India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (198 page)

Walk the Talk

When Arun Pai, an IIM/IIT graduate decided to drop out and take to the streets, he breathed new life into a city. Hundreds of years of history, several cultures, astounding foresight—Arun saw that Bengaluru has so much more to offer than just shopping and IT driven agendas. And so the team was born and the stage set: Be it software engineer Savita, who takes you to a cluster of unassuming rocks in the midst of a modern neighborhood from where a young man looked beyond and was inspired to make a city, or engineer-turned journalist Roopa as she takes you down the lifeline of Bengaluru, pointing in all directions to the handprints left by the British, or finally, environmentalist Vijay, a walking, talking encyclopedia, who will surely make you revere trees by the time you emerge from the 250-year-old Lalbagh gardens—the
Bangalore WALKS
are a must! Conducted over the weekend, each of the 3-hour-long walks includes breakfast in places that are themselves institutions. The walks are well designed, articulate, interesting, amusing, and intriguing; from Bengaluru to Bangalore—walk on (
098806-71192;
www.bangalorewalks.com
).

Learn the “Art of Living” with India’s Hot New Age Guru

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, once a disciple of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (renowned spiritual guide of the Beatles), is the subcontinent’s hottest New Age guru—many consider “The Art of Living,” his nonsectarian philosophy of enjoying life for the moment, the perfect spiritual currency for our material times. His main ashram lies on 24 hectares (60 acres) of lush green hillside in south Bengaluru, where every evening thousands of the city’s well heeled gather for the evening lecture and satsang (devotional singing). The articulate Sri Sri’s appeal lies in the fact that he does not emphasize incarnation or abstinence, but encourages his disciples to enjoy the present without guilt while also encouraging them to contribute towards humanitarian and environmental concerns. His adherents—predominantly from India’s growing urban elite (including Kingfisher’s Vijay Mallya, the “Branson of Bangalore”), but also hugely popular on foreign shores (apparently San Franciscans have a real penchant for his teachings)—can go about their hectic lives and remain relatively apolitical yet feel good about not discarding all sense of religion and tradition.

A philosophy of convenience, some say, but even his fiercest detractors admit the value of sudarshan kriya, an ancient breathing technique taught when you attend the “Art of Living” course. The 30-minute-a-day practice is said to encourage the flow of oxygen to the whole body, ostensibly discouraging the storage of toxins and thus helping release anxiety, frustration, depression, and anger, leaving you with a genuine sense of calm and well-being.

To attend an evening session (at times with the guru himself) or an Art of Living course spread over several days, call ahead (21st Km, Kanakapura Main Rd., Udayapura, Bengaluru 560 082;
080/2843-2273
or -2274;
www.artofliving.org
).

WHERE TO STAY

Bengaluru’s popularity as a venue for international and national conferences has made it achieve the highest average room rates and occupancy in India, especially during the week. On the positive side, there are a huge range of excellent top-quality hotels, of which our favorites (all reviewed below) each have a unique personality—we like
The Park.hotel
for its contemporary überslick styling and in-house nightlife,
Taj West End Hotel
for its gorgeous greens and heritage atmosphere, and charming
Villa Pottipati,
as the best-value deal in the city. We also recommend two great out-of-city options—
Our
Native Village
and
Shreyas.
However, you may want to compare online rates with the following roundup of the city’s best hotels, which offer the same or similar top-end luxury and amenities.

No too far from the where all the action is,
ITC Hotel Windsor Sheraton & Towers
(25 Windsor Sq., Golf Course Rd.;
080/2226-9898;
fax 080/2226-4941;
www.welcomgroup.com
; doubles from Rs 20,000) retains the look and character of a neoclassical English country house. With its old-world charm and obvious Raj hangover, it’s popular with Bollywood’s elite and high-profile businesspeople and politicians; ask for a room in the Manor Block, which overlooks the deliciously cool garden. Another good reason to stay here would be the top-notch award-winning dining options, each of which are worth at least one visit. The
Oberoi
(37/39 M.G. Rd.;
080/2558-5858;
www.oberoihotels.com
; doubles from Rs 21,000) is another excellent hotel, located in the heart of the shopping precinct, with the usual high service standards we have come to rely on from India’s best hotel group. It’s extremely picturesque, with balconies draped with blossoming creepers and set amid gardens with lovely views over the lawns and the swimming pool. Standard units are not quite as large or as elegant as those at the ITC Windsor Sheraton, but they’re spacious enough and luxuriously decorated with floral fabrics and antique finishes; ask for a room on an upper floor for better views. Adjacent is the
Taj Residency
(
080/6660-4250;
www.tajhotels.com
; doubles from Rs 16,000), popular as a business hotel (and at press time offered better value than its sibling, Gateway Hotel on Residency Road), and abuzz after its recent makeover; it also has a fabulous new restaurant, Graze (see “Where to Eat”)—ask for a lake-facing room. If you’re in the mood for really over-the-top opulence,
Leela Palace Kempinski
—judged at the time of its opening in 2001 by
Forbes Magazine
as one of the world’s best business hotels and, in more recent times, as the Best Eco Friendly Five Star in India by the Government of India—is the hands-down winner, though it’s not as central as Oberoi or Taj. A baroque rendition of contemporary Indo-Saracenic architecture, looming large in pale pink, it offers enormous “conservatory” rooms with private balconies and, along with all the modern conveniences, elegant four-poster beds, rococo gold-gilt lamps, and silk duvet covers. Deluxe rooms are also very spacious and styled in the same manner (23 Airport Rd.;
080/2521-1234;
www.theleela.com
; doubles from Rs 20,000; suites range from Rs 30,000 to a whopping Rs 1,500,000 for the Maharaja suite).