Monday, October 21, 2013

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace - Bangalore


Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace

My visit to the Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace was long due. Wiki Loves Monuments event gave me all the more reason to be there do that at the right time. This was the second destination of our Photowalk with the Bangalore Photowalk group on the weekend of 28th September. You can read about the first destination here.

The palace in itself is not as big as the one in Srirangapatna in Mysore. However, it should be noted that this was an 'abode of happiness' for the ruler Tipu Sultan who spent his summers in Bangalore. Built during the 18th Century by Hyder Ali and further maintained by Tipu Sultan during his regime, this two-storied wooden palace boasts of Indo-Islamic Architecture with the walls adorning the paintings and murals of the times and life of Tipu Sultan.

One unique feature: Only three colors have lent beauty to this palace - Red, Brown and Golden-yellow. Yes, and with the ample amount of lighting, the palace makes for an excellent photographic monument you would not want to miss. I spent almost 2 hours playing with the light and angles as you can see in some of the images below.







Location and how to get there:
Located centrally in the KR (Krishna Rajendra) Market area - Tipu Sultan's Summer palace is situated right across the Bangalore Fort and is easily accessible by the pulic transport (BMTC buses that ply to KR Market every 5-15 minutes from almost all parts of Bangalore for a charge of Rs 15-25 depending on the distance. One can also drive/ride to the place and can also use the auto-rickshaws for a charge of up to Rs 200.
The palace is open to the public on all days for an entrance fee of Rs.5 for locals and Rs.100 for foreigners.

Do visit my Flickr Photostream Tipu Sultan Summer Palace and Bangalore Fort for more and stay tuned as I continue to discover the Garden City - Bangalore!!



Sunday, October 6, 2013

Wiki Loves Monuments and I Love Bangalore


Here's a peek into namma Bengaluru's heritage from my eye. This photowalk was conducted by the Bangalore Photowalk group in association with Wiki Loves Monuments - an international photo contest held by Wikipedia inviting photo entries of monuments representing the country's cultural heritage. It was fun experimenting different angles & compositions at Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace and Bangalore Fort with my 18-55mm lens, enjoyed post-processing (for once), adding dramatic layers to some of the images.  Above all, it was a fascinating experience exploring the lesser explored Bangalore.

Miniature postcards of Bangalore Fort  - Click on them to view enlarged images

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Bangalore Fort
Location and how to get there:
Located centrally in the KR (Krishna Rajendra) Market area  - Bangalore Fort is easily accessible by plethora of public BMTC buses that ply to KR Market every 5-15 minutes from almost all parts of Bangalore for a charge of Rs 15-25 depending on the distance. One can easily drive/ride to the place and can also use the Auto-rickshaws for a charge of anywhere up to Rs.200.

The fort is open to public on all the days. Oh and there is no entry fee!

History:
Originally built by Kempe Gowda (the founder of Bangalore) in the 16th Century, Bangalore Fort was further strengthened by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan (the Muslim rulers in South Indian history of Mysore during 18th Century). With the British's conquest of Bangalore, the fort was gradually dismantled in parts to make way for roads and infrastructure and what remains now is only the Delhi Gate of the fort and is preserved and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Personal favorite images from the Photowalk:
1. The Fort Gate- Took me back to the good old doordarshan days when they would air the historical drama- The Sword of Tipu Sultan, and I used to be so fascinated by the grandeur of  the forts, the armed gates, the army, the costumes, the drama and above all, the very handsome and chivalrous ruler Tipu Sultan. Nostalgic!!
2. The cycle with a fort wall in the background - I've always wanted to shoot a similar composition but in Rajasthan. Little did I know my dream would come true in namma Bengaluru itself. But that does not stop me from visiting Rajasthan someday ;)
3. The intricate designs carved on the Fort walls
4. The Fort in itself with a lush green lawn in the foreground and lovely blue sky at the background.
5. The 16th century Ganesha Temple inside the Fort - unique architectural style that you would not normally find in Bangalore.

Everything about this Photowalk was a fabulous experience uncovering the past. If you're a history buff and are in Bangalore, you should definitely not miss this one.

You will learn about the second destination of the PhotoWalk - Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace -  in my next blog post. Stay tuned!




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