National Gallery of Modern Art

Whether or not you are interested in Art, you must visit the National Gallery of Modern Art on Palace Road. Situated in a beautiful white well-preserved colonial building, surrounded by a huge garden full of ancient trees, with squirrels and birds all around, this is the the kind of place where you want to spend some quiet time. The windows are all 6 to 7 feet high, with only glass, no ugly bars - and light enters the huge spacious rooms from so many directions, highlighting the paintings beautifully. The ceilings are very high, and some of the rooms have wooden floors. It is the stuff of dream-houses.

In between the paintings you look out of any window, and you only see trees and squirrels.

The paintings are also a fabulous collection, starting from the Company paintings sponsored by the British to store their memories of this exotic land, right down to the most recent artists/sculptors. There is an entire room-full of Rabindranth Tagore's paintings - he apparently started painting at 67! The introductions to each section are done beautifully - it was quite an education for someone like me who has very little knowledge of art.

This is a place one can take visitors/guests to - when one is faced with the dreaded question "What's there to see in Bangalore?" - :) - for the wonderful building, the pleasant calming ambiance, the tree canopy, apart from the brilliant, very colorful walk-through across Indian art history. It is not at all crowded - probably most people here don't even know of its existence - so you have most of the rooms to yourself.

And the best part is that it is not too big, you don't get tired walking through endless rooms, it is just the right size.

They are open 10 - 5 PM all days, Monday is a holiday. Entrance fee - Rs. 10 only! For Foreigners Rs. 150 (!) and for students Rs. 1. They also sell prints and postcards and books.

Location:
National Gallery of Modern Art, Manikyavelu Mansion, 49, Palace Road, Near Highground Police Station. This is the road in front of Mount Carmel college. From Mount Carmel if you come towards Highgrounds police station/Chalukya circle/Majestic, it is on your right side, just after the petrol pump in the corner. That stretch of road is one-way, but it is worth parking before that and just walking across.
Phone: 22201027

Thanks to my friend Jasetha for telling me about this place.