“An inscription, dating back to 890 CE, shows Bengaluru is over 1,000
years old. But it stands neglected at the Parvathi Nageshwara Temple in
Begur near the city...written in Hale Kannada (old Kannada) of the 9th
Century CE, the epigraph refers to a Bengalooru war in 890 in which
Buttanachetty, a servant of Nagatta, died. Though this has been recorded
by historian R. Narasimhachar in his Epigraphia of Carnatica (Vol. 10
supplementary), no efforts have been made to preserve it.”
A popular anecdote (although one contradicted by historical evidence) recounts
that the 11th-century Hoysala king Veera Ballala II, while on a hunting
expedition, lost his way in the forest. Tired and hungry, he came across a poor
old woman who served him boiled beans. The grateful king named the place "benda
kaal-ooru" (literally, "town of boiled beans"), which
was eventually colloquialised to "Bengaluru". There are also theories
that the name has a floral origin and is derived from the tree Benga or
"Ven-kai", also known as the Indian Kino Tree (Pterocarpus marsupium).
The city as it is known today was named by Kempe Gowda I.
An inscription found near Begur, reveals that the district was a part of the
Ganga Dynasty until 1004 and was known as Benga-val-oru, the "City of Guards" in
old Kannada. The Cholas of Tamil Nadu ruled over the city from 1015. to 1116.
until the town came under the rule of the Hoysala Empire. Modern Bangalore was
founded by a feudatory of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempe Gowda I, who built a
mud fort in the proximity of modern Bangalore in 1537. Kempe Gowda referred to
the new town as his "gandu bhoomi" or "Land of Heroes". Within the fort, the town
was divided into petes or markets. The town had two main
streets: Chickkapete Street ran east-west and Doddapete Street ran north-south.
Their intersection formed Doddapete square — the heart of Bangalore. Kempe
Gowda's successor, Kempe Gowda II, built four famous towers that marked
Bangalore's boundary. During the Vijayanagara rule, Bangalore was also
referred to as "Devarayanagara" and "Kalyanapura" ("Auspicious City").
After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Bangalore's rule changed hands
several times. It was captured by the Maratha chief Shahaji Bhonsle prior to a
Mughal invasion. The Marathas sold Bangalore to Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar
(1673-1704) of Mysore for 300,000 rupees in 1687. The city became part of
the Kingdom of Mysore when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb leased Bangalore to
Chikkadeva Raja Wodeyar in 1689. After the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II in
1759, Haider Ali, Commander-in-Chief of the Mysore Army, proclaimed himself the
de-facto ruler of Mysore. The kingdom later passed on to Haider Ali's son Tippu
Sultan, known as the Tiger of Mysore. Bangalore was eventually incorporated into
the British East Indian Empire after Tippu Sultan was defeated and killed in the
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799). The British returned administrative control of
the Bangalore "pete" to the Maharaja of Mysore, choosing only to retain the
Cantonment under their jurisdiction. Under British rule, Bangalore was
incorporated into the Madras Presidency. The Kingdom of Mysore relocated its
capital from Mysore city to Bangalore in 1831. Two important developments
during this period contributed to the rapid growth of the city: the introduction
of telegraph connections and a rail connection to Madras in 1864.
In the 19th century, Bangalore essentially became a twin city, with the "pete",
whose residents were predominantly Kannadigas, and the Bangalore Cantonment,
whose residents were mostly migrants from Tamil Nadu. Bangalore was hit by a
plague epidemic in 1898 that dramatically reduced its population. New extensions
in Malleswaram and Basavanagudi were developed in the North and South of the
Pete. Telephone lines were laid to help co-ordinate anti-plague operations, and
a health officer was appointed to the city in 1898. In 1906, Bangalore became
the first city in India to have electricity, powered by the hydroelectric plant
situated in Shivanasamudra. Bangalore's reputation as the Garden City of India
began in 1927 with the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the rule of Krishnaraja
Wodeyar IV. Several projects such as the construction of parks, public buildings
and hospitals were instituted to beautify the city. After Indian independence in
August 1947, Bangalore remained in the new Mysore State of which the Maharaja of
Mysore was the Rajpramukh. Public sector employment and education provided
opportunities for Kannadigas from the rest of the state to migrate to the city.
