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Nov 17, 2005 5:26 pm |
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re: re: re: re: re: re: re: The History of Bangalore..Excellent |
Sathish Chandra P D
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Here is another article!! This was written by me for Deccah Herald, lots of internet research and did meet quite a few interesting people for this article including the old man/priest of Kadu Malleshwara temple! well not as interesting as the other two articles on this post but I hope it will be worth reading!!
History of Bende kaalu ooru Several speculations have been made about how the name Bangalore came about. Based on information from the Gazetteer of India, Karnataka State, Bangalore District section, the name Bangalore is an anglicised version of Bengalooru, a word in Kannada that was given to a town. The story goes that this word was derived from the phrase bende kaalu ooru, which translates into "the town of boiled beans."
It is said that King Ballala of the Hoysala dynasty lost his way in the jungle while on a hunting expedition. Tired and hungry, he encountered a poor, old woman who offered him the only food she had - some boiled beans. Grateful to her, the king named the place "bende kaalu ooru." However, historical evidence shows that Bengalooru was recorded much before King Ballala's time in a 9th century temple inscription in the village of Begur. Bengalooru still exists today within the city limits in Kodigehalli area and is called Halebengalooru or Old Bangalore.
Another historical figure instrumental in shaping the city of Bangalore is a feudal lord who called himself Kempe Gowda, and who served under the Vijayanagara Kings. Kempe Gowda I, who was in charge of Yelahanka, built a mud fort in 1537. With the help of King Achutaraya, he built the little towns of Balepet, Cottonpet, and Chickpet, all inside the fort. Today, these little areas serve as the major wholesale and commercial market places in the city. Kempe Gowda's sons erected the four watch towers to mark the boundaries of Bangalore which are traceable even today and they stand almost in the heart of the city! A hundred years later the Vijayanagara empire fell, and in 1638, it was conquered by Mohammed Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur.
But under the British influence, Bangalore bloomed with modern facilities like the railways, telegraphs, postal and police departments. In 1881, the British returned the city to the Wodeyars, the ruling dynasty of the area. Diwans like Mirza Ismail, and sir Vishweshwarayya were the pioneers to help Bangalore attain its modern outlook.
With the direct rule of the British Commissioners based in Bangalore, it became the State Administrative Head Quarters. The destiny of Bangalore thus took a historic turn, making it eventually a major city of India and one of the fastest growing in the world.
After independence, Bangalore's choice as a state capital was only logical. Mysore had too many associations with the royal family to be the capital of a new state with an elected Chief Minister and a nominated Governor. Finally, for an enlarged Karnataka, Bangalore was better linked with the major cities of the country.
In 1956 it became the capital of Mysore State and in 1973 the state was re named as Karnataka under PM Indira Gandhi (who was re elected in Chikmagalur).
Today, Bangalore is booming, and has earned quiet a few sobriquets like India's Silicon Valley and The Pub City of India etc. Home to well over 6 million people, and a base for 10,000 industries, Bangalore is India's fifth largest city and the fastest growing city in Asia.
The city, which is spread over an area of 152 square kilometres, enjoys a pleasant throughout the year. Its tree-lined streets and abundant greenery have led to it being called the Garden City of India. Private Reply to Sathish Chandra P D (new win) |
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