Bangalore is booming, and a look at some of its nicknames says why: "India's Silicon Valley", "Fashion Capital of India", "The Pub City of India", and on. Home to well over 6 million people, and a base for 10,000 industries, Bangalore is India's fifth largest city and the fastest growing city in Asia.

The capital of the state of Karnataka, Bangalore is situated halfway betwen the coasts in southern India. The city was founded in the 16th century, and witnessed great southern dynasties like the Kadambas, the Hoysalas and Vijayanagar emperors. Legend has it that the name Bangalore comes from "boiled beans" (Benda Kaluru), which were served by a humble old lady to a hungry ruler in the 10th century.

Surprisingly, despite some adverse environmental impact of industrial development in Bangalore, another of its nicknames is "The Garden City". That's thanks to many local parks, along with pink cassias, golden acacias, and jacarandas which bloom throughout the city.

Many international visitors come to Bangalore for its excellent schools and universities, such as the Indian Institute of Science. While enjoying the warm weather year-around, tourists can also use the city as a central base for day trips to other Karnataka attractions. And Bangalore doesn't only produce fine silk and software. "The Fruit Market of the South" is great for grapes, mangoes and guavas.

Last but not the least, Bangalore is even gaining the status of the "Floriculture Capital" due to the present blossoming of flower exports from the city. Because of its rich stone resources, Bangalore is also known as the "Stone City", for its granite deposits.