Though Bangalore has morphed into Bengaluru, it still retains some of its old-world charm and is an established base for excursions into neighbouring hill stations and seaside resorts Once known as the pensioner’s paradise and India’s garden city, over the past two decades, in particular, the southern city of Bangalore aka Bengaluru (pop. 12.3 million) has metamorphosed into Asia’s fastest-growing metropolis, India’s Silicon Valley and the undisputed hub of the nation’s information technology (IT) and IT-related businesses. Almost overnight this sleepy, laid-back city has impacted itself not only upon the consciousness of Indian but also foreign investors and industry as a metro city of fast-track businesses including research and development, real estate development, retailing and education hub. And it’s a measure of Bangalore’s swift growth and development as a business hub that 658 flights from across the country touch down and take off every day at its expansive 4,000-acre Kempe Gowda International Airport (estb. 2008) named after the founder of Bangalore. Moreover, several foreign airlines including Air Nepal, Sri Lanka Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Emirates have introduced direct flights from Bangalore to their headquarters and further afield. But though latter-day Bengaluru has morphed into a business and industrial metro, it still retains some of its old-world charm — particularly in its two great public parks (Lalbagh and Cubbon Park) which are the lungs of the garden city — and offers numerous other rest and recreation options. Among them: the largest number of pubs and bars in the country, innumerable restaurants offering virtually all the major cuisines of the world and a variety of spas, resorts and hotels in scenic spots on the peripheries of the city. In addition, Bangalore is now a well-established base for excursions to neighbouring hill stations and seaside resorts which are within comfortable driving distance and well-connected by air, road and rail links. The history of Bangalore dates back to the 11th century when King Veera Ballala II reportedly lost his way while on a hunting expedition. After a long march through a forest, the famished royal chanced upon a peasant’s hut. Its sole woman resident had nothing to offer except boiled beans. As a token of gratitude, the king built a town in the region and named it Benda Kalooru which translates into ‘town of boiled beans’. Over time, this name evolved into Bangalore after which it was renamed Bengaluru in 2014. In 1761, Hyder Ali usurped the Mysore throne from the Wodeyar dynasty and ruled over Bangalore until his death in 1779. His son Tipu Sultan aka the Tiger of Mysore, took over and ruled till 1791 when Lord Cornwallis, the British governor general of India besieged the city and defeated Tipu’s army. When the treaty of Srirangapatnam was signed, Bangalore was handed back to Tipu. The fourth Mysore war (1799) resulted in the fall of Srirangapatnam and death of Tipu following which Bangalore was absorbed in the kingdom of Mysore ruled by Krishna Raja Wodeyar III. In 1831, the British assumed control…
