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Sightseeing
Bangalore/Karnataka
Lal-Bagh
Gardens
Surrounding
one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda, the founder of
Bangalore, is the 240 acre landscaped Lal Bagh gardens. Haider
Ali, the warrior-king of Mysore, decided to create this garden
in 1740 on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were popular
during his time and later improved upon by Tipu Sultan.
It
houses a splendid collection of about 1,800 species of tropical,
subtropical and medicinal plants brought from Persia,
Afghanistan and France. Hyder Ali's son, Tipu Sultan, added to
the beauty of the garden by publicising his wish to receive
much-sought-after species of plants from visiting dignitaries.
With
an intricate watering system for irrigation, Lal Bagh is
aesthetically designed, with lawns, flower beds, lotus pools
fountains and a floral clock. Most of the centuries old trees
are labelled for easy identification.
During
season, the rose garden is beautiful to see. Apparently, when
the young Tipu saw this profusely flowering rose garden he
exclaimed, "Lal Bagh!" (Red Garden) and that is how
Lal Bagh got its name!
While walking around, do not miss the Lal Bagh Rock, one of the
oldest rock formations on earth actually dating back to 3000
million years! Also worth seeing are the Kempe Gowda Tower and
the Glass House which hosts exhibitions from time to time. The
Glass House, a later addition to the Garden, now hosts a
permanent flower show which is in addition to the extravaganza
held every year on Independence Day and Republic Day.
There
is an extensive horticultural seedling center as well. The
British brought in gardeners from Kew in 1856 and built a
military bandstand and a glasshouse, which is based on London's
Crystal Palace and hosts flower shows. Hemmed in by champaka
trees and pencil cedars, the glass house has played host to
several visiting dignitaries like Gandhiji, Rabindranath Tagore
and Queen Elizabeth II. Flower exhibitions are held here during
Republic and Independence Day. One of Kempa Gowda's original
watchtowers rests on the Lal Bagh rock and you can check out the
surreal floral clock (gifted by HMT) surrounded by Snow White
and the seven dwarfs.
The
Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, as it is called now, is open to
public from 9 am to 6 pm for a nominal fee of Rs.2/- for persons
above 12 yrs. In addition, for the benefit of early morning
joggers, and fitness freaks, the gates are open from 6 am to 9
am and 6 pm to 7 pm, when entry is free of charge. Entry for
school children and the disabled is free.
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