Someshwara Temple, Ulsoor, 16th Century

Right next to MG Road in the heart of the city, a beautiful living 16th century temple. With a quaint old market next to it with narrow lanes and the smell of spices - don't miss that, ask anyone for the vegetable market. This is on the way to Cubbon park, Commercial Street. I discovered this temple thanks to the INTACH Heritage Walks.

You need to remove your shoes to walk inside, but you can wear socks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halasuru_Someshwara_Temple,_Bangalore

INTACH: http://www.intachblr.org/

Mail intach.blr@gmail.com to get on to their mailing list. Their walks get sold out in minutes, they are so good. :) 

Photo from the Net.

Restaurants, Pubs, Shopping

Idli & Vada, South Indian Breakfast at Konark

If you are coming to visit Central and South Bangalore, here are some safe options in Central Bangalore where you can stop for breafkast/lunch/dinner.

Near MG Road

• Indian [Khansama, Rajdhani [veg]], European, and Japanese restaurants at UB City Mall, has a nice open-air restaurant area with an amphitheatre.

• Konark Vegetarian restaurant, Residency road [Old place, good for local breakfast and snacks, like idli, dosa etc]

• Koshy’s, St, Mark’s road [Old Bangalore landmark with photos of old Bangalore, great fish curry and rice, fish and prawn biriyani, potato smileys and beer] [080 22915840, 080 22213793]
• Hard Rock Cafe, right next to Koshy's, St. Mark's road

• Coconut Grove, Church Street [Coastal cuisine from the West coast, Kerala. 080 25596262]

• The Biere Club, microbrewery near UB City Mall, Vittal Mallya road, 080 42124383,080 42124384
• Ballal Residency, Residency Road, near Brigade Road [Great breakfast place, for South Indian breakfast. Parking available]

Indira Nagar

On the way from Outer Ring Road to MG Road.

• Toit Microbrewery [good food too], 100 feet road, near CMH Road junction,+91 9019713388, +91 9019813388

Shopping

Commercial Street, near MG Road

Old shopping area, lots of Indian clothes, jewelry, crafts

Cauvery Emporium, MG Road [for local Sandalwood and other handicrafts, original stuff. Open on Sundays too, 10 AM]

National Gallery of Modern Art

Beautiful old bungalow with huge gardens, housing paintings and sculpture from the East India Company times to the present. Has a small tea shop too. It has an amazing collection of old trees all around, they have Arboretum walks sometimes. Not very far from Cubbon Park.

On Palace Road, right next to the Petrol Pump, though it is one-way from that side. The same road as Mount Carmel college, Vasant Nagar.

http://ngmaindia.gov.in/ngma_bangaluru.asp

Palace Road, Vasant Nagar, Ph: 080 22342338

Gallery Timings:
Opens daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Mondays and National Holidays.

Photo from the Net.

Kempegowda Museum (1300 AD - 1800 AD) MG Road

Southerly view of Bangalore, by Claude Martin, 18th century

Fabulous old red building, with old pictures, maps, drawings of Bangalore starting from the 18th century, dedicated to Kempegowda, the chieftain who founded Bangalore. In the Mayo Hall compound, right next to the Public Utility Building.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kempegowda_Museum

Open 10.30 to 4.30 every day, except on Sundays, second Saturdays and public holidays.

Album: https://goo.gl/photos/A4db3s31HMhRqUuB7

Map of Bangalore, 18th century

The museum, from the outside: