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.
