Mind blowing facts about Bangalore or Bengaluru

Bangalore is the capital of India's southern Karnataka state. It is one of the most popular historical and bang up-to-date cities in India. The city has a bunch of interesting and mind-blowing facts associated to it and most travellers and city-dwellers are unaware of these. Go through some interesting facts about Namma Bengaluru!

Origin of ‘Bangalore’
Before being changed to ‘Bengaluru’ as per the local dialect, Bangalore was known as Bengalval–Uru, meaning ‘City of Guards’. There is another story that states the name originated from Hoysala king Veera Ballala, who when being fed boiled beans called the place ‘Benda-Kaal-Uru (land of boiled beans).

Source: Wikipedia
Bangalored
No, that is not the past tense of Bangalore, but a new word frequently used by the Americans, which refers to workers being laid off because their jobs have moved to Bangalore through IT Outsourcing.
Winston Churchill owes Rs. 13 to the Bangalore Club
A ledger entry found in the book that was released on the 125th anniversary of the Bangalore club states the former UK prime minister owes Rs.13 as part of the unpaid bills at the club. The Bangalore Club is considered to be one of the most elite clubs in the country and was started in 1868 by a group of British officers.
The logo of the Karnataka Golf Association has a crow and two eggs.
The logo was designed as per the fact that the crows mistake the golf balls as their eggs. The Karnataka Golf Association course designed by Peter Thompson is an 18-hole championship course, with a clubhouse of 30,000 sq. ft.
The Victoria hospital was christened in the honour of the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria
The foundation stone of Victoria Hospital, the century-old premier Medical Institution of India, was laid on 22nd June 1897 by her highness Kempananjammani avaru, the then maharani regent of Mysore to commemorate the completion of 60 years of the reign of Queen Victoria. The hospital was then formally inaugurated on the 8th of December 1900 by Lord Curzon the then Viceroy of India.
Inventors of Rava Idli
During the Second World War, rice was in short supply and this made it difficult for MTR to make and distribute idlis. MTR experimented with idlis to fulfil the public demand by using semolina instead of rice and thus the famous breakfast item was born – Rava Idli!
Malgudi Days
R.K. Narayan’s fictional Malgudi town was named after the old Malleswaram and Basavanagudi. It is among the most popular readings that have Bangalore featured in it.
Oldest army regiments in the country
Bangalore has a rich history of housing many of India’s brave soldiers in some of the country’s oldest regiments. The Madras Engineering Group in Ulsoor has been in existence since the 1770s and the ASC College and Corps in Agara dates back to the 1860s. Other regiments that have faded away in modern times include the once-famous cavalry units – the Imperial Service Lancers and the Mysore Lancers, who were formed in 1892 as part of the Imperial Service Troops, and played an active role in the First World War. There is a War Memorial dedicated to the martyrs in Jayamahal, near R T Nagar, that dates back to 1918.

Source: Wikipedia
First electrified city
In 1906, Bangalore became one of the first cities in India to have hydro-electric power, generated by the hydroelectric plant situated in Shivanasamudra. A building in City Market was the honoured recipient of electricity for the very first time.
Pub capital of India
The once ‘Garden City’ is now become the ‘Pub Capital’ of India as well, due to disappearing gardens and the rise in many pubs and breweries. Bangalore also records the highest number of cigarette smokers in India.
Hub for Biotechnology
Bangalore is the base for nearly 47% of the 265 biotechnology companies in India, including Biocon, India’s largest biotechnology company. So, the city is not only just about IT companies.
Lalbagh-oldest rock formations on earth
At the heart of the city is the beautiful Lalbagh, which spreads an area of around 240-acres. Apart from more than 1000 species of flora and fauna, Lalbagh is home to The Lal Bagh Rock, one of the oldest rock formations on earth, dating back to 3000 million years and many trees that are more than a century old.
Bangalore Torpedo (Explosive)
Can you believe an explosive that is named after Bangalore!? The torpedo called the ‘Bangalore Torpedo’ was ideated and manufactured in the city itself. The torpedo was first devised by Captain McClintock, of the British Indian Army unit, the Madras Sappers and Miners at Bangalore in 1912. He invented it as a means of exploding booby traps and barricades left over from the Boer and Russo-Japanese Wars.
It has been featured in various well-known movies like Breakthrough, Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, Storming Juno, and The Big Red One.
Most Nobel Prize nominations in India
Bangalore has produced the maximum number of scientists considered for Nobel Prize nominations from India.
Sir CV Raman was associated with IISC Bangalore in 1930 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Sir William Ramsey, who was associated with the creation of the Indian Institute of Science, was also related with Bangalore.
Freedom Park was a Jail
Freedom Park, located in Sheshadri Road, once functioned as the ‘Central Jail’. When a state of emergency was proclaimed in India in 1975, several opposition leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani were arrested and jailed at this venue. The place also hosted recent India against corruption.
‘The World is Flat’ book describes Bangalore
Thomas L. Friedman’s much-acclaimed book ‘The World is Flat’ starts with a description of the golf turf in Bangalore and then goes on to describe the world-class setup of Infosys. Even Steven Levy’s book ‘In the Plex’ (An amazing book about Google – that everyone should read) begins with the mention of Bangalore.
Cleanest
Think before disposing that empty chips packet or banana peel on the roads of Bangalore. It is so far considered one of the cleanest cities in India.

Source: Jet Airways
Traffic in Bangalore has no comparison
Bangalore has the highest density of traffic in India.
Commercial and defence airport together
This is the only city in the world that has a commercial and defence airport operating from the same strip.
Maximum number of worship houses from all religions
It is the only Indian city that has the most number of worship houses for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians.
Highest engineers in a city
Bangalore has 21 engineering colleges, the highest in any given city. In addition, Bangalore University has 57 Engineering Colleges affiliated to it, which is again a record in itself. Hence, there are more than a million IT professionals, most of them engineers residing in the city.