City Asia
Bengaluru
Bengaluru is a very big city in the south of India. It sits high up on a wide, flat plateau. One of its metro stations stands high above the street.
Bengaluru, also called Bangalore, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. India's 2011 census counted 8,495,492 people in the city. A ruler named Kempe Gowda built a mud fort there in 1537, and today Bengaluru is known as a center for technology companies.
Bengaluru, on the Mysore plateau at about 900 m, grew from Kempe Gowda's mud fort of 1537 into the seat of Karnataka's government and India's fifth agglomeration in the 2011 census (8,520,435). Universalis calls it an Indian 'Silicon Valley'; the name Bengaluru became official in 2006.
Photo: StoriesofKabeera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Bengaluru
Bengaluru is a very big city in India. It is in the south of the country.
It sits high up on a wide, flat plateau. Millions of people live there.
Bengaluru, also called Bangalore, is the capital of Karnataka, a state in southern India. India's 2011 census counted 8,495,492 people in the city. The wider agglomeration had 8,520,435 people, the fifth-most in India.
Universalis says the city lies on a big granite and gneiss plateau called the Mysore plateau, at about 900 meters above sea level, and enjoys a pleasant climate.
City Population's Karnataka table (Census of India) gives the municipal corporation with outgrowth 3,302,296 people in 1991, 5,688,985 in 2001 and 8,495,492 in 2011. Its India table ranks the agglomeration fifth in 2011 (8,520,435), after Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.
Universalis (François Durand-Dastès): Bangalore was one of the two historic capitals of Mysore State, which became the State of Karnataka in 1973, and was chosen as the seat of Karnataka's administration.
- Country
- India (capital of Karnataka)
- People in the city (census, 1 March 2011)
- 8,495,492
- People in the agglomeration (same census)
- 8,520,435 (fifth in India)
- Height above the sea
- about 900 m
A metro station at night
This is a train station up high, above the road. Its long, curved roof is striped with lights.
The city lights make the night sky glow orange.
This photo shows the MG Road metro station on the night of 7 August 2017, seen from above. The station stands above the street, with long curved roofs striped with lights. Trees fill the middle of the picture, and city lights stretch to the horizon, with a tall tower on the right.
The sky glows orange, and Commons files the photo under light pollution in India: city lights shining up into the sky.
Commons: 'A birds eye view of the Metro Rail station at MG Road, Central Business District, Bangalore', 7 August 2017, own work by StoriesofKabeera (CC BY-SA 4.0); categories include 'Night in Bengaluru' and 'Light pollution in India'.
Wikidata: MG Road metro station and the Namma Metro system both opened on 20 October 2011.
- Photo
- MG Road metro station at night, 7 August 2017
- MG Road metro station
- opened 20 October 2011
- Orange night sky
- filed on Commons under light pollution in India
From a mud fort to a state capital
Long ago, a ruler built a fort made of mud here. A town grew around it.
The town grew and grew. Now it is a huge city.
The Bengaluru Urban district's history page says that in 1537 Kempe Gowda, a ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire, built a mud fort that is seen as the start of modern Bangalore.
In 1809 the British moved their army camp, called a cantonment, to Bangalore, outside the old city, and a town grew around it. The old city and the cantonment grew as separate places until they merged into one city in 1949.
District history page: Western Gangas, Cholas and Hoysalas ruled the region before Kempe Gowda's mud fort (1537); the old city became capital of the princely state of Mysore; the British cantonment moved there in 1809; city and cantonment merged in 1949; after 1947 Bangalore was capital of Mysore State.
Universalis: Mysore State became Karnataka in 1973; the city officially took the name Bengaluru in 2006, a change that took effect in 2014.
- Mud fort built by Kempe Gowda
- 1537
- City and cantonment merge
- 1949
- Bengaluru becomes the official name
- 2006
Metro above the streets
In Bengaluru you can ride a metro train. At MG Road it runs high above the street. Planes fly from a big airport outside the city.