Bangalore experienced rapid growth in the decades 1941–51 and 1971–81 , which
saw the arrival of many immigrants from northern Karnataka and Kodagu. By 1961
Bangalore had become the sixth largest city in India, with a population of
1,207,000. In the decades that followed, Bangalore's manufacturing base
continued to expand with the establishment of private companies such as Motor
Industries Company (MICO; a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH), which set up its
manufacturing plant in the city. Bangalore experienced a boom in its real estate
market in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by capital investors from other parts of
the country who converted Bangalore's large plots and colonial bungalows to
multistorey apartments. The establishment of multinational companies such as
ANZ Bank and Citibank as well as international fast food chains such as Pizza
Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken in the 1990s continued to expand foreign
investment in Bangalore. The city witnessed one of its largest media events ever
when it hosted the 1996 the Miss World beauty pageant, which was seen by over
two billion viewers worldwide.Through the 1990s the state government promoted
large-scale development projects such as the construction of sports stadia and
exclusive apartment complexes, which resulted in the demolition and resettlement
of poorer settlements to distant peripheral locations. In the mid-1990s, Bangalore's
economy grew many fold because of the software boom. Contrastingly, employment
opportunities in almost all other sectors, in the city's manufacturing industries, declined.
This was due to rampant and
.uncontrolled globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation
Bangalore is situated in the southeast of the South Indian state of Karnataka.
It is located in the heart of the Mysore Plateau (a region of the larger
Precambrian Deccan Plateau) at an average elevation of 920 m (3,018 feet).
Bangalore District borders with Kolar District in the northeast, Tumkur District
in the northwest, Mandya District in the southwest, Chamarajanagar District in
the south and the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu in the southeast. The
Bangalore Urban district is divided into three taluks: Bangalore North,
Bangalore South and Anekal. The Bangalore North taluk is a relatively more level
plateau, while the Bangalore South taluk has an uneven landscape with
intermingling hills and valleys.
The highest point is Doddabettahalli, which is 962 m (3,156 ft) and lies on this
ridge. No major rivers run through the city, though the Arkavathi and South
Pennar cross paths at the Nandi Hills, 60 km (37 mi) to the north. River
Vrishabhavathi, a minor tributary of Arkavathi, arises within the city at
Basavanagudi and flows through the city.
In the 16th century, Kempe Gowda I constructed many lakes to meet the town's
water requirements. The Kempamundi Kere, since overrun by modern development,
was prominent. Later in the 20th century, the Nandi Hills waterworks,
commissioned by Sir Mirza Ismail (Dewan of Mysore, 1926–41 CE), provided
adequate water supply to the growing city. Bangalore currently relies heavily on
water reservoirs from the Kaveri basin and on Vrishabhavathi and Arkavathi water
treatment plants to meet the water needs of its population of six million.
Bangalore receives 800 million litres
.that is 211 million US gallons of water a day,
more than any other Indian city
Bangalore has a large number of lakes: Sankey lake, Ulsoor lake and Yediyur
lake are the most prominent.
Bangalore has a handful of freshwater lakes and water tanks, the largest of
which are Madivala tank, Hebbal lake, Ulsoor lake and Sankey Tank. Groundwater
occurs in silty to sandy layers of the alluvial sediments. Bangalore receives
adequate rainfall from the Northeast Monsoon as well as the Southwest Monsoon.
The Peninsular Gneissic Complex is the most dominant rock unit in the area
and includes granites, gneisses and migmatites, while the soils of Bangalore
consist of red laterite and red, fine loamy to clayey soils. Vegetation in
the city is primarily in the form of large deciduous canopy and minority coconut
trees. Bangalore has not been affected by major seismic activity due to it being
located in a seismically stable zone (Zone II). Only mild tremors have been
recorded in the city.
