city was made a part of the state of Karnataka and became the capital of the state. Bangalore then became the IT hub of India and was also known as the Silicon Valley of India. 

 

Geography and Climate:

 

Bangalore is popularly referred to as the air conditioned city. It is on the south east of Karnataka and lies in the heart of the Mysore Plateau. The average elevation of the city is 920 m which is about 3,018 feet. The location of the city is 12.97° N 77.56° E. Basic topology of the city is flat except for a ridge running through centrally. There are no major rivers pass through the city. A minor tributary of the Arkavathi arises within the city and flows through it. Many lakes had been constructed by Kempe Gowda I to meet the water requirements of the town. The climate throughout the year is pleasant here. The coolest months are December and January. Bangalore gets rainfall from the North east and the South west monsoons with frequent flooding.

 

Economy:

 

Bangalore has a flourishing economy due to the establishments of IT hubs all over the city. The economic growth of the city is 10.3% which also makes Bangalore the fastest growing major metropolis in India. It is also the 4th largest city for FMCG market. The city also provides the 3rd largest hub high net worth individuals. It is the home to over 10,000 dollar millionaires. It is the center for various sectors like software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, machine tools, heavy equipment, and defense establishments. 

 

Demography:

 

The population of the city is about 5,281,927 as per the 2007 census which makes Bangalore the third most populous city in India. It is one of the faster growing metropolises in India with a decadal growth of 38%. It also has the 2nd highest literacy rates for metropolises at 83%.

 

Education:

 

Bangalore has some of the most established institutions and colleges in India like Indian Institute of Science, National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

 

Tourism and culture:

 

The city is also known as the city of gardens. Some of the places to be seen are the

Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. The festival of Dasara, Eid ul-Fitr, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Sankranthi and Christmas are celebrated. Udipi restaurants are popular here. Classical music and dance recitals are also encouraged. 

 

Transportation:

 

The new Bengaluru International Airport caters to international and metro city flights. The old Bangalore airport takes care of the non metro cities. A new rapid transit system is being developed called the Namma Metro. The city has good inter-city bus route provisions and is well connected by railways also.