Bangalore is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also called "Garden City" for its beautiful gardens, flowers and trees which flourish in each and every street. It is India's fifth largest city and India's fifth largest metropolitan area, with a 2001 population of about 6.5 million. After India gained independence in 1947, Bangalore evolved into a manufacturing hub for heavy industries such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Indian Space Research Organization.

Within the last decade, the establishment and success of high technology firms in Bangalore have lead to the growth of Information Technology (IT) in India. IT firms in Bangalore employ about 30% of India's pool of 1 million IT professionals. The city is also the Training Center for the Indian Air Force, the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) and Central Military Police, the latter two being arms of the Indian Army. Bangalore is the scientific hub of India and it has the world renowned and the oldest Research University, Indian Institute of Science. The other research institutes are the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the Raman Research Institute, the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, the National Center for Biological Science and the Indian Statistical Institute.

There are numerous gardens and historical sites within the city to keep you occupied. The Vidhan Soudha or the State Secretariat is the prime attraction. The Government Museum of Bangalore and the Visvesvaraya Technological and Industrial Museum are worth visiting. The Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, which holds a number of flower shows, especially during the Republic Day attracts several tourists. The Fort and Palace of Tipu Sultan and Palace are other important places in Bangalore. You may pray at the temple dedicated to Nandi, the Bull besides the Venkataramanaswamy Temple, the Gavi Gangadhareswara Cave Temple and the Someshwara Temple. The Ulsoor Lake is an ideal spot for picnics.

Tourist Information
Located at an altitude of 920m (3021ft) from the sea level,Bangalore has a moderate and pleasant climate throughout the year. During summer the temparature reach a maximum of 27o Celcius. Winters are colder when temparature goes down to 20o C. Bangalore enjoys both southwest and northeast monsoons. October and November are the wettest months.The Monsoons are during June - Sept. Bangalore has a domestic airport that connects most of the major cities of the country.

A few international flights are also operated from here. The city is connected by rail and roads to all parts of the country. Relevent tourist information can be obtained from Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation in Bangalore located at 10/4, Kasturba Road, Bangalore 560 001. Their tourist information counters are located at Badami House, Bangalore 560002, airport, railway stations and bus terminals. Most of the star hotels also provide tourist information for their inmates. For more details follow the link

Tourist Attraction
The Bangalore Palace & Fort :
The Bangalore Fort was built by Kempe Gowda and expanded by Tippu Sultan. Within its walls is the well preserved 16th century Ganapathi Temple. The Bangalore Palace was built by a Wodeyar king in 1887 on the 400 acre space. Inspired by the Windsor castle, this palace was built in the Tudor style, complete with Gothic windows, foiled windows, battlements and turrets resembling the Daria Daulat Palace in Srirangapatanam, this summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for its carving and paintings.

ISKCON:
Situated on Chord Road, it is a must visit temple in Bangalore. It stands over a small hill and is a very clean and well maintained temple. Akshaya Patra program sponsored by the temple is very popular.

The Gangadhareshware Temple:
Known for its four monolithic pillars and rare idol of Agni, the God of fire,this temple was built by Kempe Gowda. A unique phenomena is witnessed here on Jan 13/14th every year when the rays of the setting sun enter through the window, pass between the horns of the Nandi and shine on the Shivalingam.