Bangalore, India Hotels and City Guide

The third largest city in India and the fifth largest metropolitan area of the country, Bangalore is the capital city of the state of Karnataka in South India. The city, often referred to as the Garden City of India and the Silicon Valley of India, is a highly commercialised district, with many companies dealing in information technology. The city is also the growing hub of biotechnological industries in India. Although Bangalore is thus modernised, the natural beauty of the gardens such as Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park balance the city’s appearance, culture and nature.

Interestingly, the origin of the name ‘Bangalore’, given to this lively city, is debatable. One version says it’s simply derived from the native phrase ‘Benda Kaal Ooru’ meaning boiled beans. This theory is supported by a legend speaking of a king losing his way in the forest during a hunting a trip. The king arrived at a hut of an old woman, who served him boiled beans for food, as it was all she had to offer. Filled with gratitude, the king named the area as Benda Kaal Ooru.

The second theory has more ground to it, as it says it was Kempe Gawda, the creator and original architect of the city, who named the city Bangalore, because his wife and mother were from Hale Bengaluru, an ancient hamlet of India.

There are several other speculations, those not supported by any hard evidence. Incidentally, the name Bangalore is the anglicised version of Bengaluru, bestowed during the British Colonial era.

Bangalore City Facts
Bangalore Population: 6,532,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
India Population: 1,096,917,000 (Source: UN Population Estimate Revision 2003)
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Time Zone: GMT plus five andhalf hours
Language: Regional language is Kannada, and English, Hindi,Telugu and Tamil are widely spoken

Hotels in Bangalore, India