Send Flowers to Bangalore

Bangalore is known as the Garden City of India because of its greenery and the presence of many public parks, including the Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park.
Bangalore is served by the Bangalore International Airport (IATA: BLR, ICAO: VOBL) which started operations from 24 May 2008. The city was earlier served by the HAL Airport which was India’s fourth busiest airport. Kingfisher Airlines has its registered office in Bangalore. It is now the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic and the number of air traffic movements (ATMs) with about 280 per day. The airport is around 40 km from the city centre. The most hassle-free way to commute is by taxi. Meru cabs and Easy cabs have taxis present in the rank at the airport. There are also certain private cab companies.
Bangalore is sometimes called as the “Pub Capital of India” and the “Rock/Metal capital of India” because of its underground music scene and it is one of the premier places to hold international rock concerts.
Bangalore lies in the southeast of the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is in the heart of the Mysore Plateau (a region of the larger Precambrian Deccan Plateau) at an average elevation of 900 m (2,953 ft).:8 It is located at
Bangalore, also rendered Bengaluru, (help·info) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka. Bangalore is India’s third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Bangalore is well known as a hub for India’s information technology sector. It is among the top 10 preferred entrepreneurial locations in the world. As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Bangalore confronts substantial pollution and other logistical and socio-economic problems.
Bangalore’s rapid growth has created several problems relating to traffic congestion and infrastructural obsolescence that the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has found challenging to address. The unplanned nature of growth in the city resulted in massive traffic gridlocks that the municipality attempted to ease by constructing a flyover system and by imposing one-way traffic systems. Some of the flyovers and one-ways mitigated the traffic situation moderately but were unable to adequately address the disproportionate growth of city traffic. In 2005 both the Central Government and the State Government allocated considerable portions of their annual budgets to address Bangalore’s infrastructure. A 2003 Battelle Environmental Evaluation System (BEES) evaluation of Bangalore’s physical, biological and socioeconomic parameters indicated that Bangalore’s water quality and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were close to ideal, while the city’s socioeconomic parameters (traffic, quality of life) scored poorly. The BBMP works with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development Task Force (ABIDe) to design and implement civic projects.
Bengaluru’s 52346 crore (US$9.6 billion) economy (2006–07 Net District Income) makes it one of the major economic centres in India, with the value of city’s exports totalling 43221 crore (US$7.9 billion) in 2004–05. With an economic growth of 10.3%, Bangalore is the second fastest growing major metropolis in India, and is also the country’s fourth largest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. The Forbes magazine considers the city as one of “The Next Decade’s Fastest-Growing Cities”. With a per capita income of 74709 (US$1,400) in 2006–07, the city is the third largest hub for high-net-worth individuals and is home to over 10,000 dollar millionaires and about 60,000 super-rich people who have an investable surplus of 4.5 crore (US$823,500) and 50 lakh (US$91,500) respectively.
Bowring & Lady Curzon Hospitals in the Bangalore Cantonment was established in 1864 and later named after the first wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon.
Buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are an important and reliable means of public transport available in the city. While commuters can buy tickets on boarding these buses, BMTC also provides an option of a bus pass to frequent users. BMTC runs air-conditioned luxury buses on major routes, and also operates shuttle services from various parts of the city to the Bengaluru International Airport. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operates 6,918 buses on 6,352 schedules, connecting Bangalore with other parts of Karnataka as well as other states. The main bus depots that KSRTC maintains are the Kempegowda Bus Station, locally known as “Majestic bus stand”, where most of the out station buses ply from. Some of the KSRTC buses to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh ply from Shantinagar Bus Station, Satellite Bus Station at Mysore road and Baiyappanahalli satellite bus station. BMTC is the first metropolitan transport corporation to introduce air conditioned buses in India.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangalore. A significant number of national cricketers have come from Bangalore, including former Indian cricket team captains Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble. Some of the other players who have represented India include Javagal Srinath, Gundappa Vishwanath, Syed Kirmani, E. A. S. Prasanna, B.S Chandrashekar, Venkatesh Prasad, Sunil Joshi, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Roger Binny and Abhimanyu Mithun. Many children play gully cricket on the roads and in the city’s many public fields. Bangalore’s international cricket stadium is the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 55,000 and has hosted matches during the 1987 Cricket World Cup, 1996 Cricket World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is also the home of India’s National Cricket Academy
Electricity in Bangalore is regulated through the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), while water supply and sanitation facilities are provided by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
In May 2012, Lonely Planet ranked Bangalore 3rd among the world’s top 10 cities to visit.
