The "Garden City" and "The Silicon Valley of India", Bangalore or Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. A techie’s paradise, Bengaluru boasts of the highest concentration of IT companies in the country and is also a major centre of Indian classical music and dance. The official language spoken by the locals in the city of Bengaluru is Kannada.

A demographically diverse city, Bengaluru is a major economic and cultural hub, and is one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in India. The city has a wide and varied mix of cuisines and the locals deem eating out as an intrinsic part of their culture. Regional South Indian and 'Udupi' restaurants are very popular and serve predominantly vegetarian cuisine. With its gardens, natural lakes, architectural landmarks, music and dance concerts, entertainment and vivid night-life, Bengaluru offers something for everyone.

Best time to visit:

Unlike other parts of India that are extremely hot in the summers, Bengaluru enjoys a relatively mild climate all year round. That said, the winter season between October and February would be the perfect time to visit.

Top five places to see:

Vidhan Soudha – Touted amongst the most impressive and magnificent buildings in Bengaluru, the three hundred rooms of the Vidhan Soudha host the Legislative Chambers of the State Government. Built in 1956, the Vidhan Soudha is designed with exquisite style and is a tribute to Indian temple architecture.

Bannerghatta National Park – One of the famous picnic spots near Bengaluru, the Bannerghatta National Park houses tigers, lions, bisons, elephants, panthers and more. One of the major attractions of the Bannerghatta National Park is a Butterfly Park, which is the first of its kind in India. The park also boasts of rich flora and is well renowned for its lion and tiger safaris.

Tipu Sultan's Palace – The two-storied intricately carved palace of Tipu Sultan, adorned with pillars, arches and balconies, dates back to year 1790. Built entirely of teakwood, the palace was constructed as the summer residence of Tipu Sultan – the Emperor of Mysore.

Lal Bagh Gardens – The magnificent landscape of the Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens claim to have imported trees and plants from different countries of the world like Persia, Afghanistan and France. The glorious gardens encircle one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda – the founder of Bengaluru. The gardens also include the ‘Lal Bagh Rock’ – one of the oldest rock formations on earth, believed to be roughly 3,000 million years old.

Ulsoor Lake – The Ulsoor Lake offers an enriching, pleasant experience and is one of Bengaluru’s freshwater lakes. Besides its scenic beauty, the biggest attraction of this lake is boating where you can hire cruises with stopovers at some of the islands.