Have you recently moved to Bangalore? If so, you might have heard about Lalbagh Botanical Garden. Yes, this garden is one of the key attractions in the city. This garden attracts not only those residing in Bangalore but also people from other parts of India. Regardless of whether you live in the city or not, this blog post will let you know everything about this botanical garden.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden – An Introduction
Lalbagh Botanical Garden, simply called Lalbagh in Bangalore, is a sprawling garden spread over 240 acres of land. The important factor that makes this attraction popular is that it is located in the heart of the city. It has the largest collection of sub-tropical and tropical plants. You will be surprised to know that this garden houses trees that are several centuries old.
History of Lalbagh Botanical Garden
This garden was previously called the Cypress or Rose Garden until 1856. In 1760, the garden was commissioned by Haider Ali. He was a huge admirer of Mughal Gardens. His interest in gardens was transferred to him by his father, who was highly passionate about gardens.
The garden was modelled after Sira, which is around 120 km away from Lalbagh. Over the years of its existence, the garden has started giving homes to many species of rare shrubs, trees and plants. Most plants here were planted by Tipu Sultan himself.
In 1874, the area of the garden was 45 acres. Major additions happened in 1889 and 1891, with 30 acres and 94 acres, respectively. The glass house is one of the key attractions in this garden. The foundation for this glass house was laid in the year 1898. The glass house was further developed by John Cameron in the image of the Crystal Palace in London.
How to Reach Lalbagh Botanical Garden?
As mentioned earlier, Lalbagh Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Bangalore. So, you can reach this garden by different modes like those mentioned below:
By Bus
Bangalore has an excellent public transport system network. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation operates these buses. Many buses from different parts of Bangalore connect to Lalbagh Botanical Garden. The nearest bus stops to the garden are Siddapura Gate, Lalbagh West Gate and Lalbagh Main Gate Bus Stops.
By Train
The nearest railway station to the garden is Bangalore City Railway Station. Yes, this railway station gets trains from different parts of India. From this main station in the city, the park is located around 5 km away. You can take a taxi, auto or cover these 5 km by travelling by a BMTC Bus.
By Flight
You can also travel by flight from other cities in India. As you know, Bangalore is the home to Kempegowda International Airport. From this airport, Lalbagh is located around 38 km. You can cover this distance by airport shuttle service. Otherwise, you can go to the park by prepaid taxi or by the Bangalore City Metro.
By Car
If you wish to drive your vehicle to the park, you can travel by major roads like Jayanagar Main Road, Hosur Road or MG Road to reach the park. With ample parking facilities available at the entrance of the park, you need not worry about parking your vehicle.
Key Attractions & Things to Do
Here are the key attractions and things to do during your visit to Lalbagh Botanical Garden:
Explore the Collection of Flowers and Plants
During your visit to the botanical garden, you can marvel at the diversity and beauty of plants and flowers. You can see a lot of medicinal plants, species, herbs, succulents, cacti, palms, ferns, orchids and more in the garden. Above all, based on the season of your visit, you can enjoy the colours and fragrance of the flowers in the garden.
Visit the Glass House
Glass House, as mentioned earlier, is one of the key attractions in Lalbagh Botanical Garden. You can admire the design and architecture of the glass house that houses a wide range of plants. Above all, the glass house has different climatic zones to suit different plants. The glass house has four floors. These floors will impress you with different levels of humidity and temperature to suit different plants.
Lalbagh Lake
Yes, you can find a lake inside the botanical garden. The key attraction of this lake is that it attracts a large avian population. If you are a bird-watcher, you will love spending some quality time by the lake. The lake is located in the southern part of the lake. It is wholesome with a mini waterfall, a bridge and walking trails.
Go to the Watch Tower
There is a watch tower in the botanical garden. The attraction here is that you can get a panoramic view of the entire garden from this watch tower. It is an experience that you should not miss out on when visiting the garden. This watchtower, called Kempegowda Tower, gives a panoramic view of the entire city.
