Climate
March to May (warmest months)
December to January (coldest months)
June to September (rainy - southwest monsoon)
November to December (rainy - northeast monsoon)

Language
Regional Language Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil are widely spoken and understood.

STD Codes
080

Area
2,190 sq. kms.

Population
65.2 lakhs (6.52 million)

Vidhan Soudha
The State Legislative and Secretariat House was built in 1956 in the neo Dravidian Style. One can see it illuminated on Sunday after 7 pm.

Attara Kacheri
Directly opposite to the Vidhana Souda is the State High Court, a gothic monument constructed in 1867. Attara in Hindi means 18. Previously this building housed 18 departments of the Secretariat.

Venkatappa Art Gallery & Government Museum
Established in 1886 it is one of the country s oldest museums. It houses many art objects by the renowned artist K Venkatappa, who belonged to the court of Mysore. Open from 10 am to 5 pm. Closed on Wednesdays.

Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum
Named after the famous engineer, Sir M Visvesvaraya, who built many famous dams in Karnataka, this science museum is a must-see for children. Closed on Mondays.

Cubbon Park
Lieutenant General Sir Mark Cubbon laid out this beautiful park in 1864. It has an amusement park, a doll museum and a toy train. The Vijayranga Theatre Complex screens children s films and stage plays.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens
Hyder Ali laid out the Lalbagh Gardens in the year 1760. His son Tipu Sultan extended it to its present size and added a mango grove. It covers an area of 240 acres. Prince Albert Victor of Wales built a glasshouse in the centre of the park, on the lines of the Crystal Palace in London. The park has over 1,000 different varieties of plants with close to 150 varieties of roses alone. An annual flower show is held here in August.

Fort & Tipu s Palace
The Palace and the Fort were constructed by Hyder Ali and completed by his son Tipu Sultan in the year 1791. Tipu called it The Envy of Heaven . The palace is constructed mainly in wood and has fine intricately sculpted arches surrounded by exquisite minarets.

ISKCON Temple

Located on the Hare Krishna Hill in Jaynagar, this temple was built at a cost of around 10 million dollars. There is a main temple hall which houses the altars of Lords Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra, Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Nitai Gouranga. One can also see the golden chandelier that is shaped like an inverted lotus flower. It has the world s tallest gold plated Dwarjastambha (Flagpost) 56 ft in height and the highest gold plated Kalash shikara at 28 ft. Open from 7 am to 1 pm and 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm. Shiva Statue It is a staggering 65 ft high depiction of Lord Shiva seated in the lotus position. The backdrop is that of Mount Kailash (the Lord s heavenly abode).

Bull Temple
Built by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century, this Dravidian style temple is one of Bangalore s oldest temples. Built for Nandi the sacred bull, who is the vehicle of Lord Shiva, it has a 4.6 m tall monolith of the creature.

Fun World
Fun World is a 12-acre Disney Land like an amusement park located on the Palace Grounds, Bangalore. It has rides that are safe and fun, such as the Atlanta Roller Coaster, Caterpillar Ride, Rounded Train and Toy Rides.

Jawahar Lal Nehru Planetarium
Befitting the science city title that it carries, the Planetarium is an interesting place for children. English shows are held daily at 4.30 pm. Closed on Mondays.

Aquarium
The second largest aquarium in the country, it has a vast variety of aquatic life forms on display. Closed on Mondays.

Bannerghatta National Park
Just 22 km south of Bangalore, this park is home to the best of Indian wildlife, tigers, lions, leopards and elephants. The park also has a crocodile and snake farm. Open everyday except Tuesdays.

Nrityagram Dance Village
This dance village is located 30 km from Bangalore, on the Bangalore-Pune Highway. Protima Gauri, the celebrity Odissi danseuse, established Nrtiyagram as a dance gurukul. The school is open from August to May. In February, there is an all-night dance and music performance when renowned Indian classical musicians perform. There are several conducted tours here which include an explanation on Indian philosophy, dance and dance demonstrations.

Brindavan Whitefield Ashram (Sai Baba s Ashram)
The ashram is located in Whitefield, 16 km from Bangalore on Madras Road. Sri Satya Sai Baba is usually here between the months of March and May. Baba offers darshan once in the morning and once in the evening. A half-day tour to the ashram for the morning or the evening darshan costs Rs 350 and can be arranged at S Babu & Company.

The Big Banyan Tree
About 28 km west of Bangalore, at Ramohalli, this gigantic tree spreads over 3 acres of land. A landmark worth visiting, especially for those seeking endless shade!

Nandi Hills
A small hill station about 60 km from Bangalore at a height of 4,850 ft, this was a popular summer retreat for the British during colonial times. Beware of the monkeys when you visit Nandi Hills, especially if you are carrying a lot of food!

Bangalore is known for its silk and handicrafts such as sandalwood and rosewood carvings. The Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium at 23, M G Road, has a good selection of handicrafts and carpets. The Karnataka Arts and Craft Emporium on M G Road also has a nice variety of arts and crafts. The most pleasant shopping experience is to be found on Commercial Street, home to many silk, handicrafts and clothes shops. The newest lifestyle store, ?Cinnamon?, tastefully put together by Andre Anastassio, is worth a "dekho".