Because of its elevation, Bangalore enjoys a pleasant and equable climate
throughout the year. The highest temperature recorded is 39°C (102°F) and the
lowest is 11°C (52°F). Winter temperatures rarely drop below 12°C (54°F),
and summer temperatures seldom exceed 38°C (100°F). The wettest months are
August, September and October, in that order. The summer heat is moderated by
fairly frequent thunderstorms, and occasional squalls cause power outages and
local flooding. Most of the rainfall occurs during in late afternoon, evening or
night, and rain before noon is infrequent. The heaviest rainfall recorded in a
24-hour period is 180 mm (7 in) recorded on 1 October 1997 CE.
As capital of the state of Karnataka, Bangalore houses important state
government facilities such as the Karnataka High Court, the Vidhana Soudha (the
home of the Karnataka state legislature) and Raj Bhavan.
Bangalore contributes two members to India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, and 24 members
to the Karnataka State Assembly. Electricity in Bangalore is regulated
through the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL). Like many
cities in India, Bangalore experiences scheduled power cuts, especially over the
summer, to allow electricity providers to meet the consumption demands of
households as well as corporations.
On January 16, 2007
the State Government issued the final notification on the
formation of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Once elections are
complete, the BBMP would replace BMP in city governance.
Economy
The Microsoft building in Bangalore, the information technology capital of India
Bangalore's Rs. 260,259 crore (USD 51.9 billion) economy (2002-03 Net District
Income) makes it a major economic centre in India. Indeed, Bangalore is
India's fourth largest and fastest growing market. Bangalore's per
capita income of Rs. 290.000 (US$ 6,460) is the highest for any Indian city.
As of 2001 Bangalore's share US$ 3.7 billions in Foreign Direct Investment was
the 3rd highest for an Indian city.
In the 1940s industrial visionaries such as Sir Mirza Ismail and Sir Mokshagundam
Visvesvaraya played an important role in the development of Bangalore's strong
manufacturing and industrial base. Bangalore is headquarters to several public
manufacturing heavy industries such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited,
National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited,
Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Hindustan Machine Tools. In June
1972 the Indian Space Research Organisation was established under the
Department of Space and headquartered in the city. Bangalore is called the
"Silicon Valley of India" because of the large number of Information Technology
companies located in the city which contribute 38% of India's
US$ 22 billions IT and software export market. Bangalore's IT industry is
divided into three main "clusters" — Software Technology Parks of India,
Bangalore (STPI); International Technology Park Ltd. (ITPL); and Electronics
City. Infosys and Wipro, India's 2nd and 3rd largest software companies, have
largest campus in Electronics City. As headquarters to 38% of global SEI-CMM
Level 5 Companies, Bangalore's place in the global IT map is prominent. The
growth of Information Technology has presented the city with unique challenges.
Ideological clashes between the city's IT moghuls, who demand an addressal of the
infrastructural problems of the city, and the traditionally bureaucratic state
governments, whose electoral base is primarily rural Karnataka's agricultural
workers, are aplenty.
Biotechnology is a rapidly expanding field in the city. Bangalore accounts for
47% or 127 of the approximately 265 biotechnology companies in India. Biocon,
headquartered in Bangalore, is the nation's leading biotechnology company and
ranks 16th in the world in revenues. The Bangalore Stock Exchange is the largest
in South India.
United Breweries is also building "UB City" in Bangalore, in one of the most
expensive areas. This will include some of Bangalore's tallest buildings, adding
to the skyline. The most famous of these buildings, is similar to the Empire
State Building in New York.
Bangalore's HAL Airport (IATA code: BLR) is India's fourth busiest and
functions as both a domestic and international airport. Direct flights from
Bangalore fly to destinations in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The
liberalisation of India's economic policies has led to increase in the number of
domestic carriers within India, with several low-cost carriers such as SpiceJet,
Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Go Air servicing the city. Air Deccan, with
its hub in Bangalore, has the most number of flights into and out of Bangalore.
