Welcome to Bengaluru

Bengaluru (Bangalore), capital of the state of Karnataka in southern India, is among the fastest growing cities of the world. With a population close to 10 million made up of an amazing diversity of language groups and nationalities, it is India’s city of the present, rapidly emerging as a new world city. Education, science, technology, aerospace, defence research, telecommunications, medicine, heavy industry, machine tooling and software services have found their home in Bengaluru, bringing to its booming economy the skills and lifestyles of a young working population.

Bengaluru has a long history of empire, battles and colonial rule. The earliest mention of the name 'Bengaluru', in the local Dravidian language Kannada, is from a 890 AD stone inscription. The city itself, however, was founded as a trading town in 1537 AD by Kempegowda the First, a chieftain loyal to the great Vijayanagar kingdom.

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Weather

Bengaluru enjoys great weather throughout the year because of its high altitude, an average 920 metres (3,018 ft), and its position at the heart of the Deccan Plateau. The coolest month is January with an average low temperature of 15.1°C and the hottest month is April with an average high temperature of 33.6°C. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 12 °C (54 °F), and summer temperatures seldom exceed 35 °C ( < 100 °F).

Travel Checklist

In December, the climate is very pleasant, with low humidity and very little likelihood of rain. Enjoy the sunny weather and blue skies with daytime temperatures averaging at 26°C / 79°F, but you may need warmer wear for the evenings and nights when it could get down to a cool 15°C / 59°F. The Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 ½ hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time(GMT). Winter sunrise is at about 6:35 AM and sunset at 6:00 PM.

Winter early mornings could become a little foggy in Bengaluru. But the fog in December could be quite severe in New Delhi and visitors taking connecting flights need to consider this.

Make your travel plans early to get the best fares and provide for about 4 weeks to procure the appropriate visa from your nearest Indian consulate. Do check the exact set of documents required at the Indian embassy/consulate in your country.

Flight and Rail Bookings

Flights to India and Bengaluru tend to fill up well ahead of the December holiday season. We recommend that you make your flight and train bookings and stay arrangements well in advance.

For more details on travel, accommodation and local transport: For more information click here

Vaccinations

If you need to get preventive vaccinations (shots), the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has some more health tips and general travel advice for tourists. For more information click here.