Karnataka
Comprising the former princely State
of Mysore and some districts of the erstwhile State of Bombay
in the north and Chennai in the south, Karnataka is a land of
scenic splendour and great human endeavor. Its chequered and
tumultuous history is like a mosaic of kings and their kingdoms,
inter woven with time honored traditions, rituals and customs.
Its rulers were great builders both of empires and monuments.
They founded grand temples, splendid stupas, sepulchres, palaces,
lofty minarets and magnificent mausoleums and mosques. It is
a land of religious harmony, mutual tolerance and vast inter-religious
cultural heritages. Geologically, Karnataka has been one of
the World’s most ancient civilization and people have
been living here all these millennium. This land has many attractions
for the tourists. Some of the prominent ones have been listed
below:
Bangalore
This is one of the most cosmopolitan
and modern cities of the country. Also known as the garden city,
this is an industrial town as well with least pollution among
all the metropolis cities of the country. There are a number
of places of tourist interest in and around Bangalore which
can be conveniently visited by a car, taxi or conducted tours
operated by the Karnataka State Trading Corporation and many
other private agencies.
Vidhan Saudh
Situated at the northern extreme of Cubbon
Park, Vidhan Saudh is an imposing post-independence granite
structure post-independence granite structure incorporating
traditional Dravidian features of the architecture. Now it houses
the State Legislature and Secretariat. Weekend illumination
of the Vidhan Saudh is a great attraction for tourists. Prior
permission is required to see its interior.
Cubbon Park
This beautiful park was laid out in1864.
Sprawling over an area of .300 acres, one of the main lungs
of Bangalore, this park has some Greco Colonial style structures
like the public Library, the High Court and the Government Museum.
Lal Bagh
The botanical gardens of La! Bagh were
laid out by Hyder Ali, who taking advantage of the then prevailing
confusion overthrew the Wodeyar Dynasty. His son and successor,
Tipu Sultan later developed the Gardens into a summer resort
almost two centuries ago. To-day Lal Bagh is one of the best
parks of the country and contains over ,000 varieties of plants
and trees, many of them are rare. In the centre of the garden
is a glass house, where flower shows are held in the months
of August and February.
Tipu‘s Palace
and Fort
The palace made largely of wood, with elaborate
arches, is situated on Albert Victor Road and about 4 km. from
the Govt. of India Tourist Office, KFC Building, 48, Church
Street. The palace was once the summer residence of Tipu Sultan.
The palace is open between 8 AM to 6 P.M. and there is no admission
fee. The historic Fort, close to the city market was originally
built in mud by a local Chieftain Kempegowda in 1537. Later
it was rebuilt in stone in 1761 by Hyder Ali, and further improved
upon by his son Tipu Sultan, but much of it was damaged in the
war with the British in 1791. Still it is a fine specimen of
the 18th Century military structures. It remains open between
8AM to 6P.M. There is a temple dedicated to Ganesh, the elephant-headed
God of wisdom and learning.
Bull Temple
At the end of the Bull Temple Road and
about 5 km. from the Tourist Office, Bull Temple is a Dravidian
style structure on Bugle Hill and houses a huge monolith Nandi,
the Bull Mount of Lord Shiva. It is said to have been built
by Kempegowda.
Other places worth visiting are Ulsoor Lake, the Govt. Museum
(established in 1864 and houses fabulous collection of rare
antique items) and the Industrial Museum also called Visveshwariyya
Industrial Technological Museum (devoted to science and technology).
Bangalore is well-connected to all the major cities of the country
by air- flights and train-routes. The Karnataka State Road Transportation
has a good network of buses all over the State and to neighboring
States. The metropolis has a wide range of accommodation suiting
‘to all preferences including a few 5 star hotels.
One can visit nearby spots also in a taxi or bus. The important
spots are:
White Field (16 km. away and the Ashram of Sri Satya Sai Baba):
Bannerghata (19 km. away having a National Park and lion safari);
Nandi Hills (68 km. away, for ancient temples and bracing climate;
also Tipu Sultan’s summer retreat). These spots also have
lodges and hotels for the overnight stay.
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