Sights in Bengaluru (Bangalore)
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Lalbagh Botanical Gardens
Spread over 96 acres of landscaped terrain, Lalbagh or the Red Garden was laid out in 1760 by Hyder Ali, and is now one of Bengaluru’s most famous greens. Ten-seater ecofriendly buggies (per head Rs100) can take you on a guided tour across the garden, telling you more about the centuries-old trees and collections of plants from around the world. A beautiful glasshouse, modelled on the original Crystal Palace in London, is the venue for flower shows in the weeks preceding Republic Day (26 January) and Independence Day (15 August). Walk in early on Sundays, and you can also hear the police band perform at the Police Bandstand.
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Bengaluru Palace
The private residence of the Wodeyar family, Bengaluru Palace preserves a slice of the bygone royal life for you to see. Aged retainers show you around the building, designed to resemble Windsor Castle, and you can marvel at the lavish interiors and galleries featuring family photos and a collection of nude portraits. Ask before you get clicking. The palace grounds, interestingly, are now Bengaluru’s hottest concert arena, having hosted everyone from Iron maiden, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Deep Purple in the past!
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Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath
This visual arts gallery is Bengaluru’s definitive art institution. A wide range of Indian and international contemporary art is on show at its exhibition galleries (open 10.30am to 7pm), while permanent displays showcase lavish gold-leaf works of Mysore-style paintings and folk and tribal art from across Asia. A section is devoted to the works of Russian master Nicholas Roerich, known for his vivid paintings of the Himalayas, and his son Svetoslav.
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Hal Aerospace Museum
For a peek into India’s aeronautical history, visit this wonderful museum past the old airport, where you can see some of the indigenous aircraft models designed by HAL, sometimes with a little help from other nations. Interesting exhibits include the infamous MIG-21, indigenous models such as the Marut and Kiran, and a vintage Canberra bomber. You can also engage in mock dogfights at the simulator machines (Rs10) on the top-floor.
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Government Museum
The Government Museum to the south of Cubbon Park houses a collection of stone carvings and relics, including some good pieces from Halebid. Your ticket also gets you into the attached Venkatappa Art Gallery, where you can see several works and personal memorabilia of K Venkatappa (1887–1962), court painter to the Wodeyars.
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Iskcon Temple
Built by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), better known as the Hare Krishnas, this shiny temple, 8km northwest of the town centre, is lavishly decorated in a mix of ultra-contemporary and traditional styles. The Sri Radha Krishna Mandir has a stunning shrine to Krishna and Radha.
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Krishnarajendra Market Area
For a pungent taste of traditional urban India, dive into this bustling wholesale fresh-produce Krishnarajendra Market and the dense grid of commercial streets that surround it. This is the main Muslim area of the city and you'll also find here several mosques, including the impressively massive lilac-painted Jama Masjid.
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Cubbon Park
Named after the former British commissioner Sir Mark Cubbon, the 120-hectare Cubbon Park is where the city breathes. Inside and on its fringes you'll find the red-painted Gothic-style State Central Library, two municipal museums, an art gallery and a bleak Government Aquarium.
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Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum
For the gadget-oriented kind, the Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum showcases a wide range of electrical and engineering displays, from a replica of the Wright brothers’ 1903 flyer to 21st-century virtual-reality games.
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Bull Temple
Built by Kempegowda in the 16th-century Dravidian style, the Bull Temple contains a huge granite monolith of Nandi and is one of Bengaluru’s most atmospheric temples.
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Bull Temple
Built by Kempegowda in the Dravidian style of the 16th century, the Bull Temple contains a huge granite monolith of Nandi and is one of Bengaluru's liveliest and most atmospheric.
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Venkatappa Art Gallery
Here you can see several works and personal memorabilia of K Venkatappa (1887–1962), court painter to the Wodeyars.
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Dodda Ganesha Temple
Nearby the Bull Temple, the Dodda Ganesha Temple has an enormous Ganesh idol.
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Tipu Sultan’s Palace
In the heart of the vibrant Krishnarajendra City Market stands the elegant palace of Tipu Sultan, notable for its teak pillars and ornamental frescoes. Though not as beautiful (or well-maintained) as Tipu’s summer palace in Srirangapatnam, it’s an interesting monument, and definitely worth an outing when combined with other nearby sights such as the Krishnarajendra (City) Market, the massive Jama Masjid, the remains of Kempegowda’s fort and the ornate Venkataraman Temple.
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