The Country Club Lake Side

REGENCY

by mitsi900 about REGENCY

It is one of the oldest - the owner is in this trade for ages.... actually - it is the Dal Makhni that is the best. Dal Makhni (lentils with butter/ cream), fried Baby Corn, Keema (mince meat), Naans( kneaded dough baked in a clay oven) & The Fruit Punch!

Bangalore: The Silicon Valley of India

by srinidhilv

"Bangalore - overview"

Bangalore aka Silicon Valley of India; Information Technology capital; education hub, Garden city, city of fashion, pub city, etc. Bangalore is the pioneer in Aerospace, biotechnology and IT and IT enabled services. It is also one of the most westernised cities in the country and has one of the largest pool of English-speaking knowledge workers in the world.

Bangalore is a modern techno-city where temples sell incense sticks against computerised bills, sprawling golf courses give stressed corporate executives relaxed weekends. In terms of eating out, restaurants in Bangalore dish out everything from Mexican to Polynesian cuisine to tingle the taste buds of locals and visitors alike.

This is a city where you can find people from diverse backgrounds, speaking varied languages. The lingua franca of the city is English and not Kannada which the official language of Karnataka. It is one of the few cities where one need not know the local language to communicate, as even a street hawker rambles on in English.

"History of Bangalore"

There are many legends and stories associated with the history of Bangalore. The most popular being ‘The Legend of Baked Beans’

It is believed that, Veera Ballala the 2nd, (a king of the 11th Century) was hunting in the forest got separated from his courtiers and soldiers and lost his way. Tired and hungry he started looking for some habitation where he could get some food to satisfy his hunger and water to quench his thirst. He came across a solitary hut in the midst of the woods and knocked on the door and was warmly welcomed by a poor woman. The poor woman had nothing to offer the King except some boiled beans. The King ate the humble meal and left the hut after a short rest. He later built a city in the region and named it 'Benda Kalooru' meaning “City of Baked Beans”. The name changed as time went on and what we are presently left with is an anglicised version of the original.

Later, in the year 1537, Kempe Gowda I designed the present day city and built a mud fort around the city. The Bijapur Sultanate conquered it. The Moghuls sold it. Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar purchased it for Rupees 3,00,000. It was the personal jagir (property) of Shahji Bhonsley. There are inscriptions in Kadu Malleswara Temple in the city about Shivaji’s presence in this part of the city. The city was under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan during 17th Century. Into this ever-shifting kaleidoscope also came Lord Cornwallis, the English Governor General in India, with the biggest army that ever invaded Bangalore in March 1791.

After the fall of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Mysore War, in 1799, Bangalore became part of the newly carved out Mysore State under the rule of Krishna Raja Wodeyar III. In 1831, the British resumed the administration of the new State. It acquired the status of administrative center of the State, for the first time, in the days of the British Commission in Mysore (1831-1881).

In the beginning of the 19th Century, the General Post Office was opened. Nine years later, in 1809, the Cantonment was established. The British took over administration in 1831. The first rail was built in the city in 1859 and in 1864 the Cubbon Park was built by Sankey. The end of the century saw the building of Attara Kacheri (High Court) and the Bangalore Palace.

In 1949 the City and Cantonment areas of Bangalore were amalgamated to form the Corporation of the City of Bangalore comprising an area of 26.7 square miles. While the 20th century arrives on the first motorcar in the city the same time sees India's first electric bulb. Today Bangalore is the city of firsts, a city where most companies launch their products, it is said in corporate circles that if a product succeeds in Bangalore it will sell in the rest of India.

"Must see in Bangalore"

Bangalore has several places of Interest. Here are some of the places one must see.

Bangalore Palace
The Bangalore palace built by the Wodeyar kings in 1887, adapting the Tudor style is a strikingly beautiful replica of the Windsor Castle in England. The palace surrounded by sprawling acres of rich vegetation and the grounds also boast a 10-acre lake, which attracts several species of migratory birds during nesting season.

Sankey Lake
Sankey lake is still one of the cleaner water bodies in Bangalore, probably because it is maintained by the state forest department and possessively guarded by birdwatchers, nature lovers, walkers and joggers.

Ulsoor Lake
This is one of the largest lakes in the city. It is quite polluted and despite its filth and green colour attracts a sizeable number of visitors and tourists during weekends. The lake is flanked by Kempe Gowda Tower on one side and residential areas on all others. The tower along with a substantial expanse of the Lake is under the control of the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) and hence this part is inaccessible to general public. Karnataka tourism offers boating facilities on both paddle boats and motorboats. A few islands in the middle of the lake have been developed into small gardens with park benches and trees for shade.

Visveswaraiah Industrial and Technological Museum
Visveswaraya Industrial & Technological Museum is an important landmark in Bangalore city. Named after Sir M. Visveswaraya who was the brain behind the KRS Dam and many other mega irrigation projects in the state the museum offers an educative experience for visitors. It is especially popular among school children who go back not only entertained but also enlightened about several scientific concepts and theories. The museum boasts of one of the best collection of scientific gadgets and instruments. Visits to this museum will not only serve to educate kids but also make adults realize the importance of technology in their daily lives. Among the notable exhibits are,

Karnataka State Government Museum
The Government Museum is a history museum, which contains sculptures, paintings and artifacts from the bygone era of kings and emperors. It also contains some Old Stone Age implements and tools.

Cubbon Park
Planned and laid out in 1864, this beautiful 300-acre park contains the public library and the museum. The illuminated “fairy fountain” and the elegant graeco – colonial style buildings, add to the beauty of this park.

Government Aquarium
The Govt. Aquarium is housed in an octagonal building, enhancing the beauty of Cubbon Park. It exhibits the largest number of both indigenous and exotic, cultivable as well as ornamental pet fish. Timings 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m (Closed on Thursdays) Admission by Tickets.

Vidhana Soudha
Probably the most beautiful building in the Bangalore city is the Vidhana Soudha. This majestic building, with a total plinth area of over 5,00,000 sq ft built in a neo-Dravidian style. It houses the Secretariat, the State legislature and several other Government offices. The gleaming white domes, pillars and archways, resemble the architectural pattern of Mysore’s old palaces. The huge, carved doors of the cabinet room are made of pure sandalwood. The entire building, when floodlit on Sunday evenings, presents a truly breathtaking picture.
The former chief minister of Karnataka Late Mr. Kengal Hanumanthaiah is the man who conceived and executed this architectural marvel in 1956.

Jawahar Bala Bhavan
A well planned children’s amusement park and edutainment center. The main attractions are the toy train, which chugs along a ¾ mile route in the Cubbon Park and Doll museum. This toy train is a popular among the children The park also contains a 20 million year old fossilized tree – a gift from the Geological Survey of India.

Attara Katcheri (High Court Building)
Built in 1867 to house the secretariat, it now houses the high court and several lower courts. It is a two-storied structure with a spacious front and elegant, fluted lonic columns.