- Built
- Completed in 1956
- Entry
- Not open to the public; view from outside
- Distance from airport
- About 37 km
- Ideal time needed
- 30 minutes
History
The building was the idea of Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Chief Minister of what was then Mysore State. He wanted a seat of government that would reflect the region's own traditions rather than the colonial style of the nearby Attara Kacheri. Work was finished in 1956, and it has housed both houses of the state legislature, the Assembly and the Council, ever since. The motto over the entrance reads 'Government work is God's work'.
Architecture
The four-storey structure is built of granite and stands on a large campus facing Cubbon Park. A central dome crowned by the national emblem rises above smaller domes, while carved pillars, wide stairways and tiered roofs recall South Indian temple halls. Features from Rajasthani and Indo-Saracenic buildings are blended in. Inside are around 300 rooms used by about twenty-two government departments.
Visiting tips
Public entry is not allowed for security reasons, so plan to see it from the road and the pavement opposite. Sunday evenings and public holidays, when the building is often lit up, are the best time for photographs. Combine it with Cubbon Park, the Karnataka High Court at Attara Kacheri and the Government Museum, which are all within walking distance.
- Best viewed from the road in front
- Photography allowed from outside
- Evening lighting on many Sundays and holidays
- Pair with Cubbon Park and Attara Kacheri
How to reach
The building is in the centre of Bengaluru, and the Dr B R Ambedkar Station (Vidhana Soudha) on the Metro Purple Line is right beside it. Kempegowda International Airport is about 37 km away, and buses, autorickshaws and taxis reach the area easily from anywhere in the city.
Also nearby
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