Bengaluru's metro, called Namma Metro, opened on 20 October 2011, Wikidata says. The MG Road station in the photo opened the same day. There, the trains run on a raised track above the street.
Kempegowda International Airport opened on 24 May 2008. It lies about 27 kilometers north-northeast of MG Road station.
Wikidata: Namma Metro, rapid transit system of Bengaluru, opened 2011-10-20; MG Road metro station opened the same day; Kempegowda International Airport opened 2008-05-24, 27.0 km NNE of MG Road station.
The photo shows the elevated station and its viaduct above the road (Commons: 'Metro Rail station at MG Road').
- Namma Metro
- opened 20 October 2011
- Kempegowda International Airport
- opened 24 May 2008; about 27 km NNE of MG Road station
- Cubbon Park
- about 1.5 km west of MG Road station
Rain from May to October
Days are warm all year. April is the hottest month.
Winter is very dry. Lots of rain falls from May to October.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Bangalore give April days an average high of about 34 °C, the warmest month. In January, nights average about 15 °C.
About 931 millimeters of rain fall in a year. January has only about 5 millimeters, while September, the wettest month, has about 186.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Bangalore (member: India; rainfall 1901–2000): average highs from 26.2 °C in December to 33.9 °C in April; average lows from 15.0 °C in January to 21.3 °C in April. Rainfall totals 931.0 mm; May to October bring 787.7 mm, with September (185.9 mm) and October (161.7 mm) the wettest.
Universalis credits the pleasant climate to the height of about 900 m.
- April, average high (WMO)
- 33.9 °C
- January, average low (same table)
- 15.0 °C
- Rainfall in a year (WMO, 1901–2000)
- 931.0 mm
India's Silicon Valley
Bengaluru has many technology companies. Big factories there have built airplanes too.
The city has big green parks.
Universalis says the old princely state of Mysore followed an active policy of building up industry, which drew big public companies to Bangalore to build aircraft and machines. Well-trained workers then helped other highly technical work grow, such as textiles, chemicals, films, clocks and watches, and printing.
Since the end of the 20th century, many international technology companies have come, making Bangalore an Indian 'Silicon Valley'. Big Indian firms such as Infosys and Wipro are based there too.
Universalis: one of India's great industrial centers; public-sector aircraft and mechanical engineering; textiles, chemicals, cinema, watchmaking and newspaper printing; high technology since the late 20th century with many multinationals; Infosys and Wipro.
Wikidata: Cubbon Park, dated 1870, lies 1.46 km west of MG Road station, and the Lalbagh Botanical Garden 3.37 km south-southwest.
- Known as
- an Indian 'Silicon Valley'
- Early big industries
- aircraft building and machine building
- Indian companies based there
- Infosys and Wipro
Bengaluru on the map
Find India on the globe. Bengaluru is in the south, on high flat land.
Bengaluru lies at about 13° north, in the center of the southern part of the Indian peninsula, Universalis says. Measured from MG Road station, Cubbon Park is about 1.5 kilometers west and the Lalbagh Botanical Garden about 3.4 kilometers south-southwest.
The airport is about 27 kilometers north-northeast.
Bengaluru lies at about 12.97° N and 77.56° E. From MG Road metro station (Wikidata points): Cubbon Park 1.46 km W, Bengaluru's own Wikidata point 1.73 km WNW, Lalbagh Botanical Garden 3.37 km SSW, Kempegowda International Airport 27.0 km NNE.
Universalis: a large granite-gneiss plateau, the Mysore (Maïssour) plateau.
- Latitude
- about 13.0° north
- Longitude
- about 77.6° east
- Setting
- the Mysore plateau, in the middle of southern India
Amazing facts
-
Bengaluru began as a fort made of mud!
In 1537, Kempe Gowda built a mud fort that is seen as the start of modern Bangalore.
Bengaluru Urban district: Kempe Gowda, a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire, built the mud fort in 1537; Wikidata: Kempegowda International Airport opened 2008.
-
Bengaluru is about 900 meters above the sea.
Universalis says Bengaluru sits about 900 meters up on the Mysore plateau, which gives it a pleasant climate.
