Bengaluru

The Secretariat and the State Legislature of Karnataka is housed in this building which is built of granite and porphyry. It was constructed in 1956 after transfer of power from the ruling Wodeyar dynasty to the central government, it was designed by Kengal Hanumanthaiah, the then chief minister, who intended it to `reflect the power and dignity of the people’. The Vidhana Soudha is a huge edifice of a building and covers an area of 700 feet by 350 feet making it the largest legislative building in India. Its eastern facade has a porch with 12 granite columns, 40 feet tall above which is inscribed the sentence `Government Work is God's Work’.

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture and was the summer residence of the Mysorean ruler Tipu Sultan. This beautiful two-storeyed ornate teak wooden structure with exquisitely carved pillars, arches and balconies was one of Tipu's favourite summer retreats. The walls and wooden ceilings of the entire palace are painted in floral motifs in muted warm colours, gilded in great details and beauty. Hyder Ali commenced its construction within the walls of the Bangalore Fort, and it was completed during the reign of Tipu Sultan in 1791. Tipu Sultan named it Tashk-e-Jannat meaning the envy of heaven. It is constructed mainly of wood and its intricately sculptured arches and minarets are worth perusing. The walls and ceilings are covered with paintings though faded through the centuries.

It is located in the south of the city, a 97-hectare park laid out in the 18th century by Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali. It is regarded as one of the most richly diverse botanical gardens in South Asia. With 1854 species, it contains India’s largest collection of rare tropical and subtropical plants, trees from Iran, Afganistan and Europe. John Cameron, the Garden’s Superintendent in the 1870’s, imported several rare species from Kew Gardens in London. Lalbagh Botanical Gardens main attraction is the Glass House, modelled on London's Crystal Palace. Lalbagh is the venue for flower shows in January and August.

The peaceful 1200 hectare Cubbon Park was laid out in 1864 by Major General Richard Sankey, the then British Chief Engineer of Mysore state and named in honour of the commissioner, Cubbon Park. Its partly formal landscaping imaginatively integrates natural rock out-croppings with groves of trees and giant bamboos.  It has a rich abundance of flora and fauna plantations coupled with some impressive colonial buildings such as the High Court of Karnataka, State Central Library and the State Archaeological Museum plus some statues of famous people including Chamarejendra Wodeyar, Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.