Unlike most airports in the country which are controlled by the Airports
Authority of India, the quasi government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
owns and operates Bangalore's HAL Airport, and also uses it to test and develop
fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The dual-vested interests in the
airport along with an increase in air traffic to Bangalore led to a prolonged
tussle for operational ownership between the HAL and the Government of
Karnataka. In 1991 plans for a large-scale Bangalore International Airport were
conceived; however, the project was repeatedly delayed due to red tape and
friction between the private companies involved and the state government.
Clearance for the construction of the US$ 288 million airport
was eventually granted in June 2004, with Siemens AG, Zürich Airport and Larsen
and Toubro as its major private stakeholders. Construction work on the airport
began in July 2005. This new International Airport is coming up in Devanahalli,
31 km North of Bangalore, and is likely to be operational by April 2008. Also,
the construction of the 6-lane Bangalore-Devanahalli expressway is underway, and
most parts are nearly complete. This enables HGV's to bypass the city centre if
they are en route to other destinations and has helped ease congestion in the
centre, although the volume of traffic is still a problem many residents have
complained about. A good way for tourists to see the city is via City Swaps,
Bangalore's international style Hop On Hop Off sightseeing service.
Bangalore is well connected to the rest of the country through the Indian
Railways. The Rajdhani Express connects Bangalore to New Delhi. The city is also
connected to Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, as well as other major
cities in Karnataka. Three-wheeled, black and yellow auto-rickshaws, referred to
as autos, are a popular form of transport. They are metered and can accommodate
up to three passengers. Taxi service within Bangalore is provided by several
operators commonly referred to as City Taxis and can take in up to four
passengers and are usually metered and relatively more expensive than
auto-rickshaws. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operates a
fleet of 3,207 BMTC public buses, servicing an average of 2,800,000 commuters.
BMTC also has about 25 Low Floor, Air Conditioned Volvo buses on major routes
and has plans to introduce another 25 by the end of 2006. The new additions to
BMTC is its "Pink Buses" meant for women passengers alone. An intra-city
rapid rail transport system called the Namma Metro is being developed and is
expected to be operational in 2008. The Metro, once ready, will encompass a 33
km (20.5 miles) elevated and underground rail network, with 32 stations in Phase I
and more being added in Phase II.
Demographics
As of 2005 Bangalore had a population of over six million, making it the 3rd
most populous city in India and the 27th largest city in the world by
population. With a decadal growth rate of 38%, Bangalore was the fastest-growing
Indian metropolis after New Delhi for the decade 1991–2001. Residents of
Bangalore are referred to as Bangaloreans. While Kannadigas accounted for 38% of
the population, sizable minorities from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and
Maharashtra exist. Scheduled Castes and Tribes account for 14.3% of the
city's population. Kannada, the official language of the state of Karnataka, is
widely spoken in Bangalore, as are Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Marathi and Hindi.
English is the lingua franca of the city's white-collar workforce.
According to the 2001 census of India, 79.37% of Bangalore's population is Hindu
— roughly the same as the national average. Muslims comprise 13.37% of the
population, which again is roughly the same as the national average, while
Christians and Jains account for 5.79% and 1.05% of the population,
respectively, double that of their national averages. Women make up 47.5% of
Bangalore's population. Bangalore has the second highest literacy rate (83%) for
an Indian metropolis, after Mumbai. The city's workforce structure is
predominantly non-agrarian, with only 6% of Bangalore's workforce being engaged
in agriculture-related activities. Roughly 10% of Bangalore's population lives
in slums — a relatively low proportion when compared to other cities in the
developing world.
Bangalore is known as the Garden City of India because of its climate, greenery
and the presence of many public parks, including the Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park.
The Lal Bagh Glass House, once famous for its flower shows, is now a heritage
monument.