Universalis: at 900 m on the granite-gneiss Mysore plateau, Bangalore enjoys a pleasant climate.
-
Bengaluru is famous for its technology companies.
Since the end of the 20th century, many technology companies have come to Bengaluru, and Universalis calls it an Indian 'Silicon Valley'.
Universalis: high-technology industry since the late 20th century, many multinationals, then Infosys and Wipro: an Indian Silicon Valley.
-
Bengaluru used to be called Bangalore.
The city officially took the name Bengaluru in 2006, and the change took effect in 2014.
Universalis: Bangalore officially took the name Bengaluru in 2006, a change that became effective in 2014.
Words to know
- plateau
- a large area of high, mostly flat land
- cantonment
- a permanent camp where soldiers lived, which can grow into a town
- agglomeration
- a city together with the built-up areas around it
- light pollution
- too much artificial light shining into the night sky
- census
- an official count of all the people in a country
- metro
- a fast city train that runs on its own track, under or above the streets
Discovery challenge
-
Bengaluru is a city in which country?
Bengaluru is the capital of Karnataka, a state of which country?
Bengaluru was India's fifth agglomeration in the 2011 census. Which country is it in?
- India
- China
- Pakistan
Show the answer
India
India!
India.
India.
-
What did a ruler build here long ago, made of mud?
What did Kempe Gowda build in 1537 that is seen as the start of modern Bangalore?
Which structure, built in 1537 under the Vijayanagara Empire, is considered the foundation of modern Bangalore?
- A mud fort
- A stone bridge
- A lighthouse
Show the answer
A mud fort
A mud fort!
A mud fort.
Kempe Gowda's mud fort.
-
Bengaluru sits on high, flat land. What is that called?
Bengaluru lies about 900 meters up on the Mysore what?
Universalis places Bengaluru on a granite-gneiss landform called the Mysore what?
- Valley
- Plateau
- Island
Show the answer
Plateau
A plateau!
The Mysore plateau.
The Mysore plateau.
-
Why does the night sky in the photo look orange?
Commons files the night photo of MG Road station under which topic, explaining its orange sky?
Which category on Commons describes the orange sky over MG Road station in the 2017 photo?
- Light pollution from city lights
- A volcano
- A sunset at noon
Show the answer
Light pollution from city lights
City lights glow in the sky!
Light pollution: city lights shining up into the sky.
'Light pollution in India'.
-
Bengaluru is famous for which kind of companies?
Universalis calls Bengaluru an Indian 'Silicon Valley'. Which kind of work is it known for?
Since the late 20th century, which industry has made Bengaluru an Indian 'Silicon Valley'?
- Fishing
- Technology
- Gold mining
Show the answer
Technology
Technology!
High technology.
High technology, with many multinationals and firms such as Infosys and Wipro.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Bengaluru on the Mysore plateau in southern India.
- Explain how height above sea level can make a city's climate milder.
- Read a rainfall table and find the rainy months.
- Describe how a fort and an army camp grew into one big city.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Bengaluru's night sky glows orange from city lights. How could a city keep its sky darker?
- Bengaluru changed its name from Bangalore. Why might a city choose a new official name?
- Many technology companies moved to Bengaluru. What helps a city attract new kinds of work?
Try at home or in class
- Rain chart: plot Bengaluru's monthly rainfall and shade the rainy months.
- Light test: on a clear night, count the stars you can see from a dark spot and from a brightly lit spot.
- Plateau model: build a flat-topped hill from clay and place a model city on top.
Key vocabulary: plateau, cantonment, agglomeration, light pollution, census, metro
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- India: Karnataka (districts, cities and towns) , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Census of India
- India: major agglomerations (Census of India 2011) , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff)
- Bangalore ou Bengaluru , Encyclopaedia Universalis (François Durand-Dastès)
- History , District Bengaluru Urban, Government of Karnataka
- Bangalore: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (India)
- File:MG Road Metro Station, Bangalore.jpg (StoriesofKabeera, 7 August 2017) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.