Information on Vidhana Soudha (Bangalore, Karnataka) - History & Architecture

Vidhana Soudha is the name of a particular building located in Bengaluru, India. Constructed in 1956, the building serves as the seat of legislative assembly for the government of the state of Karnataka. In terms of its look, the building is quite grand owing to its architectural beauty. It style is often described to be relevant to Neo-Dravidian and is been constructed following the approach of the Indo-Saracenic elements.

Vidhana Soudha Architecture

Emphasizing the architecture of the building, it can be considered as a masterpiece taking into consideration few of its key features. Notably, the building has been constructed entirely with materials comprising granite and porphyry. The building i.e. Vidhana Soudha is further ornamented with domes in all the four corners. The entrance of the building is embellished with the 'Four-headed Lion' (national symbol of the country). Inside the building, there lies 'the cabinet room' which has a door made of pure sandalwood that is carved beautifully. Additionally, another attractive feature of the building is its actability from different parts of the city. The location of the building can be reached from all direction i.e. north, south, east and west. However, owing to the legal obligations and the importance of the building for the political domain, access to the structure is limited. One needs to take the required permission prior to entering the interiors of the building. Another noteworthy feature of the building is the beautiful view one can get in Sunday evenings or on public holidays when the floodlit are kept on. To present the importance of the building in one sentence, it can be said that a tour of the city of Bengaluru will remain unfinished if a visit is not made to the building i.e. Vidhana Soudha.

Vidhana Soudha History

The construction as well as conception of the building is accredited to Kengal Hanumanthaiah (second chief minister of Karnataka). Completed in between the year 1951-1956, the first stone of the building was laid by the first prime minister of India Sri, Jawaharlal Nehru on 13th of July 1951. However, appropriate design as well as fast pace construction of the structure was ensured by Hanumanthaiah. In order to provide the building with a contemporary outlook, Hanumanthaiah visited numerous places of the world including Europe, Russia and United States and took ideas from other buildings. His enormous interest in this particular project further ensured the successful completion of the masterpiece i.e. Vidhana Soudha. There are more than 300 small and big rooms inside the structure which accommodate more than twenty department of the state government. The chief architecture for Vidhana Soudha was B.R. Manickam who was an experienced man prior to get involved in the Vidhana Soudha project. The cost of completion of the structure during that period was 17.5 million INR. However, in the present day scenario annual maintenance expense of the building is around 20 million INR annually.

Vidhana Soudha Tourism Importance

Though the building is not used directly for the tourism sector owing to the security concerns, its exterior view can still be a delight to watch for the tourists. This 40 feet tall structure is deemed to be extremely beautiful when the floodlit are on holidays. People gather from all parts of the state including tourists witness these scenic beauties of the Vidhana Soudha. Tourists can also experience a glance of the interior of the building but with prior permission of the concerned authorities. These features of the building make it one of the important attractions for the tourism sector of Bengaluru.