Flowers, Flowers, Qutub Minar’s model with a lakh flowers at Lalbagh
From Our Special Correspondent
Pics by Jessy Rodrigues
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Jan 26: Flowers, flowers and flowers. If that was not enough, there is more. And can you believe it? A lakh flowers, mostly roses, to make a model of Delhi’s famous Qutub Minar!
Yes, that is what attracts visits in droves to Bangalore’s historic and world-famous botanical garden, Lalbagh Gardens, in the annual flower show to mark its Republic Day celebrations, which opened on Saturday.
Exotic, attractive and the ordinary flowers on display at the Lalbagh Gardens are attracting flower-lovers from far and near. Many rare flowers are also on the exhibit in the show.
The Karnataka State Horticulture Department and Mysore Horticultural Society, which have jointly organised the annual flower show, have planned to bring people together to enjoy the nature and know more about the variety of flowers and plants grown in and around the city.
The star attraction at this year’s flower show to mark the Republic Day is the model of the Qutab Minar made of 100,000 flowers, mainly roses.
Though people in large numbers visit the Lalbagh Gardens usually, the garden gets a festive look during Republic Day celebrations with the flower show. Lalbagh also organises flow show to mark the Independence Day celebration, which is also an eagerly looked for event for tourists and Bangaloreans,
The Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore is of royal origin and was started initially as a private garden in an area of 40 acres by Hyder Ali, one of the most famous rulers of old Mysore in 1760.
Initially designed in Mughal style, on the model of an extensive garden at Sira in Tumkur near Bangalore, this garden was further developed by Hyder Ali’s son Tipu Sultan and subsequently by the British and Indian doyens of horticulture by extension of area and addition of a number of plant species.
Of them, Major Waugh, Dr. Wallich, William Munroe, Sir Mark Cubbon, Dr Cleghorn, William New, A Blck, John Cameron, Krumbeigal, Rao Bahadur H C Javaraya, K Nanjappa and Dr M H Marigowda, as the Superintendents of the garden, have made noteworthy contributions to the development of Lalbagh.
Lalbagh was given the status of a Government Botanical Garden in 1856, and since then, it has been an internationally renowned centre for scientific study of plants and botanical artwork and also conservation of plants.
Formal and informal styles dominate the garden in perfect harmony, which is a testimony to the beauty of nature. Today, the garden is a lush green paradise with an area of 240 acres in the heart of the city.
The garden with well-laid out roads, paths, open spaces, shade and a good collection of many types of plant species attracts a large number of visitors. In addition, a number of ornamental and economic plant species both of exotic and indigenous origin can be found in Lalbagh.
The botanical garden is enriched with numerous native and exotic flora of wide ranging diversity, use and interest. This has been achieved by way of introduction; acclimatization and multiplication of plants obtained from various parts of the world since its inception in 1760.
Of the many artistic structures in Lalbagh, the Glass House is the most famous. In the necklace of Bangalore’s gardens, Lalbagh is a pendant and in the centre of this pendant is the glass house in the form of a diamond. It was built in 1889 during the administration of Sri John Cameron to commemorate the visit of Prince of Wales. Designed on the lines of the Crystal Palace of England, it was intended for acclimatizing the exotic plant specimens.
The Bandstand, Lecture Hall, Lalbagh House, Pigeon House, Statue of Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Directorate Building, Lalbagh West Gate Guard Room, the Museum and Cottage which now house some of the department offices, main gate of Lalbagh (Cameron gate), Deer Paddock, Aquarium building, Aviary and Kempegowda Tower are other artistic structures that can be seen in Lalbagh.