BENGALURU

Bengaluru is one of India’s most progressive cities, and the hub of IT titans, which give it the moniker of ‘India’s Silicon Valley’. The city has come a long way—from being a mud fort built by the Vijayanagar empire in the early 16th century to the military cantonment of the British Raj, to becoming a destination preferred by families and ambitious youth for its benevolent weather. Also referred to as the ‘City of Gardens’, Bengaluru surprises its visitors with a stunning potpourri of the old and the new—from the Bangalore Palace to the glitzy five-star hotels in the same breath. While you’re here, sit back, and allow Bengaluru to cast its spell. By RUTH ESTHER DSOUZA

The Vidhana Soudha, or State Legislative Assembly, at dusk.