In post-independent India, schools for young children are mainly based on the kindergarten form of education. Primary and secondary education in Bangalore is offered by various schools which are affiliated to one of the boards of education, such as the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), ICSE, CBSE, IB and NIOS. Schools in Bangalore are either government run or are private (both aided and un-aided by the government). After completing their secondary education, students either attend Pre University (PUC) or continue High School in one of three streams – Arts, Commerce or Science. Alternatively, students may also enroll in Diploma courses. Upon completing the required coursework, students enroll in general or professional degrees in universities. The Bangalore University,established in 1886, provides affiliation to over 500 colleges, with a total student enrolment exceeding 300,000. The university has two campuses within Bangalore – Jnanabharathi and Central College. Bangalore also has a large number of private Engineering Colleges affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University. Notable among them particularly for undergraduate degrees are BMS College of Engineering, R.V. College of Engineering, P.E.S. Institute of Technology, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology and Bangalore Institute of Technology. These colleges graduate students that power the local IT industry of Bangalore.
In the 16th century, Kempe Gowda I constructed many lakes to meet the town’s water requirements. The Kempambudhi Kere, since overrun by modern development, was prominent among those lakes. In the earlier half of 20th century, the Nandi Hills waterworks was commissioned by Sir Mirza Ismail (Diwan of Mysore, 1926–41 CE) to provide a water supply to the city. Currently, the river Kaveri provides around 80% of the total water supply to the city with the remaining 20% being obtained from the Thippagondanahalli and Hesaraghatta reservoirs of the Arkavathi river. Bangalore receives 800 million litres (211 million US gallons) of water a day, more than any other Indian city. However, Bangalore sometimes does face water shortages, especially during the summer season- more so in the years of low rainfall. A random sampling study of the Air Quality Index (AQI) of twenty stations within the city indicated scores that ranged from 76 to 314, suggesting heavy to severe air pollution around areas of traffic concentration.
In the 19th century, Bangalore essentially became a twin city, with the “pete”, whose residents were predominantly Kannadigas, and the “cantonment” created by the British, whose residents were predominantly Tamils. Bangalore was hit by a plague epidemic in 1898 that dramatically reduced its population. New extensions in Malleswaram and Basavanagudi were developed in the north and south of the pete. Telephone lines were laid to help co-ordinate anti-plague operations, and a health officer was appointed to the city in 1898. In 1906, Bangalore became one of the first cities in India to have electricity from hydel power, powered by the hydroelectric plant situated in Shivanasamudra. Bangalore’s reputation as the Garden City of India began in 1927 with the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Several projects such as the construction of parks, public buildings and hospitals were instituted to improve the city. After Indian independence in August 1947, Bangalore remained in the new Mysore State of which the Maharaja of Mysore was the Rajapramukh (appointed governor).
Indian Institute of Science, which was established in 1909 in Bangalore, is the premier institute for scientific research and study in India. Nationally renowned professional institutes such as the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UASB)Institute of bioinformatics and applied biotechnology National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (NID), National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National Law School of India University (NLSIU), the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), the Indian Statistical Institute and International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B) are located in Bangalore. The city is also home to the premier mental health institution in India National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS). Bangalore also has some of the best medical colleges in the country, like St. John’s Medical College (SJMC) and Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI). The M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research research institute has a branch located in Bangalore.
On 11 December 2005, the Government of Karnataka announced that it had accepted a proposal by Jnanpith Award winner U. R. Ananthamurthy to rename Bangalore to Bengaluru. On 27 September 2006, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) passed a resolution to implement the proposed name change. The Government of Karnataka accepted the proposal, and it was decided to officially implement the name change from 1 November 2006. However, this process has stalled due to delays in getting clearances from the Union Home Ministry.
Public sector employment and education provided opportunities for Kannadigas from the rest of the state to migrate to the city. Bangalore experienced rapid growth in the decades 1941–51 and 1971–81, which saw the arrival of many immigrants from northern Karnataka. By 1961, Bangalore had become the sixth largest city in India, with a population of 1,207,000. In the decades that followed, Bangalore’s manufacturing base continued to expand with the establishment of private companies such as MICO (Motor Industries Company), which set up its manufacturing plant in the city. Bangalore experienced a growth in its real estate market in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by capital investors from other parts of the country who converted Bangalore’s large plots and colonial bungalows into multi-storied apartments. In 1985, Texas Instruments became the first multinational corporation to set up base in Bangalore. Other information technology companies followed suit and by the end of the 20th century, Bangalore had established itself as the Silicon Valley of India.
