Old Bangalore Historical Walk thro Palace, Temples, Fort & Market
Description
The old Bangalore Walk dissects the most throbbing & the oldest part of the city. On this Walk, you can: -Visit a 230 year old Tipu palace built out of teak wood; -Watch prayers offered by devout Hindus at the Vishnu temple; -Take a look at the 16 CE Bangalore Fort; -Soak in the sights, smells & sounds of the fruits, flowers & vegetable market; -Experience the quietude, carvings & inlay work at the Jain temple; -Navigate through streets filled with sellers, buyers, vehicles, cows, workers, walkers, gawkers, etc; -Listen to the cacophony of the Indian markets; etc. The Walk gives you a ringside view to life in India inside 3 hours. (1) Please cover your legs & shoulders since we propose to visit two temples, one Hindu and one Jain. (2) We offer transport service from hotel to Walk venue & back for a small additional fee. Please let us know which hotel you are staying & we will propose the fee. (3)Entry to all temples & monuments are subjected to working hours & seasonal variations.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After meeting and greeting, the Govt. of India Approved and licensed guide shall accompany you and show Tipu Palace. Its a 230 year old palace, all in teak wood, and built in typical Islamic architecture, showing the diwas-e-am and diwan-e-khas. Also, a brief history of Tipu Sultan, his trysts with the French, the Anglo-Mysore wars, his contributions and controversies shall all be discussed. A visit to the Museum in the premises throws more light on how he came to be known as the Grandfather of Rocket Science in the whole world!
This temple is adjoining the Tipu Palace. It was built in 1690 AD by Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar and showcases wonderful stone sculptures of Indian mythological characters on its walls. The highly carved and ornate stone columns inside the temple reflect high quality workmanship of our artists. Hindu devotees have to book months in advance to offer "Kalyanotsava" (marriage ceremony of Lord Vishnu with Lakshmi) in this temple. It is said that the Garuda Gamba of this temple saved Tipu Sultan from a cannon ball attack from Cornwallis which would have otherwise fell on his palace. The next stop is the Bangalore Fort which is a 10 minute walk from here.
Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore, built a mud fort in the 16th CE which was rebuilt in stone by Hyder Ali in 1760s. Only about 5% of this Fort remains and is now open to visitors. Very neatly maintained, this largely unknown monument is worth visiting.
If you ever wanted to see typical India in action, this is the place. There is enough and more in this Market and its environs for all your sensory organs. Vendors, workers, coolies, hawkers, buyers, cows, dogs, cylces, rickshaws, bikes, scooters, etc jostle for space with each other. Heaps of vegetables, fruits, flowers, spices, etc are found everywhere. But there is order, in this disorder! Come and experience this pulsating and throbbing Indian Market of essentials.
Jainism is one the oldest religions of the world, originating in India, with at least a 2500 year old history. It is in fact, a religion contemporary to Buddhism. The principle tenets of Jainism are - Non-violence and Vegetarianism. The Jain community forms less than 0.4% of India's population but they contribute more than 24% to personal tax collections in the country. Jains own more than 28% Indian property and has the highest literacy rate at 94%. Nearly half of India's stockbrokers are Jains. Their contribution to the success of Indian business houses is worth its weight in gold. Entry to a Jain temple is subjected to certain conditions and restrictions.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dresses should cover legs and shoulders to visit Temples. Ladies need to carry a scarf too.
Reviews(103)
I had only one day in Bangalore, so I decided to go for this short walking tour. My personal highlight was the flower market. Incredibly colorful! And the garlands they make for Hindu or Muslim occasions are true works of art! The biggest asset however was my guide Varun. Having booked a trainee guide, I expected a young, rather inexperienced person. But Varun is a mature and extremely knowledgable guide. He did not only explain very well everything we saw, but also gave deep insights in the underlying spiritual concepts, as well historical, geographical and political contexts. We had such fascinating conversations that after the end of the tour we continued our discussion over a few beers until the evening... Overall a truly memorable experience and a highly recommended tour!
Outstanding tour, our guide Raghu was amazing, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, led the tour at a good pace and was able to answer all of our questions. Highly recommended.
Varun was really very kind and attentive, and is very knowledgeable about the history of the place and general Indian/world culture —it was very interesting. I highly recommend him!
Vasuki was an excellent guide full of interesting facts and stories, and he knew the answer to any question that popped up. The locations on the tour were interesting and beautiful and I can't recommend it enough!
We had a great experience on this tour. Vijay was knowledgeable, thoughtful and answered all of our questions. He was very patient as we navigated the tour with our two young kids. The locations were all very interesting and we appreciated the variety of sites visited. This was an excellent tour and I highly recommend it!
It was a great walk and my guide was extremely informative. Without him putting into into context, it would have been less enjoyable.
I had an excellent experience on the Old Bangalore Walk, and a big part of that was our guide, Vijay. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the history, culture, architecture, and daily life of Bangalore. What I appreciated most was how authentic the experience felt. We visited historical sites, temples, markets, and local neighborhoods, giving me a genuine glimpse into life in Bangalore. Vijay was also very friendly, patient, and happy to answer all my questions. As an added bonus, he took me to a local craftsmanship and silk workshop where I was able to purchase beautiful souvenirs and authentic silk shawls. It was a great opportunity to see local artisanship and find meaningful gifts.
We had a great experience. Our tour guide Vijay was very nice and provided good information on the history of the places we visited.
This was a great tour of central Bangalore. Mr Raghavendra is extremely knowledgeable and articulated, and he provided thorough explanations not only of the history of the places we visited but also of the culture behind it. I would highly recommend this tour to learn more about Bangalore but also about Indian culture and society.
Really fun experience. Vijay was a great guide, very passionate and informative. The Sultan Palace and Fort have a lot of interesting history. The markets are bustling and full of sights and sounds and smells. The Jain temple is magnificent.
