Welcome to Suvarna Bengaluru!

Bangalore lies in the southeastern region of Karnataka, 1000 m above the sea level. Famed for its salubrious climate throughout the year, Bangalore does witness the fallouts of global warming with temperatures rising to about 38⁰C occasionally during summer. The lowest temperature recorded so far has been about 7⁰C. On an average, the temperature vacillates between 15 and 30⁰C.

February to May are the warmest months; June to August are windy, frequently coming under the wet spell of the southwest monsoon; September to November are drenched by the northeast monsoon; and December to February are the coolest months, experiencing occasional spells of wet weather from the retreating monsoon.

Population
This once-sleepy city is now a thriving cosmopolis, thanks to a boom in the BPO industry. People from all over the country have made the city their home. Bangalore’s population is over 9 million, and growing. Though the indigenous Kannadiga population form a major chunk in the demographic pie, people from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh too have significant presence in the city. The official language is Kannada; however, you can get by if you speak English, Tamil, Telugu or Hindi.

Food
Bangalore is a gourmet’s delight. From sushi to sausages, Kerala parota to kimchi, cakes to kesar bhat, Bangalore has it all. And dishing out these delights are scores of restaurants in the city, both fine-dining as well as budget. Street food in the city has also its teasing delights, and if you are not queasy about hygiene, you can check out the famed food street at VV Puram.

Bangalore is the pub capital of India. With the likes of beer baron Vijay Mallya making Bangalore his home, it’s small wonder that pubbing takes on a new avatar at this side of the country. Bangalore has a vibrant night life as well. The nightclubs offer a lot to those who like to party!

Shopping
Bangalore is famous for its sandalwood products and silk sarees. However, when you go shopping for these, make sure that you go to authentic places, lest you end up paying though your nose for a piece of junk. Recommended places for sandalwood shopping are Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium, Central Cottage Industries, Kairali and Natesan’s Antiqarts.

Try and make a visit to Balapet or Chikpet, the ultimate destination for silk sarees. You can also visit Karnataka Silks, KSIC Mysore silk showroom, Deepam International Silks, Mysore Silk Emporium, Karishma Silks, Gokal’s Silk and Saris, and Sudarshan Silks and Saris.

If variety fare is what you seek, coast along the hip and happening MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street and Commercial Street and bag the best buys. From clothes to cars and everything in between, the shops at these places will have it all. Alternatively, you can also choose to have a dekko at old markets like Russel Market, Johnson Market, KR Market and Shivajinagar Market.

If you are a mall rat who needs her regular mall-entertainment, Bangalore will not disappoint you in that regard either. Windowshop at any of the city malls—Forum, Total, Garuda, Eva and Sigma Mall—and catch a flick later. Or else, you can also choose to stretch yourself at the food courts.

Festivals
Bangalore, being a cosmopolitan city, celebrates a host of festivals throughout the year. A few of the festivals celebrated with great fanfare include Dasahara, Diwali, Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Good Friday, Eid, Muharram, Ugadi, and Onam.

Sightseeing in and around Bangalore
Talk to Karnataka State Tourism Department and book yourself for a sightseeing tour of the city. Lal Bagh Botanical Garden, Cubbon Park, Bangalore Palace, Bull Temple, Vidhana Soudha, Attara Kacheri, Visheshwaraih Technological Museum, Bangalore Museum and Planetarium, ISCKON Temple, Rajrajeshwari Temple, Musical Fountains are part of the regular city itinerary.

Places around Bangalore worth having a dekko include Bannerghatta, the wildlife sanctuary, Ranganathittu, bird sanctuary, the royal city of Mysore, and Srirangapatnam. You can also speak to your travel operator for more information.

Moving around
Shivajinagar and Majestic are terminus for city buses. However, the city bus service is quite shaky; hence, you have to rely on the autorickshaws and cabs to move around in the city.

Reaching Bangalore
Bangalore is connected by rail to other cities in the country. Bangalore City, Bangalore Cantonment, Yeshwantpur are the major railway stations. Majestic acts both as intra and inter state bus terminus. Almost all major airlines, both Indian as well as foreign, touch down at Bangalore International Airport, in Devanahalli.

City of contrasts
Bangalore is a heady mix of the old and the new. You can leisurely sip traditional south Indian coffee and also get high on choicest cocktails. You can shake your booty at the Palace Grounds or regale yourself with Carnatic strains at any of the auditoriums in the city. These contrasting aspects are what make Bangalore a great tourist destination, a place to explore, enjoy and get intoxicated with.

We wish you a pleasant stay in namma Bengaluru.