Deepavali, the "Festival of Lights", transcends demographic and religious lines
and is celebrated with great vigour. Dussera, a traditional celebratory hallmark
of the old Kingdom of Mysore, is another important festival. Other traditional
Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Sankranthi, Eid ul-Fitr,Eid
ul-Azha,and Christmas are also celebrated. The Infant Jesus Shrine in Bangalore
is one of the most important and venerable churches in Bangalore. Thousands of
devotees from all faiths throng the shrine on Thursday, to honour Infant Jesus.
The most noticeable feature of the church is the secular nature of the devotees.
Bangalore is home to the Kannada film industry, which churns out about 80 movies
each year in Kannada. Most Kannada movies are musicals and their soundtracks
are very popular in the city. The popularity of Kannada movies has spawned a new
colloquial dialect, Bangalore Kannada, which draws upon youth culture and
influences from English and other Indian languages. The diversity of cuisine
available is reflective of the social and economic diversity of Bangalore.
Roadside vendors, tea stalls, South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Western
fast food are all very popular in the city. Udupi restaurants are very popular
and serve predominantly vegetarian, regional cuisine. Bangalore has many clubs
and bars, and is sometimes referred to as the Pub Capital of India. Popular
nightspots in Bangalore include HiNT, Taika, Pecos and TGIF. Bangalore became also a
popular venue for Western rock concerts, with Mark Knopfler, Jethro Tull and The
Rolling Stones, Joe Satriani, Bryan Adams, among others, having performed in the
city.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangalore. A significant number of national
cricketers have come from Bangalore, including current Indian cricket team
captain Rahul Dravid, who lives in a big house in Indiranagar. Other cricketing
greats from Bangalore are Gundappa Vishwanath, Anil Kumble, E.A.S. Prasanna,
Venkatesh Prasad, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani,Roger Binny and Javagal
Srinath. Many of the city's children play gully cricket on the roads and in
city's many public fields. Bangalore's main international cricket stadium is the
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which hosted its first match in 1974. Bangalore has a
number of elite clubs, like the Bangalore Golf Club, Bowring Institute and the
exclusive Bangalore Club, which counts among its previous members Winston
Churchill and the Maharaja of Mysore.
Schools in Bangalore are either run by the state or central government or by
private organizations, sometimes religious ones. Private schools in Bangalore
typically use English as the medium of instruction and are affiliated with
either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board
for Secondary Education (CBSE) or the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination
Board. After completing their secondary education, students typically enroll in
Junior College (also known as Pre-University) in one of three streams — Arts,
Commerce or Science. Upon completing the required coursework, students enroll in
general or professional degrees.
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, Chief Engineer and later Diwan of Mysore
(1912–19), played an instrumental role in shaping the early history of education
in Bangalore. The University of Agricultural Sciences was started as a
vocational school under his directives. He was also closely associated with the
establishment of the Indian Institute of Science in 1909 and University
Visvesvaraya College of Engineering which was founded in 1917, UVCE is
one of India's most prestigious engineering institutions. Bangalore is home to
several nationally renowned universities such as the Indian Institute of
Management Bangalore, National Law School of India University and
Bangalore Medical College. Kempe Gowda Institute of Medical Sciences, St.
John's Medical College and Bangalore Medical College are consistently ranked
among the top ten medical schools in India. Bangalore's IT industry recruits
extensively from the city's large pool of engineering colleges, notable among
them are People's Education Society Institute of Technology, MS Ramaiah
Institute of Technology , BMS College of Engineering , Bangalore Institute of
Technology and Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology. The National Centre
for Biological Sciences, is one of the three places in India where Stem
cell research is conducted. International Institute of Information Technology -
Bangalore is a notable technology institute that was started with a
significant corporate participation in Electronic City.
Bangalore has a number of public libraries with free entry to all visitors. The
oldest of the city's public libraries is located in the historical Sir Seshadri
Iyer Memorial Hall in Cubbon Park.
|