Bengaluru Sightseeing

Bangalore Sightseeing Tours
KSTDC operates two daily sightseeing tours round the city.
Departure - At 7.30 am and at 2 pm. Return - 1.30 pm and 7.30 pm respectively.
Fare - Rs 100.
The tour takes you around the city starting at Tipu's Palace. The next halt is at Bull Temple, followed by Lalbagh, Ulsoor Lake, Cauvery handicrafts emporium, Vidhana Soudha and finally the Museum.

The second tour takes you around the city and covers some of the new wonders of Bangalore.
Departure - Daily at 8 am. Return - 8 pm.
Fare - Rs 150.
The places covered in this trip are Raja- rajeshwari Temple, Bannerghatta National Park, Sankey Boat Club, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, ISKCON Temple, Prasanna Anjaneya temple and the Musical Fountain.

Interesting Places In Bengaluru

VIDHANA SOUDHA 

Total floor area: 5,50,505 square feet. Length: 700 feet. Width: 350 feet. Height from floor level to top of central dome: 150 feet. The project begun in 1952 was completed in 1956.

LAL BAGH 

Surrounding one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore, is the 240 acre landscaped Lal Bagh gardens. Haider Ali, the warrior-king of Mysore, decided to create this garden in 1740 on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were popular during his time and later improved upon by Tipu Sultan.

It houses a splendid collection of about 1,800 species of tropical, subtropical and medicinal plants brought from Persia, Afghanistan and France. Hyder Ali's son, Tipu Sultan, added to the beauty of the garden by publicising his wish to receive much-sought-after species of plants from visiting dignitaries.

The Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, as it is called now, is open to public from 9 am to 6 pm for a nominal fee of Rs.2/- for persons above 12 yrs. In addition, for the benefit of early morning joggers, and fitness freaks, the gates are open from 6 am to 9 am and 6 pm to 7 pm, when entry is free of charge. Entry for school children and the disabled is free. 

Cubbon Park

On a grassy expanse over a few hundred acres in the centre of Bangalore is the Cubbon Park, planned and laid out in 1864 by Sir Richard Sankey, the then Chief Engineer of Mysore. It is named after Sir Mark Cubbon, Bangalore's longest serving Commissioner. Lawns with vibrant flower beds, shady bowers and flowering trees, make this an ideal place for fitness freaks and the elderly to

take their morning jogs or evening walks.  

The Bangalore Palace 

 Inspired by the Windsor Castle, it was built in 1887 by Chamaraja Wodeyar in Tudor-style. Standing in the heart of the city, this unique edifice gives the impression of a piece of England's architecture in Bangalore with fortified towers, arches, turreted parapets and undulating lawns . The palace was earlier surrounded by beautiful gardens in the midst of a vast open area, which have reduced considerably today.

The structure has fortified towers and its interiors boast of elegant woodcarvings and Tudor-style architecture, complete with Gothic windows, battlements and turrets. This 110 year old palace, largely constructed of wood, is famous for its carving and paintings. An exquisite door panel at the entrance leads to grand settings inside. The interiors have breathtaking floral motifs, cornices, mouldings and relief paintings on its ceiling.

The construction of this 45,000 sq ft palace cost just over Rs 1 Million. Reverend Garret originally owned the land, on which the palace rests today (The credit of setting up the first printing press in the city also goes to him).

Located between Jayamahal and Sadashivanagar areas, the palace ground has now become a venue for various exhibitions, concerts and cultural programmes and film shooting. There is also a statue of Venkataswamy Raju, the head gardener on one of the lawns. Spread over 45,000 sq ft, the palace began to look a bit decrepit after 1949 when it was at the center of an ownership dispute between the Government and the ruling Wodeyars. However It has now been restored to the Wodeyar. Forty-five rooms, two large open courtyards, fancy fountains, engraved aqua blue marble seats, turreted parapets, majestic towers and intricate wooden carvings immediately transports one to the bygone era. The ‘skating’ ballroom, with its smooth and slippery teakwood flooring, hints at the elaborate parties the Mysore royals threw frequently. The darbar on the first floor, overlooking the grounds below, flaunts mesmerizing paintings of Ravi Varma. From the darbar door, one can see what would have been a prized catch for the hunters of the past – a massive elephant head mounted over the wall. In fact, some rooms also have stuffed stools made of elephant and deer legs.

Tourists can get a peek into what was till now off-limits, thanks to some parts of the palace finally opening up for the public. Visitors can shop at the boutique, set up by Srikanta Datta Wodiyar and his wife Pramoda Devi, which offers the finest Mysore silks, with a royal