ISKCON Temple

At a distance of 6 km from Bangalore City Railway Station, ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Temple Complex is located on the Hare Krishna Hill in Jayanagar. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, it is one of the largest ISKCON temples in the world. This is also one of the top pilgrimage sites & tourist places to visit in Bangalore.

ISKCON Sri Radha Krishna temple was inaugurated in the year 1997 by Shankar Dayal Sharma, then President of India. The temple was built to honor the birth centenary of Sri Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON. The project was conceived and executed by Madhu Pandit Dasa following the wishes of Prabhupada to promote Vedic culture and spiritual learning. The temple is a huge cultural complex housing the temples dedicated to Sri Radha Krishna, Sri Krishna Balarama, Sri Nitai Gauranga, Sri Srinivasa Govinda and Sri Prahlada Narasimha.

The temple covers an area of 7 acres and is built in Dravidian style. The temple is an exclusive combination of glass and gopuras, modern and traditional South Indian Temple architecture. The four gopurams inside the temple are connected by a striking glazed-glass canopy. The main temple hall houses the altars of Lords Sri Radha Krishna, Sri Krishna Balarama, etc. Gold plated kalasha which is 36 ft high and 18 ft wide, intricately designed is a must watch. The main deities are made of panchaloha and are gold plated.

The Kalyana mantapa and pravachana halls inside the complex are also worth watching. The temple has Vedic museums, landscaped gardens, exhibition halls and a lecture hall. The ISKCON temple is more than a place of worship, as it hosts several spiritual, educational and cultural activities.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

At a distance of 6 km from Bangalore City Railway Station, Lalbagh Botanical Garden is situated near the Lalbagh fort road. It is one of the best gardens in India and one of the best places to visit in Bangalore City.

The ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali commissioned the development of the garden in 1760. Initially designed in Mughal style, this garden was further developed by Hyder Ali's son Tipu Sultan. Sprawling over an area of 240 acres, there are more than 1,800 species of flora, including plants, shrubs and trees, most of them from outside India. The garden attained status of a Government Botanical Garden in 1856. The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda. The park has some rare species of plants brought from Persia, Afghanistan and France. With an intricate watering system for irrigation, this garden is aesthetically designed with lawns, flowerbeds, lotus pools and fountains. The Lalbagh Rock, one of the oldest rock formations on earth dating back to 3,000 million years, is another attraction.

The main attraction of the Garden is the Glass House. This has been modeled based on Crystal Palace in London. It was built in 1889 during the administration of John Cameron to commemorate the visit of Prince of Wales. The Glass House hosts a flower show which is held every year on Independence Day and Republic Day. The Bandstand, Lecture Hall, Lalbagh House, Pigeon House, Statue of Chamaraja Wodeyar, Lalbagh West Gate Guard Room, Museum and Main gate of Lalbagh, Deer Paddock, Lalbagh Lake and Aquarium building are other artistic structures that can be seen in Lalbagh. Another popular attraction is the giant floral clock.

Visweswaraiah Industrial & Technological Museum

At a distance of 5 km from Bangalore City Railway Station, Visweswaraiah Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) is located on Kasturba road in the surroundings of Cubbon Park. It was established as a tribute to Sir M Visweswaraiah, a great civil engineer. This is one of the best science museums in India and one of the best places to visit in Bangalore city, especially for children.

The museum occupies an area of 4000 sq. m, housing various industrial products and engines, which were opened by Sri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962. The first gallery set up at VITM on the theme Electricity was opened to the public in 1965. An airplane and a steam engine are displayed in its compound.

VITM has 7 permanent exhibition galleries titled Engine Hall, Fun Science, Electro technic, Space - Emerging Technology in the Service of Mankind, Biotechnological Revolution, BEL Hall of Electronics and Children Science. The Engine Hall exhibits engines of various automobiles, machines used in industry, a jet aircraft engine and other mechanical devices. The Electro Technic Gallery contains interactive electrical exhibits which work on the basic principles of electricity, electronics and communication. The Fun Science gallery exhibits the sciences of sound, optics, fluids and perception.