During a comprehensive aerosol field campaign, simultaneous measurements were made of aerosol spectral optical depths, black carbon mass concentration (Mb), total (Mt) and size segregated aerosol mass concentrations over an urban continental location, Bangalore (13¿ N, 77¿E, 960 m msl), in India. Large amounts of BC were observed; both in absolute terms and fraction of total mass (~11%) and sub-micron mass (~23%) implying a significantly low single scatter albedo. The aerosol visible optical depth (τp) was in the range 0.24 to 0.45. Estimated surface forcing is as high as -23 W m-2 and top of the atmosphere (TOA) forcing is +5 W m-2 during relatively cleaner periods (τp ~ 0.24). The net atmospheric absorption translates to an atmospheric heating of ~0.8 K day-1 for cleaner periods and ~1.5 K day-1 for less cleaner periods (τp ~ 0.45). Our observations raise several issues, which may have impacts to regional climate and monsoon.