Page 518 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

516  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

1 Bengaluru Y Cubbon Park
Cantonment. Open daily.
Often described as Asia’s Silicon Valley because of its thriving Laid out in 1864 by Richard
information technology industry, Bengaluru is India’s fifth- Sankey, the chief engineer of
largest and fastest-growing city. Until its high-tech boom Mysuru, and named in honour
began in the late 1980s, it was known as the Garden City, with of the commissioner, Cubbon
Park extends over 135 ha
greenery flourishing in its pleasant, temperate climate. Today, (334 acres). Its partly formal
with a growing population of young professionals, it has landscaping imaginatively
acquired a vibrant, cosmopolitan air. Bengaluru was founded integrates natural rock
in the 16th century by a local chieftain, Kempe Gowda, but outcroppings with groves
derives its name from the Kannada word benda kaluru, or of trees and giant bamboos.
The park is liberally dotted
“boiled beans”, which an old woman gave a 10th-century with statues, such as that
Hoysala king when he turned up hungry at her doorstep. of the 19th-century ruler
Chamarajendra Wodeyar
P Vidhana Soudha Speaker’s Chair made of (r.1868–94), overlooking
Dr Ambedkar Rd. rosewood from Mysore. the pond near an
Closed to the public. The building looks octagonal, cast-iron
Built of granite and porphyry, spectacular on Sunday bandstand. There are
this imposing building houses evenings and public also marble statues of
the Secretariat and the State holidays, when it is Queen Victoria and
Legislature of Karnataka. beautifully illuminated. Edward VII. In the middle
Constructed in 1956 after the of the park, a red-
transfer of power from P Attara Kacheri painted, Neo-Classical
the ruling Wodeyar dynasty Opposite Vidhana building known as the
to the central government, Sabha. Open Mon–Fri Sheshadri Iyer
it was designed by Kengal (restricted entry). Memorial houses
Hanumantaiah, the then-chief This graceful, two- a public library.
minister, who intended it to storeyed building Chamarajendra Wodeyar
“reflect the power and dignity with Corinthian E Government
of the people”. It is capped by a columns was completed in Museum
20-m (66-ft) dome, which is 1864 and housed the Public Kasturba Gandhi Rd.
surmounted by the four-headed Offices from 1868 until 1956. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
Ashokan lion, symbol of the These were later moved to Venkatappa Art Gallery: Tel (080) 2286
Indian state. With Rajasthani the Vidhana Soudha, and this 4483. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
jharokhas, Indo-Saracenic pillars building became the High Established in 1866, this is one
and other decorative elements, Court. On the ceiling of its of the oldest museums in the
the Vidhana Soudha exemplifies Central Hall is a portrait of Sir entire country. Housed in a red
the Neo-Dravidian style of post- Mark Cubbon, commissioner stucco Neo-Classical building
Independence Bengaluru. The of Mysuru from 1834 to 1861. with Corinthian columns, it
woodwork inside is noteworthy, Behind the building is an has three sections, with a fine
especially the sandalwood door equestrian statue of him collection of wooden sculptures
to the Cabinet Room, and the by Baron Marochetti. and exotic paintings.
Garden City
The Cantonment in Bengaluru
was established in 1809, to
house British troops quartered
here during the 19th century.
With its orderly streets,
houses with characteristic
“monkey-top” eaves, and its
lawns, trees, flowers and
shrubbery, Bengaluru was A corner of Cubbon Park
eventually christened the
“Garden City of India”. Two
large parks, Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, along with numerous
smaller ones such as the Kensington Gardens, act as the lungs of
this verdant city. These gardens provide a welcome retreat from
Bengaluru’s crowded streets and give a refreshing sense of space.
The city is particularly charming in January and August, when
The magnificent Vidhana Soudha, housing dahlias, marigolds and roses bloom in abundance.
the Karnataka Secretariat
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp701–702 and pp716–17

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