A city catering to almost all the creature comforts of a metropolitan, a pleasant year-round weather and a bustling shopping and culinary scene, Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is the perfect destination to mix work with pleasure. Once famous as an ideal city for senior citizens looking for a relaxed life after retirement, today it's popular as the information technology hub of India, drawing young technocrats from across the country. Lush green parks and well laid-out gardens rub shoulders with art galleries, pubs and restaurants, giving the city a unique eclectic energy. From a sleepy cantonment area during the British era to a modern cosmopolitan, Bengaluru has had an interesting journey. Bengaluru is an ideal landing pad for shoppers, who can indulge in both street shopping and high-end retail buys. The heritage highlight of the city are the Mysore sarees, which are made of premium quality silk and sandalwood artefacts, which can be used for home decor. The city enjoys a scattering of prominent sites like the Bangalore Palace, the Attara Kacheri (High Court), St Mary’s Basilica, Tipu’s Palace, ISKCON Temple and the Bull Temple that draw tourists from far and wide. The city is known by many sobriquets like the City of Gardens, India’s Silicon Valley, Pensioners Paradise, Pub City, Pensioners’ Paradise, IT City, BT City and Pub City. It is an ideal location for tourists desirous of travelling to the hill stations and coastal towns in the southern region of the country.