Top 5 Must-See Tourist Attractions In Bangalore City

Bangalore being the Garden city of India has many tourist attractions. But the all-time favorite tourist spots are also prominent landmarks of the city. Every visitor makes a beeline to see the following 5 hotspots that Bangalore is synonymous with.

My No. 1 Tourist Spot : VIDHANA SOUDHA

Situated in the heart of the Bangalore city, the largest Secretariat in India, the Vidhana Soudha houses the Karnataka State Legislature and Secretariat. Between 1951 and 1956, the then Chief Minister Of the Mysore state(now Karnataka), Kengal Hanumanthiah, was responsible for the concept, the structure and the setting of this magnificient building, the most famous landmark of modern Bangalore. Construction began in 1952 and was completed in 1956. Vidhana Soudha is built entirely in granite with a fusion of various styles-Dravidian, Chola, Rajasthani and Kannada styles of architecture, it has Dravidian floral motifs on stone carvings drawn entirely from the temple craft of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu . The large wooden doors are made from sandalwood and are truly exceptional with their intricate carvings. At the centre of the three-storied building is an open quadrangle. The Vidhana Soudha has many halls prominent being the Banquet Hall, the Assembly Hall, the Council Hall, Cabinet Meeting Hall.

The eastern main entrance to the Vidhana Soudha has a large porch with eight 40 foot tall decorated cylindrical granite columns. The four corners of the building have four towers, supporting domes with metallic kalashas, one of which is taller and placed in the east and flanked by two smaller ones. Atop the majestic dome sits the glittering gold national emblem of India (the Four Lions),sculpted to perfection. The east entrance also overlooks the Attara Kacheri, right across the road.

My No. 2 Tourist Spot : ATTARA KACHERI

Attara Kacheri means 18 Offices or Departments. It was conceived and planned by Commissioner Bowring in1864 in order to set up a full fledged Secretariat almost a century before the Vidhana Soudha was even thought of. It was called the Old Public Offices and housed the general revenue and the secretariat of the state government. It now houses the offices of the High Court of Karnataka. Two-storied and impressive, the Attara Kacheri building is built with stone and brick and is red in colour, built in the Greco-Roman style. Attara Kacheri is located in the Cubbon Park.

My No. 3 Tourist Spot : CUBBON PARK

Cubbon Park is among the most famous major landmarks of the Bangalore city. Although a huge park in the city center, it also has situated on its grounds, various Historical Monuments, Government Buildings, Cultural, Scientific Institutions. It was planned and laid out by the then Chief Engineer of Mysore, Richard Sankey, in 1864. Later established in 1870 by Sri John Meade, the then acting Commissioner of Mysore, it was given his name and called Meade's Park. Subsequently it was named Cubbon Park in honour of Lord Mark Cubbon.

The horticulture department is in charge of the 300 acres of lush green park with over 6000 trees, shrubs and plants of various genera and species. Cubbon Park is indeed a botanist's paradise with colorful and sweet smelling and exotic flowers, fruits and grasses. Motorable roads and walking paths add to the pleasure of Bangaloreans who value lung spaces for their morning walks.

Historical Monuments are found within this park which is accessible from different entrances. Majestic Statues are installed here-Queen Victoria(1906) King Edward VII (1919) with the polyalthia avenue between the two. A chestnut tree avenue leads from the Chamarajendra statue to the Siddalingiah circle. Sir Mark Cubbon's statue is located near the terrace garden, Rajya Dhurandhara Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer statue(1913) stands in front of the Central Library named after him, and the statue of Sri. Chamarajendra Wodeyar (1927),a former king, is installed in the central portion of the park near the tennis pavilion with a beautiful fountain in the front.

A Band Stand at Cubbon Park was the central attraction for Bangaloreans on Sunday evenings in the last century where they heard musicians from all over the country and abroad performing live. Seated around the octagonal cast iron structure, they munched peanuts bought from local vendors while listening to live performances. My father, as a young man and his father before him have been part of this crowd every Sunday until it fazed out. I have had the opportunity to be part of this too as a little child for a few Sundays.

