For visitors and locals alike

Bangalore has so many epithets attached to it, nobody is even keeping count. It entered US presidential speeches and has even become a verb. But, to the Bangalorean, it's just plain, simple home, a place like no other.
Bangalore has something to offer every kind of soul. It's a young city; it's an old city. It can rest one after a tired day; it can also make one restless to achieve more.The traffic might sap your energy, but its throbbing energy will re-energise you. It's admired, loved and emulated; it's compared to cities not only in the country but abroad too. It's bad-mouthed, criticized and yet its residents can't wait to return from sojourns elsewhere; and visitors can't wait to imbibe its uniquely elusive flavour.
The average Bangalorean might seem a bit surprised, puzzled even, when asked what's there to see in Bangalore. For, everything is familiar to him and might not seem like much of a sight, but there are things that a visitor just has to see or do.
As imposing buildings go, Bangalore probably has nothing better than the Vidhana Soudha, the state's seat of power. The massive building dwarfs everything else. It took four years of work by 5,000 labourers and 1,500 craftsmen to finish this magnificent structure in 1956, a fusion of at least four architectural styles - Dravidian, Rajasthani, Chola and Kannadiga. It has an imposing granite edifice with gleaming white onion domes, 12 massive pillars, archways and a wide flight of steps leading up to its entrance. Frieze panels, geometric designs and ornamental motifs embellish the walls and a sandalwood door graces the entrance to the cabinet room. The Indian national symbol - four lions - stands atop the biggest dome. Following recent terror attacks elsewhere in the country, Vidhana Soudha is out of bounds for tourists, but the view from outside is enough to invoke awe. Opposite the Vidhana Soudha is the red-brick Attara Kacheri, which houses the High Court of Karnataka, the state's highest court of justice, and an apt foil to the Vidhana Soudha. Designed by Col.
Sankey in the Greco-Roman style of architecture as a set of public offices, its construction was overseen by Commissioner Lewin Bowring and completed in 1864. It is the oldest public building in Bangalore. On the ceiling of its Central Hall is a portrait of Sir Mark Cubbon, commissioner of Mysore from 1834 to 1861. Behind the building is equestrian statue of this administrator by Baron Marochetti. The annexe was built in 1991 and replicated in the same style.
Interestingly, the building also signifies the first major instance of public activism. In the mid-1980s, when the state government wanted to demolish the grand old building and construct a new and bigger High Court complex instead, there was a huge public outcry and citizens took to the streets. As a result, the government was forced to drop its demolition plan and build an annexe instead at the back.
As much as Bangalore is a modern city, it proudly wears its association with royalty on its sleeve. The Bangalore Palace, a stunning stone structure set amid 400 acres of sprawling grounds, provides a glimpse of local grandeur of a bygone era. Interestingly, the palace was built by King Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1887, who, during a trip to England was so taken by Windsor Castle in London that he wanted something similar back home, and Bangalore Palace was the result. It shares much in common with medieaval castles in Normandy and England with fortified towers, elegant wood carvings and Tudor-style architecture, complete with Gothic windows, battlements and turrets. It is largely constructed of wood, and 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. Depending on who you ask, the cost of construction of the 45,000 sqft palace ranges from Rs 1 to Rs 10 lakh! But a mere Rs 100 will allow you a guided tour of the inside.
If gazing at buildings and massive structures tend to tire, then head to one of the two most famous lung spaces of Bangalore. Cubbon Park, just behind the High Court, is ideal for anything - a leisurely stroll, a brisk walk or jog in the morning, or a picnic with the kids and pets in tow. Filled with exotic and indigenous flowering trees and bamboo groves, the 300-acre park is a quiet, green getaway in the heart of the city. It is named after Sir Mark Cubbon, a former British Commissioner who placed a statue of the reigning Queen Victoria at the entrance. Nature lovers, walkers and joggers use the park especially during the early mornings when it is declared a silent zone. Only light vehicles are allowed to ply at other times. A number of important structures like the State Central Library (an impressive red Gothic structure), Bal Bhavan and the government aquarium are within its precincts. It also houses the Century Club, started by no less than Sir M Visvesvaraya and his friends during the British days when other clubs turned up their noses at the natives. During the Raj, military bands played at the bandstand here, a feel which is sometimes evoked like during the Bangalore Habba and other occasions. That Cubbon Park is dearly loved by Bangaloreans is a well-known fact, so much so that in the late 1990s when the government wanted to construct a building, citizens protested for a month, finally prompting the high court to step in and tell the government to lay off.
To the southwest of Cubbon Park is the 240-acre Lalbagh, Bangalore's other precious lung space, designed and laid by Hyder Ali in 1760 and fiercely protected by citizens. It was modelled on the lines of a Mughal garden that Hyder saw in Sira, and for which he painstakingly procured plants from Delhi, Lahore, Multan and even London. Lalbagh houses India's largest collection of rare tropical and sub-tropical plants, as well as many century-old trees. It also contains the Centenary Rose Garden where hundreds of roses bloom simultaneously, a mango grove, a glass hothouse, a lotus pond, deer park and a floral clock. There is also a topiary park, an aquarium and a charming wooden bandstand. A 20-million-year old tree fossil, donated by the National Fossil Park in Tiruvakkarai, Tamil Nadu is a big attraction. A pair of mango trees planted by Tipu Sultan adds to its historical charm. There's also a lake, spread over 30 hectares, which is a haven for birdwatchers. At the main entrance to Lalbagh lies a watchtower built by Bangalore chieftain Kempegowda, part of a series of four built by him. It is located atop a rocky outcrop dating back 3,000 million years and today, is a national geological monument.
These are just the starters, the icons to get visitors oriented to the city. But for every must-do, a thousand off-beat things beckon. On every street, at every cul de sac and in every locality, there are sights to amuse, mesmerize and fascinate. And make for the unique flavour of Bangalore. ��� TNN
t25@timesgroup.com