The city of Bangalore has quite an interesting history attached to it. Right from its name to its becoming the IT Capital of India, each stage in the history of Bangalore is worth mentioning. Read on to know more about the history of Bengalooru, India.
Naming of Bangalore
There are numerous versions related to the naming of the city 'Bangalore'. As per the information available in the Gazetteer of India, the term 'Bangalore' is an anglicized version of "Bengaluru," a Kannada term. The word Bengaluru was in turn derived from the phrase 'Bende Kaalu koru', meaning 'the town of boiled beans'. There is a story behind naming the city the 'town of boiled beans'.
It is said that King Ballala of the Hoysala dynasty once got lost in the jungle and was very tired and hungry. In the jungle, he came across a poor old woman, who offered him some boiled beans. As an expression of his gratitude towards the woman, the King named the place 'Bende Kaalu koru''. However, other historical evidence reveals that the name 'Bengaluru' was recorded much before the reign of King Ballala.
The Time of Kempe GowdaKempe Gowda, known as the founder of Bangalore, played very important in the shaping of the city. A feudal lord himself, he used to serve under the Vijayanagar Kings. A hunting enthusiast, Kempe Gowda once saw his dog being chased by a hare. Amused as well as impressed by this incident, he started calling Bangalore 'Gandu Bhoomi' (a heroic place). He, with the help of King Achyutaraya, built a mud fort in Bangalore and inside it founded the towns of Balopet, Cottonpet, and Chickpet. Later, his son got the four watchtowers erected on the boundaries of the city, visible even today.
Reign of the Sultans, Marathas, and British
In the year 1638, the Vijayanagar Empire fell to the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammed Adil Shah. For the next sixty years, the city was under the rule of the Sultans. Thereafter, the Mughals took over the city. However, their rule did not last too long and in 1687, they sold the kingdom to King Chikkadurgaiah Wodeyar of Mysore. He got another fort built in Bangalore, to the south of the one built by Kempe Gowda. Hyder Ali received Bangalore in the form of jagir in 1759, from Krishna Raja Wodeyar II. He converted the city into an army town.
In the year 1799, when Tipu Sultan died, the British returned the kingdom back to Krishna Raja Wodeyar III. However, the British again took over the kingdom in 1831, citing misrule by Krishna Raja Wodeyar III as the reason. It was under British rule that Bangalore started developing into a modern city, with all the contemporary facilities like railways, telegraphs, post and telegraph, etc. The city was again given back to the Wodeyars in 1881. However, since the British Commissioners were based in Bangalore, its development into a contemporary city continued unabated.
Post-Independence
After India gained independence in the year 1947, Bangalore became the capital of Karnataka. From then onwards, the city has witnessed large-scale development and has grown in leaps and bounds.
IT Capital of India
The introduction of information technology in Bangalore, somewhere around the year 2000, led to the development of the city as the IT Capital of India. Today, it has become the hub of IT professionals in India. There are numerous other names given to Bangalore, like 'India's Silicon Valley', 'The Fashion Capital of India', 'The Pub City of India', etc.
Re-naming as Bengaluru
The city of Bangalore got renamed Bengaluru in the year 2006. Even though the term 'Bangalore' is still very common, now the official name of the city is Bengaluru.
Best Time to Visit BangaloreOne of the biggest cities in India, Bangalore experiences a moderate climate throughout the year. Neither is it very hot in the summer nor is it very cold in winter. In the following lines, we will provide you with an answer to the question, "When to visit Bengaluru, India".
As far as the weather conditions are concerned, the best time to visit Bangalore is in the winter. Although the city experiences a pleasant climate throughout the year, the winter season is the perfect time for visiting. The peak season for Bangalore travel starts somewhere around October and the tourist traffic starts lessening after February. So, if you are planning to visit the happening city of Bangalore, be there between October and February and it is a guarantee that you will enjoy yourself to the hilt.