Bangalore

Bangalore is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also called "Garden City" for its beautiful gardens, flowers and trees which flourish in each and every street. It is India's fifth largest city and India's fifth largest metropolitan area, with a 2001 population of about 6.5 million.

 After India gained independence in 1947, Bangalore evolved into a manufacturing hub for heavy industries such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Indian Space Research Organization. Within the last decade, the establishment and success of high technology firms in Bangalore have lead to the growth of Information Technology (IT) in India. IT firms in Bangalore employ about 30% of India's pool of 1 million IT professionals.
The city is also the Training Center for the Indian Air Force, the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) and Central Military Police, the latter two being arms of the Indian Army.

 History
The modern city of Bangalore ('Bengaluru') was founded by Kempe Gowda, the Vijayanagar Chieftain of Yelahanga, over 400years ago. But ancient inscriptions pointing to the existence of a village called 'Bengaluru' prior to the 10th century AD.

Kempe Gowda built a mud fort in his city with 8 gates which lent their names to different areas inside the fort. Inside the fortress walls, the city grew into a commercial haven divided into localities ('Pet') where individual trades dominated each area. To this day these areas bear their old names such as Chickpet (little town), Dodda pet (big town ), Taragupet (grain market ), Halipet (cotton market) etc. Kempe Gowda also built several temples including Gavi Gangeswara Temple at Gavipuram and the Bull temple at Basavanagudi.

With its booming economy and racy lifestyle, the capital of Karnataka has metamorphosed from a sleepy Garden City into one of India's fastest growing, accommodating, technophiliac, and cosmopolitan cities.  Bangalore is a city of contrasts, going by several other aliases: India's Silicon Valley, Pub City, Shopper's Paradise, Garden City, Air-conditioned City, Gourmet's Delight, Pub Hopper's Paradise and Shopper's Hot Spot.

Art Galleries
The art lovers visiting the Garden City of India need not despair. There are numerous art galleries in Bangalore that showcase beautiful pieces of art. Bangalore art galleries also serve as a window for people to come face to face with the tremendous talent of the local artists.

Auditoriums
The cultural side of Bangalore is reflected in the numerous auditoriums that have been set up in the city. Right from dance performances to musical programs to plays, the auditoriums in Bangalore have everything to satisfy the creative side of the people.

Cinema Halls
One of the popular means of entertainment in Bangalore comprises of the numerous movie theaters and multiplexes dotting the city. Infact, Bangalore was one of the first cities where the concept of multiplexes was introduced. Most of the movie theaters in Bangalore have restaurants situated nearby, thus offering the complete entertainment package for the entire day.