Other major attractions of the Cubbon Park include the Jawahar Bal Bhavan(1967), an amusement park, with its Toy Train and housing children's recreational and creative activities and play area, childrens theatre where childrens shows are held. As a child, I have enjoyed many rides on the Puttani Express or the toy train along with family and visiting cousins.

Timings :10am to 5pm (Closed on Thursdays)

Aquarium with its many species of exotic fish is right next to the Jawahar Bal Bhavan.

Timings 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m (Closed on Thursdays)

Beyond this is the Venktappa Art Gallery, housing more than 600 paintings and open throughout the year.

Timings: daily except Mon 10 am - 5 pm

The Government Museum is closeby, built in 1876 by Colonel Sankey, also red in color like the Attara Kacheri. This museum is one of the oldest museums in the country, and has an exquisite collection of coins, sculptures, old paintings, inscriptions and excavated items. All original collections of the Mysore Gazetteer, B.L. Rice.

Timings: 10 am to 5:30 pm

Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall is an artistic structure worth seeing and houses the City Central Library with its collection of the rarest books. Beautiful rose garden is right in front of this building and lush green lawns surround it. The Ringwood circle, lotus pond and bamboo grove nook add to the charm of this old structure as also the avenues leading from it, each with different colorful flowers.

Timings: daily except Mon 8 am - 7 pm

Sir Visweshwariah Industrial And Technological Museum is a museum that teaches technology, science in fun ways and is a treat for school and college students. Science and technology is brought to the common man through this museum built in 1965 as a tribute to Sir. M Visweshwariah, an engineer and a visionary.

Open hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

My No. 4 Tourist Spot : LAL BAGH

Lal Bagh botanical gardens is located about 4 km from Vidhana soudha. Also a botanist's paradise, it is home to trees several hundred years old. Originally a private garden of Hyder Ali, a former ruler of Mysore in 1760 and designed in Mughal style, it was developed further by his son Tippu Sultan. Legend has it that it was a garden of red roses and little Tippu loved playing there and called it the Lal Bagh,meaning red garden. Today, the garden is 240 acres of lush green paradise amidst a bustling Bangalore. Since 1856, given the status of Government Botanical Gardens, it has been an internationally renowned center for the scientific study of plants, conservation of plants and botanical artwork. Since its inception in 1760, it is a veritable treasure house of plants from all over the world.

Of the famous structures within Lal Bagh, the Glass House is the most famous. In the form of a diamond and on the lines of the Crystal Palace in England, the Glass House is beautiful and a sight to behold. It was built in 1889 to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales. Flower shows are held twice a year in the Glass House on the occasion of India's Independence and Republic day celebrations.

Other attractions of importance within the Lal Bagh are the Band Stand,Lal Bagh House,Pigeon House, Statue of Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar, Directorate building, Museum and cottage, Deer Paddock, Aquarium, Aviary, Kempegowda Tower atop the hillock, and the Lal Bagh lake where varieties of birds make an appearance for the fish.

Timings :open daily from 6.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.

My No. 5 Tourist Spot : TIPPU SULTAN'S FORT AND SUMMER PALACE

Tippu's Palace was completed in 1791, the entire structure being built entirely with teak wood. This modest two-storied palace is adorned with balconies, elegant pillars and arches. The walls and ceiling are adorned with beautiful floral designs. This was Tippu Sultan's summer retreat and is a very popular tourist destination. Beautiful gardens line the avenue leading to the palace from the gate. After Tippu's death, the British used this palace as their secretariat up to 1867.

Tippu's Fort that surrounds the Palace is an added attraction. Originally constructed by Kempegowda, the chieftain who discovered Bangalore, in 1537 as a mud-brick structure for defence purposes, it was later rebuilt in stone during the 18 th century. Built in Islamic style, the fort has complicated carved arches. A Ganapati or Ganesha Temple built within its walls is well retained though the fort walls are crumbling in places. A tablet marks the place where Lord Cornwallis breached the fort in 1791.

Tippu Sultan's fort and palace are close to the bustling City Market.

Timings : 8 AM to 6 PM.