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In and Around Bangalore

Step out of any of the hotels Bangalore India has to offer and you’re bound to find wonderfully cheap and delicious food. Start with chaats tasty snacks, often spicy and always delicious. Here in Bangalore, the IT capital of India, the streets are a cacophony of honking horns. I tried to ask what all the honking was about, as much of it seemed unnecessary, but in a way it made the place kind of lively and heightened your attention.

We made our way to Bangalore Palace, a Tudor style structure with turrets and fortified towers. It was built in 1887 (AD), and stands in the middle of the city, surrounded by gardens. The grounds host concerts and cultural events. Visiting here, with its ceiling relief paintings, moldings and floral designs, reminds one of England.

One gets hungry looking at such things so a trip for food was in order. We skipped the pubs at first this time, even though Bangalore is known for its pubs, and stumbled into a restaurant called Tandoor which felt rather rustic, with its big chandelier and sumptuous furnishings. We had the mulligatawny shorba and their famous kabobs. This north Indian food place features naan, tandoori chicken, of course, and is a favorite if many. Breads from tandoor ovens are spectacular, with heat approaching 900°F. These ovens are found throughout the world and used to make breads like roti and dishes like chicken tikka.

Later we went to Pecos, a nice pub with a painting of Jerry Garcia welcoming us to its 1960′s vibe, roof top seating if the other three floors are crowded. You even get free popcorn with your beer. Not far is Le Rock Pub Cafe, with its funky oxygen bar and big screen TVs. They serve coffee, food, beers like Kingfisher and opens at 10am.

Tags: Bangalore, Bangalore Palace, chaats, hotels, Tandoor

The Myth of Shiva

Bangalore , India’s third most populous city, is home to over five million Bangaloreans (or Bengaloorinavaru in Kannada). It is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its predominance in the global IT field, with a very strong presence in computers and technology. This makes it an excellent place to do business, and with the attractions that are numerous enough to suit any traveler, it is an ideal spot to stay at luxury hotels Bangalore . The amenities and hospitality will refresh the most weary traveler, readying the guests for days of business and pleasure.

Bangalore is not only known as a bustling city that is rich in industry; it is also very well known for music and dance. One of the most interesting times to visit is during the week-long Ganesha Chaturthi festival, which typically falls somewhere between August and September. This festival coincides with the birth of the mythic Ganesh. Ganesh is the son of Pavarti, wife of Shiva .

The story goes that Shiva was away at war, and Pavarti wanted someone to stand guard outside her door to protect her while she bathed. She conceived Ganesha out of a bar of sandalwood. When Shiva returned, he did not know who Ganesh was, and cut off his head. Pavarti was enraged, and ordered her husband to replace her son’s head with the first head he could find. Shiva’s army set out, and came upon an elephant, and cut off its head and returned it to the body of Ganesh. Pavarti was still angry, and demanded that the elephant-headed son be the first to be honored in every ceremony, and the custom of honoring Ganesh first is still practiced today.

The famous Bollywood model and actress, Deepika Padukone, spent last year during the festival with her family in Bangalore, her birthplace. This highlights and illustrates the popularity of the festival, where its significance is still held in high esteem, and travelers lucky enough to be visiting during this time can observe time-honored tradition in a rich urban setting.

Tags: Bangalore, hotels, luxury

Cubbon Park, Bangalore

Bangalore is one of the most beautiful cities in India, if not around the world. One of the aspects of this city, is that there are the gardens and parks throughout, and that most of the city streets are lined with flowers as well. Some have been growing for as long as the city has been here. As with many large cities, the buildings and the concrete seems to be becoming more abundant. This happened in one US city, Chicago. Mayor Daley stepped in and made certain requirements of businesses, that flowers must be planted. Now, more flowers grow down the center lane of Lake Shore Drive, than are found in some entire cities elsewhere. The government of Bangalore has also stepped in, and provides communities and businesses such as four star hotels, Bangalore and all her residents, with the plants and flowers to continually supplement their neighborhood gardens and parks. Restrictions have been placed on the use of fertilizers and pesticides and those taking care of the landscaping throughout the city are taking extra effort and care to becoming more and more eco-friendly.

Gardens and parks are a necessary element in big, urban cities. They provide space for outdoor activities such as running and bicycling, and they are just places for the young and old to escape the hectic pace of the city in which they live. The parks are designed with water-ways, fountains and curving pathways, beds of multi-colored flowers, and lotus and fish ponds. Cubbon Park, one of the favorites of Bangalore, has an extensive collection of sculptures. They are placed throughout the entire spread of the park, adding to the colorful, Colonial architecture and the Neo-Classical, red painted library the sits in the center of the park. The bandstand hosts outdoor theater and concerts, and the park even offers classes such as pottery and instruction on the various kinds of plants and flowers that decorate the park. All of this is set under the shade trees and amongst the art, a most incredible way to spend an afternoon, every afternoon.

Tags: Bangalore, four, hotels, star