The Bangalore City Police (BCP) has six geographic zones, includes the Traffic Police, the City Armed Reserve, the Central Crime Branch and the City Crime Record Bureau and runs 86 police stations, including two all-women police stations. As capital of the state of Karnataka, Bangalore houses important state government facilities such as the Karnataka High Court, the Vidhana Soudha (the home of the Karnataka state legislature) and Raj Bhavan (the residence of the Governor of Karnataka). Bangalore contributes three members to the lower house of the Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha, and 28 members to the Karnataka State Assembly.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP, Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation) is in charge of the civic administration of the city. It was formed in 2007 by merging 100 wards of the erstwhile Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, with seven neighbouring City Municipal Councils, one Town Municipal Council and 110 villages around Bangalore. The BBMP is run by a city council composed of 250 members, including 198 corporators representing each of the wards of the city and 52 other elected representatives, consisting of members of Parliament and the state legislature. Elections to the council are held once every five years, with results being decided by popular vote. Members contesting elections to the council usually represent one or more of the state’s political parties. A mayor and deputy mayor are also elected from among the elected members of the council. Elections to the BBMP were held on 28 March 2010, after a gap of three and a half years since the expiry of the previous elected body’s term, and the Bharatiya Janata Party was voted into power – the first time it had ever won a civic poll in the city.
The city celebrates its oldest festival, “Karaga Shaktyotsava” or Bangalore Karaga. Deepavali, the “Festival of Lights”, transcends demographic and religious lines and is an important festival, along with the nine nights of Navratri. Other traditional Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi/Gudi Padwa, Sankranthi, Eid ul-Fitr, and Christmas are also celebrated.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP, Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation) is in charge of the civic administration of the city. It was formed in 2007 by merging 100 wards of the erstwhile Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, with seven neighbouring City Municipal Councils, one Town Municipal Council and 110 villages around Bangalore. The BBMP is run by a city council composed of 250 members, including 198 corporators representing each of the wards of the city and 52 other elected representatives, consisting of members of Parliament and the state legislature. Elections to the council are held once every five years, with results being decided by popular vote. Members contesting elections to the council usually represent one or more of the state’s political parties. A mayor and deputy mayor are also elected from among the elected members of the council. Elections to the BBMP were held on 28 March 2010, after a gap of three and a half years since the expiry of the previous elected body’s term, and the Bharatiya Janata Party was voted into power – the first time it had ever won a civic poll in the city.
The city celebrates its oldest festival, “Karaga Shaktyotsava” or Bangalore Karaga. Deepavali, the “Festival of Lights”, transcends demographic and religious lines and is an important festival, along with the nine nights of Navratri. Other traditional Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi/Gudi Padwa, Sankranthi, Eid ul-Fitr, and Christmas are also celebrated.
The cosmopolitan nature of the city has resulted in the migration of people from other states to Bangalore, which has in recent years given rise to tensions between immigrants and locals. Karnataka.com.
The first printing-press in Bangalore was established in the year 1840. In 1859, Punjab Kesri became the first English bi-weekly newspaper to be published in Bangalore and in 1860, Mysore Vrittanta Bodhini became the first Kannada newspaper to be circulated in Bangalore. Currently, Vijaya Karnataka and The Times of India are the most widely circulated Kannada and English newspapers in Bangalore respectively, closely followed by the Prajavani and Deccan Herald both owned by the Printers (Mysore) Limited – the largest print media house in Karnataka.
The growth of IT has presented the city with unique challenges. Ideological clashes sometimes occur between the city’s IT moguls, who demand an improvement in the city’s infrastructure, and the state government, whose electoral base is primarily the people in rural Karnataka. The encouragement of high-tech industry in Bangalore, for example, has not favoured local employment development, but has, instead, increased land values and forced out small enterprise. The state has also resisted the massive investments required to reverse the rapid decline in intra-city transport which has already begun to drive new and expanding businesses to other centres across India. Bengaluru is a hub for biotechnology related industry in India and in the year 2005, around 47% of the 265 biotechnology companies in India were located here; including Biocon, India’s largest biotechnology company.
The headquarters of several public sector undertakings such as Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and HMT (formerly Hindustan Machine Tools) are located in Bangalore. In June 1972 the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established under the Department of Space and headquartered in the city.
