Myth has it that Bangalore got its name from a humble meal of boiled beans, which a lost and famished king of the Vijaynagar empire, received at the hands of a kind woman. The king called the place Bendakaalu ooru. In Kannada (local language) "Benda kaalu" means boiled beans, "Ooru" means village. Bendakaalooru eventually became Bengalooru, and in English, Bangalore.
The town was founded in 1537 by a Yelahanka Prabhu chieftain, Kempegowda, who was gifted the land by a Vijaynagar emperor. Realizing his town would grow, Kempegowda constructed four watch-towers to demarcate the future boundaries. Many dynasties later, and under enlightened rulers like Tipu Sultan and the Wodeyars, Bangalore grew far beyond its watch-towers and prospered, blossoming into one of Asia's fastest growing cities. At a height of 3,250 feet above sea level, it boasts a salubrious climate with innumerable parks, gardens, lakes and tree-lined avenues giving it the sobriquet "Garden city".
Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka state, is one of India's most charming cities. Today, it is India's fifth-largest city, the momentum of its industrial and commercial growth unequaled in the country. Bangalore's industrial take-off was spurred by visionaries like Sir. M. Vishveshwaraya and Seshadri in the early decades of the 20th century, at a time when the industrialization of India was little thought of. Vishveshwaraya, an engineer of considerable renown who turned statesman, was an innovative thinker and an indomitable trail-blazer. As Dewan of the princely state of Mysore he promoted and encouraged industry, both in the public and private sectors, in pre-independence Bangalore.
Today, Bangalore is the country's boom city with eight huge industrial belts housing well over 10,000 industries. Bangalore's friendly inhabitants are a cosmopolitan mix. Kannada is the official language, yet you can comfortably get by speaking English, Hindi or any of the South Indian languages.
Bangalore has a moderate climate throughout the year due to its elevation (1000m). It boasts of delightful weather all year round, registering a mean temperature of 27.1 C (80.8 F) in the warmest month of April and 20.48 C (68.8F) in the coldest month of January. Evenings are cool the year-round. Bangalore receives both the south-west and the north-east monsoons, getting an average rainfall of 87 cms. It is also blessed with a large number of lakes and parks within the city. The nature loving citizens have planted many trees along the roads which has enabled the city to maintain its green looks despite its rapid expansion. Bangalore is therefore aptly called the "Garden City."
