History

Once the feudal lord Kempe Gowda was hunting in this area, a rabbit turned and attacked his dog. This made a great impression on the lord and he gave the place a title of gandu bhoomi (the place of heroes) and in 1537, with the assistance of the local king, he constructed three districts protected by a walled fort on the site.

During the next three centuries, Bangalore existed very much in the shadow of its neighboring city Mysore, and control of the town changed hands many times. The year 1831 marked a major turning point for the city. Claiming misrule by the king Krishna Raja Wodeyar III, the British took control of the Mysore Kingdom and, possibly influenced by the city's mild climate, moved the administrative capital to Bangalore. New telecommunication systems were laid, rail connections built, fine government buildings constructed and the city's famous parks and gardens established. After independence, Bangalore maintained its position as the Karnataka state capital, and continues to flourish.

For many years, Bangalore was known throughout India as the most green, liberal and forward-thinking city. In recent years, these attributes have propelled Bangalore to the forefront of the high-tech industry boom in India, and it currently ranks as India's most developed city and one of the world's fastest growing urban areas.

The name Bangalore appears to come from an Anglicization of the native name "Bengaluru" - an adaptation of the earlier name in Kannada: Benda Kaale Uru (The Town of Boiled Beans). Apparently this rather humble name was bequeathed to the city by king Vira Ballala. Once while lost in the area, he was offered boiled beans by an old woman, and it was out of gratitude that he named the area after this simple offering.

Climate

Unlike other parts of India which are extremely hot in the summer months, Bangalore enjoys a relatively mild climate year round.

February to May (warmest months)
June to August (Windy, Heavy rain - South-West Monsoon)
September to October (Windy, Rain - Retreating monsoon)
November to December (Light Rain - North-East monsoon)
January to February (coldest months. Often showers of North-East monsoon in January as well)

Culture and Language

Bangalore, the fastest growing city of India, comprises of a dynamic blend of people, belonging to various religions, castes and communities. People from various places across the country and also from abroad come to work in Bangalore. This has led to Bangalore becoming more like the melting pot of various cultures.

List of the major languages spoken in Bengaluru are as follows:

The most common language in Bangalore is Kannada. It is the official language of the state of Karnataka.
A significant number of people in Bangalore speak English. Infact, almost all the younger generation of the city speaks English.
The official language of Andhra Pradesh, Telugu is widely spoken in Bangalore aswell.
Tamil is spoken by a sizeable population in the city.
The national language of India, Hindi is spoken in Bangalore.

Voltage

The electricity situation in Bangalore is quite good, within the minimum power outages taking place. The voltage centers around 240 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second.