Flower Shows in the Garden
Every year on Independence and Republic Day, flower shows are conducted in the garden. These shows are organised by the Mysore Horticulture Society and Department of Horticulture. These shows are highly popular not only among the locals but also among tourists. During these shows, you can expect an attractive illustration of its flora. The flowers are arranged in different designs like butterflies. If you love photography, you will be delighted when you choose to visit the garden during these shows.
Cultural Show
On the second and fourth Saturday and Sunday every month, a cultural show is organized in the park by the Karnataka Government. The name of this show is Janapada Jaatre. It aims at promoting folk music and dance. During these folk shows, plays are performed by troupes from different parts of Karnataka. Through these shows, the cultural importance of the locals is known to the visitors.
Explore the Floral Clock
The Lalbagh Botanical Garden is home to an attractive flower clock. You might have heard about HMT Watch Company. The clock was installed by this company, and it measures 7 meters in diameter. The functional dial of the clock is attractively decorated with a wide range of attractive flowers.
Do not forget to capture a picture of the snow white and the seven dwarfs’ figurines when visiting this garden. These figurines are great for kids visiting the park.
Capture the Lalbagh Rock
Commonly called the Lalbagh Rock, this rock is undoubtedly a great crowd puller in the garden. This is one of the oldest present rock developments in the world. It is present more than 3000 million years, and you can see a sign board near this rock declaring it a National Geological Monument.
Get A Glimpse of the Tree Fossil
The garden houses an impressive fossil of a Petrified coniferous tree. It is believed to be a tree fossil that dates back to more than 20 million years.
Other Interesting Things
The botanical garden houses many other interesting things, like:
- Deer Paddock
- Lecture Hall
- Lalbagh Museum
- Pigeon House
- Statue of Chamaraja Wodeyar
- Aquarium
Best Time & Season To Visit
The best time to visit the park is during the flower shows conducted in August and January every year, You can choose the evening or morning hours to spend some relaxing hours within the park. If you do not want to visit during the flower shows to avoid crowds, the best thing you can do is to visit during the winter months. This means that you can visit between November and February.
Duration to See
Average visitors can spend 2 to 4 hours within the Lalbagh Botanical Garden Campus. Nature and plant lovers prefer spending an entire day within the campus of the botanical garden.
Best Restaurants & Cafes Around
- Peppers Restaurant
- The Bangalore Café
- Samskruthi Restaurant
- Café Amudham
- Café Coffee Day
- Sinful Bites
- Aashish Foods
- Shanthi Sagar
- Sri Jayalakshmi Bakery
- Bharathi Refreshments
Where to Stay? Best Resorts
Here are some resorts that are not more than 4 km away from the Lalbagh Botanical Garden:
- Casa Cottage
- Advaya Luxury Resort
- goStops Bangalore
- La Marvella
- Hotel Telehaus International
Entry Fee & Ticket Prices
For adults, the entry ticket to the Lalbagh Botanical Garden is priced at ₹20. For children below 12 years, free entry is offered. For the flower show, the entrance tickets for adults cost ₹70, while for children, the cost is ₹30. For a still camera, you will have to pay ₹60 extra, and for a video camera, the ticket price is ₹100.
However, for runners and joggers, entry is permitted free from 7 am to 9 am every day. The same rule is applicable for evening joggers between 5.30 and 7 pm.
FAQ
Are There Many Entrances to the Lalbagh Botanical Garden?
Yes, there are four entrance gates to the garden. The west-end gate adjoins the Siddapur Circle. Southern Gate is considered the main gate, and it is available at Lalbagh Road. Eastern Gate is located near Jayanagar, and Northern Gate leads to the glass house and exit from the garden.
Is Lalbagh Open on All Days?
Yes, Lalbagh Botanical Garden is open every day between 6 am and 7 pm.
Check out my other blog posts on places in and around Bangalore:
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