Cosmopolitan Bengaluru is the number one city in the Indian deep south, blessed with a benevolent climate and a burgeoning drinking, dining and shopping scene. It’s a place you come to experience the new face of India. Here you’ll encounter many locals chatting in English instead of local dialects and getting around in jeans and heavy metal band T-shirts rather than traditional attire.
As the hub of India’s booming IT industry, it vies with Mumbai as the nation’s most progressive city, and its creature comforts can be a godsend to the weary traveller who’s done the hard yards.
The past decade has seen a mad surge of development, coupled with traffic congestion and rising pollution levels. However, it’s a city that has also taken care to preserve its greens and its colonial heritage. So while urbanisation continually pushes its boundaries outward, the central district (dating back to the British Raj years) remains more or less unchanged.
Highlights
Cubbon Park, a sprawling 120-hectare garden | The private residence of the Wodeyars, erstwhile maharajas of the state, Bengaluru Palace preserves a slice of bygone royal splendour.
Interesting facts
– Bangalore was the first city in India to get electricity
– It has the highest number of engineering colleges in India
