Bangalore

Bangalore is famous for its pleasant climate and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Many people are fluent in more than one language. Kannada, the state language of Karnataka, is widely spoken here. There are also a large number of people with Telugu and Tamil as their mother tongues[?], together said to almost match the number of those whose mother tongue is Kannada. English is widely understood, and spoken with variable fluency, ranging from smatterings of Englpiesh (short for English in pieces) to convent-taught near-accentless English. Thanks to movies and television, Hindi is also widely understood. With the rapid growth of the information technology industry in Bangalore, English is becoming a standard.

Set in the heart of the South-Deccan plateau[?], with an average elevation of 900 m above sea level, Bangalore has pleasant weather, with highs ranging from around 24°C in winter to 35°C during summer, despite being between the very tropical latitudes of 12° 39' N and 13° N.

Bangalore is called the "Silicon Valley of India" due to the large number of computer and technology companies, as well as the related infrastructure, located there. Many multinational corporations, especially computer hardware and software giants, have operations in Bangalore. But the city infrastructure and hygiene standards have not kept up with technology development.

Bengalooru is believed to have been founded in 1537 by Kempe Gowda (c. 1510 - 1570), although there is some evidence that it may be considerably older. After the arrival of the British, it was given the anglicised name of "Bangalore".

Institutions

• Indian Institute of Science, India's premier educational institution
• Indian Institute of management
• The headquarters of the Indian Space Research Organisation
• The University of Agricultural Sciences

Landmarks

• Vidhana Soudha, home of the Karnataka Legistative branch
• Attara Kacheri, home of the Karnataka High Court
• The Nandi Temple -- Basavanagudi (Kannada word, meaning Bull Temple)
• Lalbagh
• Cubbon Park
• Sankey Tank

Interest Groups

• Birdwatchers' Field Club of Bangalore

External links

• Links to various departments (http://www.bangaloreit.com/html/govtinformation/services.htm)
• Ronnie Johnson's website on Bangalore (http://www.geocities.com/ronnie.johnson/) - information on the people and places of Banglore, and the changes the city is undergoing