The Indian Premier League franchise Bangalore Royal Challengers, the Premier Hockey League franchise Bangalore Hi-fliers, and the Karnataka Premier League franchisees Bangalore Brigadiers and Provident Bangalore are based in the city. India’s Davis Cup team members, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna also reside in Bangalore. The city hosts the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Bangalore Open tournament annually. Beginning September 2008, Bangalore has also been hosting the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open ATP tournament annually. Bangalore is also home to the Bangalore Rugby Football Club (B.R.F.C)
The Karnataka High Court is the supreme judicial body in Karnataka and is located in Bangalore, housed in the historic Atthara Kacheri.
The name “Bangalore” represents an anglicised version of the Kannada language name, “Benga?uru” ( listen). The earliest reference to the name “Bengaluru” was found in a ninth century Western Ganga Dynasty stone inscription on a “vira gallu” (????????) (literally, “hero stone”, a rock edict extolling the virtues of a warrior). In this inscription found in Begur, “Bengaluru” is referred to as a place in which a battle was fought in 890 CE. It states that the place was part of the Ganga Kingdom until 1004 and was known as “Bengaval-uru”, the “City of Guards” in Halegannada (Old Kannada). An apocryphal, though popular, anecdote recounts that the 11th century Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, while on a hunting expedition, lost his way in the forest. Tired and hungry, he came across a poor old woman who served him boiled beans. The grateful king named the place “benda-kaal-uru” (literally, “town of boiled beans”), which eventually evolved into “Bengaluru”.
The region of modern day Bangalore was part of several successive South Indian kingdoms. After centuries of the rule of the Western Gangas, the region was captured by the Cholas in 1024. In 1116 the Hoysala Empire overthrew the Cholas and extended its rule over the region. Modern Bangalore had its beginning in 1537 by a vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempé Gowda I, who built a mud-brick fort at the site that would become the central part of modern Bangalore. Kempé Gowda referred to the new town as his “gandubhumi” or “Land of Heroes”.
The topology of Bangalore is flat except for a central ridge running NNE-SSW. The highest point is Vidyaranyapura Doddabettahalli, which is 962 m (3,156 ft) and lies on this ridge. No major rivers run through the city, though the Arkavathi and South Pennar cross paths at the Nandi Hills, 60 km (37 mi.) to the north. River Vrishabhavathi, a minor tributary of the Arkavathi, arises within the city at Basavanagudi and flows through the city. The rivers Arkavathi and Vrishabhavathi together carry much of Bangalore’s sewage. A sewerage system, constructed in 1922, covers 215 km² (133 mi²) of the city and connects with five sewage treatment centres located in the periphery of Bangalore.
The Vikasa Soudha, situated adjacent to the Vidhana Soudha, houses many state ministries.
There are currently 1,000 vehicles being registered daily in Bangalore RTOs. The total number of vehicles as on date are 38.8 lakh vehicles, with a road length of 11,000 km.
Three-wheeled, green and black auto-rickshaws, referred to as autos, are a popular form of transport. They are metered and can accommodate up to three passengers. Taxis, commonly called City Taxis, are usually available only on call. Taxis are metered and are generally more expensive than auto-rickshaws.
Until the early 19th century, education in Bangalore was mainly run by religious leaders and restricted to students of that religion. The western system of education was introduced during the rule of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, when two schools were established in Bangalore. Subsequently, Wesleyan Mission established a school in 1851 and the Bangalore High School which was started by the Government in 1858.
Vegetation in the city is primarily in the form of large deciduous canopy and minority coconut trees. Though Bangalore has been classified as a part of the seismic zone II (a stable zone), it has experienced quakes of magnitude as high as 4.5.
With an estimated population of 8.5 million in 2011, Bangalore is the third most populous city in India and the 18th most populous city in the world. Bangalore was the fastest-growing Indian metropolis after New Delhi between 1991 and 2001, with a growth rate of 38% during the decade. Residents of Bangalore are referred to as Bangaloreans in English and Bengaloorinavaru in Kannada.
Within the fort, the town was divided into smaller divisions—each called a “pete” (IPA: ). The town had two main streets—Chikkapeté Street, which ran east-west, and Doddapeté Street, which ran north-south. Their intersection formed the Doddapeté Square—the heart of Bangalore. Kempé Gowda’s successor, Kempé Gowda II, built four towers that marked Bangalore’s boundary. During the Vijayanagara rule, many Saints and Poets referred to Bangalore as “Devarayanagara” and “Kalyanapura” or “Kalyanapuri” (“Auspicious City”).