Bengaluru (pop. 8,443,675; met. area pop. 8,499,399), previously called Bangalore, is the capital and largest city of Karnataka, a state in southern India. The city serves as the commercial, industrial, and educational center of Karnataka.
City.
Bengaluru is one of India’s fastest growing cities. It covers nearly 46 square miles (120 square kilometers) and is rapidly overtaking many other Indian cities in population size. People from many areas have settled in Bengaluru over the years. Languages spoken in the city include Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil.
The city is situated 3,020 feet (920 meters) above sea level, on an east-west ridge on the Karnataka plateau. Its height makes its climate more pleasant than cities at lower altitudes. Temperatures vary between about 95 °F (35 °C) in summer and 57 °F (14 °C) in winter. The city’s main problem has been a severe shortage of water. Bengaluru has no local rivers and an annual rainfall of only about 35 inches (90 centimeters). The problem has become worse with the growth of population and industrial activity. But water from the Cauvery River is now being supplied direct through almost 50 miles (80 kilometers) of pipeline.
Bengaluru has three main sections. There is a closely packed old town that grew up around the original mud fort first built in the 1500’s and rebuilt in stone by the local ruler Hyder Ali in the 1700’s. Today, this area is called Petta.
Bengaluru was founded in 1537 by Kempe Gowda, a local leader. The commercial hub of the city is the old section, called Petta, where there are markets that sell fruit, vegetables, and other products. Suburbs, laid out in wide streets on a rectangular pattern, with pleasant parks and gardens, fringe this old center to the south and north. The eastern section was set aside for barracks by the British.
The Maharajah’s Palace in the central city area was built in 1865 for an English merchant named Garret. It was taken over by the Maharajah of Mysore in 1881.
Other buildings dating from the days of the British Empire include the Mysore Government Museum founded in 1866 (Mysore was the former name of the state of Karnataka) and the High Court designed by Sir Richard Sankey, a British architect, in 1864 and 1865.
The state parliament building (called Vidhana Soudha) was completed in 1954. It was designed along the lines of an ancient Dravidian palace, and is one of the biggest modern structures made of granite.
Bengaluru has an air of prosperity, arising from a pleasant atmosphere, lush vegetation, and elegant colonial bungalows, together with lively science-based industries. Bengaluru’s wealthier residents and visitors can take advantage of a golf course, four first-class hotels, and two seasons of horse-racing each year.
The city’s parks include Cubbon Park, which covers 297 acres (120 hectares). It was laid out in 1864. Lal Bagh Botanical Garden, which covers 237 acres (96 hectares), was laid out by Hyder Ali in the 1700’s.
Education.
The city is the home of Bangalore University (founded in 1964), the University of Agricultural Sciences (1964), and several major institutes of scientific research. Bengaluru’s metropolitan area greatly expanded during the 1900’s as the result of the establishment of new industrial suburban communities. Products of these communities included aircraft, machine tools, telephones, and research, including the Indian Institute of Science (1909) and the Raman Research Institute (1943).
Economy.
Bengaluru is a major industrial center. It typifies India’s mixed economy. The federal government controls some industries, including an aircraft factory, a machine-tool plant, and a railroad car plants. The state government owns factories that produce electrical goods, porcelain, soap, and telephones. The private sector produces agricultural tools, computer software, footwear, glass, leather goods, medicines, paper, radio components, textiles, and watches.
Four-fifths of all Indian silk comes from Karnataka. As a result, Bengaluru is the nation’s major silk market and export center. Many local people work in the dyeing and weaving industries. Farmers in the region grow coffee, millet, and oil seeds, and raise sheep and cattle.
Transportation.
Bengaluru is one of India’s major transportation centers. The roads of the South India highway system join there. Bengaluru International Airport in nearby Devanahalli is one of India’s largest airports. It handles both domestic and international flights. There are rail services to many major cities.
History.
Bengaluru was founded by Kempe Gowda, a local leader, in 1537. The city’s name means village of boiled beans. He built three chattris (pavilions) to mark the city limits. One of these pavilions, rebuilt by Hyder Ali in 1761, can still be seen in the Lal Bagh Botanic Garden. In 1799, in the Battle of Seringapatam, Hyder Ali’s son Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed. The British, victors of the battle, restored the former Wodeyar rulers to the Mysore throne and handed Bengaluru over to them.
The British first stationed a garrison at the city, which they called Bangalore, in 1809. From 1831 to 1881, it served as a British administrative headquarters. The British retained a military presence in Bangalore until 1947, when India became independent. The name of the city was changed back to Bengaluru in 2006.
