Culture Line

We undertake a tour of Karnataka taking in a region that dates back to the palaeolithic age and is recognised for Indian classical music. It is also a multilingual state with a Sanskrit-speaking town

- Kurt Morris

ROAD TRIPS ARE BY FAR OUR FAVOURITE mode of transport, whether we're in a vehicle or a camper van. There's something enticing about the wide road with all its freedom and spontaneity. It's the you want to while uncovering hidden jewels along the way as the road snakes endlessly ahead, surrounded by a breathtaking landscape.

For this road trip, we set out to explore and take in the culture of the great state of Karnataka. Earlier, it was known as the state of Mysore until being renamed in 1973. Bengaluru (erstwhile Bangalore) is India's knowledge capital and a major information technology hub or the Silicon Valley of the country. It is the world's fourth largest technological cluster and the world's first digital metropolis. The state of Karnataka is also known as Asia's knowledge, research, and innovation hub.

Our ride of choice was the Hyundai i20 N Line which is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 120 hp and 172 Nm and sends it via a seven-speed DCT automatic gearbox to the front wheels, making it a lovely hot hatch that is ideal to tackle the Bengaluru city traffic.

We first headed to the state legislature of Karnataka housed in Vidhana Soudha in the heart of Bengaluru. It is built in the NeoDravidian style which includes aspects from several Dravidian forms. Construction of this building began in 1952 and was finished in 1956. The legislative assembly and the legislative council, the two houses of the princely state of Mysore's legislature, were created in 1881 and 1907 respectively. Until India's independence from British rule on 15 August 1947 (when Mysore acceded to India), sessions of the two houses were conducted in Mysore (now called Mysuru), with joint sessions being held in the Bengaluru Town Hall.